Animals
Panda knocks down zookeeper in Chongqing zoo, both unharmed
A panda named Ding Ding knocked down a zookeeper at Chongqing Zoo on 19 September, sparking concern after a video surfaced online. Both the caretaker and the panda were unharmed, and the zoo has continued normal operations.
CHINA: On Thursday (19 September), a social media user shared a video showing a giant panda named Ding Ding (丁丁) knocking down a zookeeper at Chongqing Zoo.
In response to inquiries, zoo staff confirmed that both the zookeeper and the 9-year-old panda were unharmed and that Ding Ding continues to be exhibited as usual.
The video, circulated on Chinese social media platform Weibo, shows a zookeeper noticing that Ding Ding was attempting to escape through a partially open gate. The zookeeper rushed to close the gate, which produced a loud noise.
However, the gate wasn’t fully secured, and Ding Ding can be seen trying to open it again.
Visitors alerted the zookeeper, who rushed back to shut the gate.
This action seemingly agitated the panda, who then turned its attention toward the zookeeper.
During a brief chase, Ding Ding knocked down the zookeeper.
In the footage, some visitors can be heard advising others to stay calm and avoid shouting.
This is not the first such incident at the zoo.
In April 2024, another panda knocked over another zookeeper.
The zoo’s management reported that on 23 April, at around 2:00 PM, a zookeeper was guiding two pandas, Yu Ke (渝可) and Yu Ai (渝爱), to a feeding area when they chased and knocked the zookeeper down.
Fortunately, neither the zookeeper nor the pandas were injured.
Following that event, the zoo held a safety meeting and implemented stricter feeding protocols to prevent similar incidents.
Chongqing Zoo is home to 23 giant pandas.
According to Chongqing Daily, the panda enclosure, which has undergone three rounds of expansion and renovation, now covers nearly 20,000 square meters and is one of the earliest panda breeding centers in China.
