The scary moment unfolded in front of an audience at the Chongqing Zoo in China
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Panda chasing zookeeper in China
A zookeeper doing a quick clean-up of a panda’s den in China found herself in a scary situation when the panda began to chase her.
The moment occurred on the morning of Sept. 19. Visitors at Chongqing Zoo, located in the Jiulongpo District of Chongqing City, watched as the zookeeper entered the den, but didn’t secure the door to the pandas’ interior enclosure behind her. As video of the moment began, the 9-year-old panda, named DingDing, was also at the door.
The keeper reached past DingDing in an attempt to hit the door and shut it. The door bounced back open, however, and when the keeper tried once more to close the door, she appeared to frustrate the panda in the process.
The zookeeper then walked to a far side of the enclosure while DingDing remained in front of the door. When DingDing started to move, the keeper ran for the door, but the panda intercepted her and began chasing her around the den.
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Zookeeper tries to get away from panda in China
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Shocked zoo-goers watched as DingDing cornered the employee and knocked her down. The panda pounced on top of her and began to paw at her as onlookers — and the zookeeper herself — started to scream. At one point, it appeared DingDing was also biting the woman’s arm.
After a moment, DingDing turned away, which allowed the zookeeper to get up and get away.
Reports indicate the zookeeper and the panda are both okay after the tense encounter.
Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Pandas at Chongqing Zoo in Chongqing, China
A spokesman for Chongqing Zoo said they’re investigating the matter and monitoring DingDing’s behavior to ensure the animal “is not stressed,” they shared with news outlets including PEOPLE.
DingDing was born at Chongqing Zoo August 2015. The panda’s siblings, Yu Ke and Yu Ai, knocked down zookeepers there in April 2024. A coworker intervened to help them get away.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, “Giant pandas are solitary and peaceful animals, which will usually avoid confrontation, but if escape is impossible, they will certainly fight back.”
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