Guan Quanzhi, a 75-year-old villager in Gansu Province, is still worrying about how to pay off the huge medical bill he incurred after he was bitten by a frightened panda on March 1 last year, resulting in leg fractures and some broken arteries.

Guan Quanzhi, a 75-year-old villager in Gansu Province, is still worrying about how to pay off the huge medical bill he incurred after he was bitten by a frightened panda on March 1 last year, resulting in leg fractures and some broken arteries.

The wild panda was being chased by more than 200 villagers and staff members from the local animal protection station and forestry department after it was discovered by a villager earlier that same day. The panda created a big sensation in the village because most locals had never seen a panda in the wild before.

Guan said the frightened panda, which was trying to escape its pursuers, attacked him while he was working at his tea farm near home. "I was picking tea leaves when a panda appeared from the tea trees. It bit my right leg and wouldn't let go," said the man.

Medical treatment for the bite cost Guan almost 110,000 yuan (US$17,944), an expense his family was unable to afford, although the local forestry bureau agreed to provide him 30,000 yuan (US$4,894) in compensation.

Guan's son insists that his father's injury was a result of the animal protection station staff's improper pursuit of the panda, which sent the animal into a panic. He deemed the animal protection station responsible for covering all his father's medical expenses. "The doctor said my father was lucky enough to avoid an amputation, but he may be incapable of working in the future," the son said.

His conclusion was supported by Xie Hongyu, vice chief of the Baishuijiang National Nature Reserve, the animal protection station's supervising body. Xie confirmed that the local government is responsible for compensating area residents for damage caused by wild animal attacks.

However, the local animal protection station did not really consider it their duty to cover the cost of the damage. Chen Yubin, the station chief, said his staff members only had the clearance to protect and observe wildlife in their prefecture and would never hunt an animal, let alone try to catch a panda with their bare hands.

Chen said the standard procedure for catching a wild panda would involve an approval from supervising agencies and specialized tools. Therefore, according to him, the villager's son's allegations of an "improper hunt for the panda" would not check out.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)