Wild animal protection authorities in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, have launched an investigation into a city safari park blamed for maltreatment of an aging giant panda.

Yong Ba receives apple after taking photos with tourists. [Photo: thatsmetro.com]

The panda's keeper has been suspended from duty for alleged involvement in trading an in-park souvenir shop for an illegal panda photo service. The in-park souvenir shop that offered the money-making service was also shut down by park authorities, Guangzhou-based newspaper New Express reported Thursday.

A Shenzhen citizen who identified herself as Qiuyueguisi uploaded online a series of photos earlier this week showing the poor living conditions of the 25-year-old sick giant panda Yong Ba.

The netizen accused the park of mistreating the panda and making illegal profits by providing tourists photo service with the panda. "The panda would either crouch in the corner of her play area or knock on the door of her cage in hope of getting food. Otherwise, she just sits behind bars quietly without moving," the netizen described the poor panda in her post, which drew numerous hits on Tianya.com.cn, a widely-used online community in China.

Quiyueguisi said the photos were taken during a visit to the park on January 4, during which she saw the keeper canvass tourists to take photos with the panda for 10 yuan a piece. The panda received some pieces of apple in return. She said the panda is fed milk and steamed cornbread, a diet which lacks nutrients necessary for an aging panda.

The post drew big attention from the public and a response from related authorities.

The safari park, however, said that it provided comfortable accommodations for Yong Ba, along with an experienced feeder and regular physical checkups. The park's spokesman, Chen Chuwen, said the panda photo service was not officially approved, and admitted an investigative group has been formed.

The city's wild animal protection watchdog inspected the park soon after the post spread online, but did not find any evidence of mistreatment.

Experts from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda will visit the park Thursday to examine the panda's living conditions.

An official with the center, a major panda protection and research facility in China, said they plan to bring Yong Ba back to Sichuan if the allegations are proved to be true.

Yong Ba, a panda from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong, Sichuan Province, was lent to Shenzhen in 2004. Her offspring include Mei Qian and Feng Yi, two of the eight Olympic pandas, as well as Tai Shan, the panda living at the US National Zoo in Washington, according to the netizen.