Chinese man wins 520,000 yuan payout after being bitten on leg by wild panda
Guan Quanzhi was attacked by the panda as local government officials tried and failed to catch the animal
A Chinese man who sued local government officials after being attacked by a wild panda has won 520,000 yuan (about HK$654,000) in compensation, his lawyer said today.
Pandas are renowned for their lovable appearance, but despite their placid, bamboo-chewing image they are members of the bear family and have a fearsome bite.
The animal wandered into Liziba village, in the northwestern province of Gansu, where local officials trying to capture it chased it onto Guan Quanzhi’s land, the Lanzhou Evening News reported.
“I saw a panda jump out in front of me, its body completely covered in mud,” Guan told the newspaper.
The creature bit Guan in the leg and released its grip only when another villager covered its head with a coat, the report said.
The incident in March last year left Guan with injuries requiring seven hours of surgery.
The panda escaped.