The giant panda ran while biting the neck of a peacock. Photo by correspondent Chen Liyun.
According to reports (correspondent Chen Liyun, reporter Han Wei), people generally perceive the lovably clumsy and slow-moving giant panda. However, one suddenly displayed its ferocity by capturing and killing a blue peacock, revealing the nature of a fierce animal. Yesterday morning, at the outdoor activity area of the giant panda pavilion in Wuhan Zoo, located near Changsha, a panda named "Hope" caught a blue peacock that frequently foraged in this area and bit it to death.
Video: A giant panda at Wuhan Zoo bites a foraging blue peacock to death. Source: CCTV News Channel
Yesterday around 8:00 AM, as per routine, the panda "Hope" was released into the outdoor activity area for morning exercise, allowing the staff to clean its living quarters. Not long after, the pitiful cries of the peacock caught the attention of the keeper, Chen Jun. Chen immediately looked out and saw the giant panda biting a peacock and running non-stop. After a while, the panda released the peacock, which attempted to flee. The panda then swiftly pounced on the peacock with one hand, using its mouth to pull out the long tail feathers of the peacock. It then continued to bite the neck of the peacock and ran wildly. At times, it placed the nearly dead peacock on its resting perch and occasionally observed it from the side.
Chen Jun stated that the panda's capture of the peacock was akin to a cat playing with a mouse, akin to the "capture and release Cao" game. This was the first time he had encountered such an unexpected situation. Eventually, Chen lured "Hope" into the indoor room with food and retrieved the peacock. The veterinarian examined the peacock and confirmed its death.
It is reported that both pandas "Hope" and "Weiwei" are about five years old, belonging to adult pandas. The peacock garden is adjacent to the panda pavilion. More than ten peacocks often fly over the three-meter-high fence to forage for grass seeds and insects in the panda activity area. When excited, the pandas occasionally chase these "intruders," but most of the time, they coexist peacefully. For three years, no such incidents have occurred until now. (Editor: SN034)