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Man detained in China over zoo panda death
A man has been detained over the poisoning death of an endangered panda in a Chinese zoo, state media has reported
(AFP)
BEIJING — A man has been detained over the poisoning death of an endangered panda in a Chinese zoo, state media reported Wednesday, in the latest case spotlighting risks to captive animals in China.
The panda, a 21-year-old female named Quan Quan, was found extremely ill Thursday and died hours later after attempts at reviving her failed.
An investigation found that she died from inhaling toxic gas that leaked into her enclosure at the Jinan Zoo in Shandong province through a narrow vent connected to a former air-raid shelter next to the zoo.
The man, identified only by his surname Yang, had hired workers to disinfect the air-raid shelter, which he had rented to grow mushrooms in, Xinhua news agency said.
It said the vent had been drilled in 1995 to help cool the panda enclosure in the summer.
Quan Quan had been on loan to the zoo from China’s famed Wolong Giant Panda Research Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan since September 2007.
She had been a star attraction at Jinan Zoo, and was dubbed a “heroic mother” after giving birth to seven cubs in her lifetime, a significant number for a species whose notoriously low sex drive has frustrated breeding efforts.
Reports are common of animals dying, being denied sufficent food or living in poor or unsafe conditions in Chinese zoos, many of which are poorly managed or low on funding, according to state media.
But the welfare of pandas is of particular interest as the rare animals are viewed as beloved national symbols.
There are only 1,590 remaining in the wild, mostly in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces.
Another 290 are in captive-bred programmes worldwide, mainly in China, according to official reports.
Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved.
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Comment by Kathleen on 31 July 2010:
The man was responsible for Quan Quan’s death and should be put in prison. He didn’t even check to be sure there was not any way the gases could escape the air-raid shelter. He clearly was irresponsible in his actions and maybe they shoud have him breathe in all of those toxic fumes, and see how long he will live.