"Expert Stalking, Insulting Remarks, Cyberbullying"
Whether Distributors Related to Pubao Are Included Has Not Been Confirmed
Chinese panda protection authorities have reported about 10 individuals to the police for spreading rumors and fake news about giant pandas on the internet.
The China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda stated on its official Weibo (Chinese SNS), "In recent days, about 10 people have spread false information claiming that pandas at our Dujiangyan and Xueshuiping bases are being abused, and have reported this to domestic and international media, thereby spreading misinformation."
The giant panda 'Fubao,' returned to China last April, was unveiled to the public on the 12th at the Sichuan Panda Base after about two months. [Photo by Yonhap News]
The center said, "These rumors related to panda breeding, management, scientific research cooperation, and conservation activities have damaged the center's image," adding, "Some of the spreaders followed panda experts within the center, took photos, insulted them, and posted their faces online, causing them to suffer cyberbullying."
The accompanying video showed two young women holding mobile phones, making insulting remarks while chasing an expert.
They have been reported to the police and are currently banned from entering the panda bases operated by the center.
The center also mentioned representative cases of the fake news they spread. According to the center, these individuals circulated fabricated fake news such as rumors that the panda 'Meixiang,' who returned from the United States last November, was severely abused including regular blood draws in the U.S., and that the panda 'Linhui,' who went to Thailand, was beaten to death.
As fake news about pandas surged, the center actively responded by opening a special section on Weibo titled 'Refuting Rumors.'
'Fubao,' who returned to China last April, was also suspected of being mistreated. Veterinarian Choi Taegyu said in a YTN news interview on the 12th that regarding the hair loss on Fubao's neck, "Although there are limitations in judging from the video, it seems that the hair is broken rather than lost," and "Due to repetitive stereotypic behaviors causing continuous friction on a specific area, the hair appears to have broken."
Regarding the mark on Fubao's crown, which the Chinese side calls a 'beauty spot,' he said, "It looked close to a wound," and "It seems that the skin tissue was damaged as a result of stereotypic behavior, and packaging this as a 'beauty spot' just because it is a female does not look good."
It has not been revealed whether the person who raised suspicions about Fubao was included among those reported to the police this time.
Fubao was publicly revealed for the first time at the Xueshuiping base in Sichuan Province about two months after being returned to China on the 12th. Fubao appeared in the outdoor enclosure, actively eating bamboo and bamboo shoots, and experts from the center emphasized that "Fubao is adapting healthily and well to the new environment," making efforts to dispel abuse allegations.
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