Can giant pandas bite people?

Giant pandas can bite people, and there have been biting incidents in the wild and breeding places.

I am a perennial volunteer in Chengdu Giant Panda Research Base, and I often learn about pandas from various channels. As for panda biting, I have also observed it several times.

Generally speaking, wild giant pandas are shy by nature and usually take the initiative to avoid humans. Pandas have developed sense of hearing and smell, and often stay away from them until people find their tracks. This is also the main reason why many mountain people who live beside wild pandas all the year round rarely see pandas directly. Wild pandas sometimes visit farmers in mountainous areas, and even go to towns with many people at the foot of the mountain. In fact, these are all accidental events, not how interested pandas are in people. At this time, as long as people don't tease it or deliberately block its way, it will never hurt people, and soon they will return to the mountains by themselves. On the contrary, people are likely to learn how iron teeth and copper teeth effectively bite open bamboo poles. The resulting damage is entirely self-inflicted.

I am firmly opposed to teasing animals. Even the horses, cows and sheep are kept, it is best for strangers not to approach them at will. Any animal has its own living space and cannot be invaded at will.

Pandas in captivity usually give people a feeling of tenderness, peace and closeness, as if they will not hurt people even if they have been in contact with people for a long time. In fact, this is a complete illusion. Pandas are born lonely and have a strong sense of territory. Where it is located is its home, and no one is allowed to invade it easily. Every spring, the scene of male pandas vying for marriage has nothing to do with cuteness, but a fierce struggle. You can imagine what will happen if they fight with people like this. Wild pandas have a large living space and it is easy to avoid meeting people. However, in captivity, their space is very small, and they are prone to tension and even stress. Abnormal movements such as turning around quickly and shaking your head are typical manifestations of stress response. Similarly, if someone walks in at random at this time, it will also have a strong stimulus and stimulate their original self-defense nature. When a mother panda takes a baby panda with her, she sometimes becomes sensitive and irritable in order to protect her son. At this time, if someone approaches the female panda at will, they may also be attacked.

In order to relieve the tension of pandas, all captivity generally try to minimize the direct contact between breeders and pandas and leave them alone. Sometimes, in order to avoid abnormal stress response of pandas and ensure their mental health, breeders will give them some plump training.

Pandas bite when they are young, unlike adults. Red pandas are naughty and active, and often bite each other. They don't care about their thick fur, but people can't stand it. I have observed that the keepers are more careful when they are with pandas over half a year old, and they will avoid their front paws and mouths more or less. Red pandas have different personalities, some of them are very lively, and they often scratch and bite keepers, but that's just for fun, not really hurting people. Over time, when the panda is over two years old, its personality is prominent and its territory is enhanced, so the breeder can't get close to it directly.

Pandas can bite people, but all at a specific time and on a specific occasion. People can easily avoid it.