Three panda keepers bitten by two bears were reprimanded after an online outcry over their rough handling of the normally docile animals at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan province, according to a base official. The keepers - two men and a woman who graduated from college last year - had tried to prevent the two pandas from leaving their den because a routine examination was scheduled for the next day. They promised to perform better after the reprimand from senior managers at the base, the official said. On July 12, a netizen posted a video clip showing the three keepers repeatedly throwing the two pandas back into their den, and pushing and pulling the animals to prevent them from leaving with two other bears. Many online viewers were astonished to see the pandas being thrown to the ground in their den and criticized the keepers. The video clip was taken from a live broadcast - a joint effort of the base and Sichuan Radio and Television Station. The station installed video cameras in several parts of the base to provide 24-hour live broadcasts of the bears, said the official, who asked not to be identified. The netizen did not post the portion of video showing the three keepers being bitten. At around 6 pm on July 12, the keepers fed four pandas in the den. To prepare for the examination, the keepers needed to take away the two bears that would not be examined, leaving only the two that would be checked. But the two pandas to be examined also wanted to leave the den and bit the keepers, who were trying to stop them. To prevent the bears from hurting them again and escaping, the three keepers reacted improperly, the official said. Guo Jingpeng, one of the keepers, showed two holes in his middle finger when he was interviewed by reporters in Chengdu on Thursday. The wounds were from panda bites, he said. Wild by nature, captive pandas can occasionally be fierce, said Zhou Mengqi, a photographer in Chengdu who has documented pandas since 1989. Zhou said that long ago the animals were carnivores. Gradually, as their environment changed, so did their diet. Now they eat only bamboo. In June 1992, when Zhou was photographing a panda eating bamboo outside its den at the Chengdu base, the animal chased him away and bit his trousers, he said. wristbands comrubber braceletsslap wristbandswristband keychain24 hour wristbandsprinted bracelets1 inch wide rubber bands
HONG KONG - Hong Kong saw the value of total exports of goods in February up 1.7 percent from the same period last year and the value of imports of goods down 3.2 percent, statistics showed on Tuesday.As the trade flows in January and February of each year tend to show considerable volatilities due to difference in timing of the Lunar New Year holidays, it is useful to analyze the trade figures of the two months together, according to the Census and Statistics Departments of the government of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.Taking January and February as a whole to neutralize the distortion caused by the difference in timing of the Lunar New Year holidays, the value of total exports of goods gained by 10.7 percent year on year. The value of imports of goods rose by 10.5 percent. A visible trade deficit of HK$74.4 billion, equivalent to 11.1 percent of the value of imports of goods, was recorded in the first two months.In February, the value of total exports of goods rose by 1.7 percent over a year earlier to HK$245.7 billion, after a year-on-year increase of 18.1 percent in January. The value of imports of goods shrank by 3.2 percent over a year earlier to HK$288.5 billion in February, after a year-on-year rise of 23.8 percent in January. A visible trade deficit of HK$42.7 billion, equivalent to 14.8 percent of the value of imports of goods, was recorded.A government spokesman said external merchandise trade performed well in the beginning of this year amid the solid expansion of the global economy.Taking the first two months together, the value of merchandise exports picked up to show double-digit growth over a year earlier, with major markets generally registering notable gains, the spokesman said.
