Giant panda drives away horse in nature reserve of northwestern China
(Screenshot photo)
A wild giant panda was recently seen charging at a horse in the national nature reserve of Foping County, Hanzhong City of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, local media hsw.cn reported on Oct.11, 2018.
“My horse was in front of me, and I couldn't walk away. I looked up and saw a giant panda not far from us,” said He Qinggui, a Foping villager who was transporting building materials to a power distribution station in the nature reserve with his horse on Oct. 5, when he encountered the giant panda on a narrow mountain path.
He tried to stop his horse, but the giant panda continued to amble towards them. He explained that his horse continued on its journey until it was around 5 meters away, instigating the giant panda to charge at them both, adding that “the giant panda chased after us for about 5 meters and then stopped.”
Perhaps still unsatisfied with the distance between them, the giant panda ran towards them a second time while growling. He and his horse stepped back and avoided eye contact with the panda. No longer feeling threatened, the giant panda sat down and stared at them for a while before walking into a nearby bamboo grove.
It's estimated that the nature reserve is home to 130 giant pandas, with one to every 4.8 square kilometers on average. There are about 40 giant pandas in Sanguanmiao Village, where the man and horse met this particular giant panda.
