Man bitten by wild panda sues China officials, gets S$115,000
A man who sued China officials over a wild panda attack has won 520,000 yuan (S$115,000) in compensation, his lawyer said on Monday (March 16).
Mr Guan Quanzhi was bitten by the creature in March last year after it wandered into Liziba village, in the province of Gansu.
Local officials trying to capture the panda had chased it onto Mr Guan's land, the Lanzhou Evening News reported.
Mr Guan told the newspaper: "I saw a panda jump out in front of me, its body completely covered in mud."
The animal bit him in the leg and only released its grip when another villager covered its head with a coat, the report said. The panda later escaped.
May need further operations
Mr Guan had to undergo seven hours of surgery.
Mr Guan's son sued local forestry officials and the nearby Baishuijiang National Nature Reserve, which is home to more than 100 wild pandas.
Following "negotiations", officials agreed to pay compensation of 520,000 yuan, his lawyer Wang Chaohui told AFP.
Mr Guan is "satisfied with the amount", which will cover his medical bills, said Mr Wang, adding that the man may need further operations.
Pandas have been known to attack humans. In 2008, a panda mauled a 20-year-old man who climbed into its zoo enclosure in China.
Source: AFP
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