Bad-tempered panda lashes out — again

BEIJING -- “Gu Gu” is one of the star attractions at the Beijing Zoo but the panda bear with a bad temper has lashed out at a fan for the second time, this time mauling a 15-year-old boy.

Eight-year-old Gu Gu, who weighs 110 kilograms (242 pounds), attacked the boy after he jumped into the animal’s enclosure, the Beijing News reported on Tuesday. The boy, Li Xitao, had both his legs gnawed to the bone, the paper said.

Monday’s attack was not the first time Gu Gu has tasted human flesh.

In September last year, the panda bit a chunk out of a leg of a drunken man who had jumped into the enclosure to “hug” the cuddly animal, according to reports at the time. Pandas have long been known to have a wild streak and are capable of attacking humans, especially if they feel threatened, experts said after the 2006 attack.

However authorities appeared to lay the blame for Monday’s mauling on the boy, rather than Gu Gu.

Police reportedly said the boy was an itinerant worker with a mental illness, who not only illegally jumped into the panda’s enclosure, but also climbed over the zoo wall to avoid buying an entry ticket.

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