Due to their “bad behavior” around the pandas, a dozen tourists have been permanently banned from China’s Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, according to CNN.
A statement on the research base’s official WeChat account revealed that 12 individuals, aged 26 to 61, have received lifetime bans. Their offenses included spitting into the pandas’ outdoor play area twice and throwing items such as bread, eggs, lollipop sticks, cigarettes, and bamboo shoots.
Fortunately, the pandas were not harmed by these actions, and the WeChat post confirmed their ongoing excellent health and happiness.
CNN reported that the Research Base has not disclosed the identities or nationalities of the banned visitors. The WeChat post clarified that the tourists were not a single group; the offenses occurred between April and June of this year.
The base, a major tourist attraction in Chengdu, provides detailed visitor instructions on its website.
“Please be mindful of your own and animals’ safety,” one note reads. “Stay quiet and keep clear of animals; littering, spitting, throwing food into the animal activity field, and other behaviors threatening animals’ safety are prohibited.”
Violators of these rules face penalties ranging from criticism and education to one-year, five-year, or lifetime bans from the park. The severity of the penalty depends on the degree of the violation.
The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, established in 1987 in Sichuan, China, aims to restore the native giant pandas’ natural habitat while functioning as a premier research institution, conservation education center, and international tourist destination.
