Cuddly panda can pack mean bite, finds Chinese student!

New Delhi, Nov 22 : A 20-year-old male student who snuck into the panda pen at a south China park hoping for a cuddle with the endangered bear ended up in hospital, according to the park's management.

The student surnamed Liu jumped over the fence at the zoo in the tourist city of Guilin, ignoring warning signs not to at around 4 p.m. Friday, said a worker at Qixing Park in Guilin, a major tourist attraction in the southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, reports www.chinaview.cn.

"The panda, Yangyang, was wide awake. Apparently scared by the intruder, he bit at Liu's arms and legs," he said on condition of anonymity.

The panda's keepers rushed in to soothe Yangyang (an affectionate name meaning 'sun') and rescue Liu.

"Yangyang was so cute and I just wanted to cuddle him," Liu said at No. 2 People's Hospital in Guilin Saturday.

"I didn't expect he would attack... I don't remember how many bites I got."

Liu was injured in both arms and legs and underwent an operation Friday night. Doctors said he was out of danger but needed to stay in hospital for a few days.

According to boffins, fewer than 2,000 giant pandas live in the wild in China.

ANI