Panda drops by villagers' homes at start of new year

As villagers of Dachuan town in Sichuan province celebrated the arrival of a new year, they were surprised to have an unexpected guest coming from the forest, Jimu News reported on Friday.

According to a local villager, surnamed Mou, a giant panda visited her mother's backyard on Jan 4, and appeared at the door of another villager's home 3 kilometers away the next day.

"Our village is located inside the habitat of giant pandas, and when we see them, we don't disturb them. These pandas are not afraid of people, and just walk slowly when they see us," said Mou.

After sighting the giant panda again on Jan 5, villagers reported the discovery to local authorities. The local police have already stepped in to protect the panda.

"The panda was probably hungry and looking for food. Its physical condition is normal. We will guide it back into the mountain forest," a local official said.

Dachuan, under the jurisdiction of Lushan county, is located within the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is also in the core area of the Giant Panda National Park. A total of 22 giant pandas live there, according to the local government.