Chengdu panda base slams online claims of cruelty

The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan province denied on Wednesday that pandas at the base had been mistreated.

Netizens raised concerns over the condition of the pandas after images posted online by visitors to the base on Jan 19 showed the giant panda Qi Yi with white scabs around her eyes.

An article went viral online on Tuesday accusing the Chengdu base of not taking adequate care of the pandas when they were ill and using them for commercial gain and to build luxurious office buildings.