After harrowing rescue of girl, panda base issues a warning: Bears not docile

After an 8-year-old girl fell into a panda enclosure on Saturday, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan province issued a warning: Pandas are not as meek and docile as they appear.

Pandas are potentially dangerous animals, and even their keepers must keep their distance once the animals turn 2 years old, it said. Visitors are required to stay in the designated safety zone.

A video of the incident showed a crowd of people watching five pandas in their enclosure. The video appears to show the girl climbing the fence herself and being accidentally knocked from her perch, falling into a dry ditch on the animals' side. The ditch, which is more than 2 meters deep, serves as a barrier between the pandas and people.