For real? Wild panda allegedly attacks and devours goat in China

If you think pandas are cute, cuddly softies munching on bamboo shoots all day long, think again.

A wild panda was reportedly seen mauling and devouring a village goat last Friday (Feb 24) in Leshan, China. 

Villagers claimed to have witnessed the metre-long bear lurking near the village of Muping where the attack occurred, reports World of Buzz. 

After sating its hunger, the beast retreated back to the forest. 

When officers from the Mabian County Forestry Bureau rushed down to the scene, they could not find the panda, but managed to retrieve some faeces sample for analysis. 

Another panda was spotted on the same day, but did not exhibit any aberrant behaviour. 

News of the flesh-eating panda has since gone viral on the Chinese social media.

One netizen commented:

“I thought pandas are naive creatures that only eat bamboo shoots, I didn’t expect them to be so fierce!”

Deputy director of Sichuan Provincial Forestry Department, Gu Haijun has issued an official response on the incident, citing that although giant pandas are mostly herbivores, their ancestors were actually carnivores and the primal instinct to consume meat may still exist in modern day pandas. 

Whether the incident is real or not, one thing is for certain -- never mess with a panda.