A wild giant panda was seen swimming across a river in Foping county, Hanzhong city, northwest China's Shaanxi Province on April 19.
"At about 11 a.m. that day, I saw something with a chubby body and black and white fur moving across the watercourse. When I looked at it carefully, I saw a giant panda and I took a video of it with my cellphone," said Chen Li, a woman from a local village.
When staff members from the Foping National Nature Reserve, which is 15 kilometers away, arrived at the site, the giant panda had already gone. After watching the video shot by Chen, they said probably the giant was returning home which is located on the other side of the river after finishing mating.
"Normally, wild giant pandas don't leave their habitats except during the mating season, when they go to areas outside their habitats to look for a partner," a staff member explained.
A wild giant panda crosses a river in Foping county, Hanzhong city, northwest China's Shaanxi Province on April 19, 2023. (Photo/Chen Li)
