A CHINESE man who sued local government officials over an attack by a wild panda has won more than US$80,000 in compensation, his lawyer said yesterday.

    The animals are renowned for their lovable appearance but despite their placid, bamboo-chewing image they are members of the bear family and have a fearsome bite.

    The animal wandered into Liziba village, in the northwestern province of Gansu, where local officials trying to capture it chased it onto Guan Quanzhi’s land, Lanzhou Evening News reported.

    “I saw a panda jump out in front of me, its body completely covered in mud,” he told the newspaper.

    The creature bit him on the leg and only released its grip when another villager covered its head with a coat, the report said, and the incident in March last year left Guan with injuries requiring seven hours of surgery.

    The panda escaped.

    Guan’s son sued local forestry officials and the nearby Baishuijiang National Nature Reserve, which is home to more than 100 wild pandas.

    Following “negotiations,” officials agreed to pay compensation of 520,000 yuan (US$83,000), his lawyer Wang Chaohui said.

    Guan is “satisfied with the amount,” which will cover his medical bills, he said, adding that he may need further operations.

    The giant panda’s natural habitat mostly lies in mountainous southwestern China. They have a notoriously low reproductive rate and are under pressure from factors such as habitat loss.

    The number of wild giant pandas rose nearly 17 percent over the decade to 2013 to reach 1,864, State media cited official survey data as indicating this month, with a government agency crediting conservation measures for the increase. (SD-Agencies)