From Yahoo! News:
Man bites panda after panda bites man
BEIJING (Reuters) – An intoxicated Chinese man who tried to give a panda a hug at Beijing Zoo found himself biting it in self defense after his clumsy attempt at affection was savagely rejected, local media reported Thursday.
Zhang Xinyan, a building worker on holiday from China’s central Henan province, climbed into an enclosure that held Gu Gu, a seven-year-old panda, at Beijing Zoo after the man had drunk four pints of beer during lunch at a nearby restaurant, the Yanzhao Metropolis Daily said.
Zhang, who couldn’t remember the incident clearly, had wanted to hug the panda and shake its hand after having watched similar scenes on television.
“When I was in there, the panda was eating bamboo. Then, it seemed some people shouted, which startled the panda. He rushed over to bite my leg,” Zhang said.
Zhang, who tried in vain to push the panda away, was bitten twice and forced to the ground, the paper said.
“I took the opportunity to bite the panda’s back, but its fur was too thick,” Zhang said.
Eventually, a zoo worker sprayed water from a hose to rescue Zhang from the panda’s clutches, the paper said.
Both were worse for wear after the tussle. Zhang was rushed to hospital and given tetanus and rabies shots, while Gu Gu lost her appetite, Xinhua news agency reported.
“It was scared by the intruder and refused to eat for one and a half days,” a zoo spokeswoman, surnamed Ye, told Xinhua.
But Gu Gu had recovered and was back on display Thursday.
Zhang, however, faces at least a half-month convalescence, due to the “deep wounds,” Xinhua said, citing Zhang’s doctor.
His pride had also been injured, after reading stories of his exploits in newspapers.
“I wouldn’t have jumped in if I knew what would happen,” Zhang said.
The zoo, which plans to install cameras to monitor the enclosure, would not prosecute, Xinhua said.
But Zhang had already been tried and found guilty by Chinese Internet surfers.
“The man should be fined for the trouble he made,” an anonymous commentator said in a posting on 163.com.
“He deserved to be bitten.”
…
Hmm… I’ve read conflicting reports. Another one said that the panda was sleeping, got startled and bit the guy. The guy then kicked the panda and got another bite for that.
Either way, he’s a blockhead.
…
On the other hand, I would be pretty tickled if I were the recipient of this one:
Man’s lost gnome attends Steelers game
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Allen Snyder’s garden gnome is apparently out of jail and now traveling the country. The 14-inch tall red-and-white statue disappeared from Snyder’s Morgantown yard in the spring, and Snyder has since received three letters claiming to have been written by “Gnomey.”
The latest letter, which Snyder received this week, included photos of the gnome in the company of Steelers fans attending Pittsburgh’s football home opener.
“You never took me to any games,” the note said. The letter ended: “Have to go now. Boarding a plane. Now, finally, broadening my travels.”
An earlier letter included a request for bail money and included what appeared to be booking photos of Gnomey and another of the gnome in the back seat of a police car.
Snyder has no idea who’s pulling this prank but said his short list of suspects includes several gag-loving friends.
The plight of his gnome has gotten a lot of attention. Snyder says people are always asking if he’s heard from Gnomey.
“I never thought it would go this far,” he said.
The story has even caught the attention of officials at Travelocity, which uses a roaming gnome in the online travel agency’s advertising.
“While we know that your dear friend, Gnomey, can never be replaced, we’re sending the enclosed Roaming Gnome to keep you company in his absence,” wrote Michelle Peluso, president and chief executive officer of Travelocity, based in Southlake, Texas. “Hopefully your friend will find his way out of trouble and back to your front yard soon, although we can’t help but admire his sense of adventure and love of travel.”
