Working with pandas over in China is the ultimate dream job.

For those of us who are a little too obsessed with the black and white furballs, videos of pandas clumsily frolicking around can be hours of fun.

One of the most popular sources of content is the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, but the latest video from the centre to have reached viral status is one of cruelty – at least according to the “self-proclaimed panda lover” who saw the incident and spread the word.

In the video two members of staff can be seen “dragging and throwing” two panda cubs, and it has drawn criticism and concerns around the acceptance and practice of animal cruelty at the centre, reports BBC,.

But take a watch and come to your own conclusion:

Is it animal cruelty, or the only way to treat those adorable creatures?

Well, panda keeper Guo Jingpeng defended himself saying the cubs were being violent:

Mr Guo told state news agency Xinhua that what is not shown in the video is that he was bitten during a feeding.

“The cub bit my hand really hard. Its teeth cut into my flesh and my hand started bleeding,” he said, adding that his hand still remained scarred.

“When it tried to bite me again, I pushed it away out of instinct.”

Mr Guo also said he felt he had been wronged by the footage being circulated online this week, which was recorded earlier in July.

“The online community claims we don’t love pandas. But we choose to stay and work here because we love these creatures,” he told local media.

“I just want to clarify that the footage showing me “throwing” the panda was a natural reaction.”

However, colleagues of Guo told local media that he had since been “criticised and educated” by the facility, which also responded to the “inappropriate” incident by ordering their staff to treat the pandas “gently”:

“When we first saw the video, we thought the staff members had overreacted even though they meant no harm to the pandas,” Wu Kongju, a panda expert, told Xinhua.

“We hope people can show more understanding towards the panda keepers. Although giant pandas look cute, they are quite strong and can be violent.”

Terrible, ne? To make you feel a little better, here are some panda GIPHs:

Bamboo, anyone?

[source: bbc]