Bears were abused: 12 tourists were banned for life from visiting a panda breeding center in China (4 photos + 1 video)
It turned out that tourists were throwing bamboo at the pandas and spitting into their enclosure. 
A dozen tourists have been banned for life from visiting China's giant panda research base in Chengdu for misbehavior towards the animals.
According to a post on the Research Base's official WeChat account, a total of 12 people, ranging in age from 26 to 61 years old, were banned from attending the center for life.
Visitors who misbehaved "were caught throwing bamboo shoots, lollipop sticks, cigarettes, eggs or bread, and spitting at the pandas' outdoor play area," WeChat said. 
All pandas are fine and healthy, the breeding center assured.
The research base did not publicly name the disruptive pandas or say what nationality they were. But they explained that they were not from the same company and did not visit the Center at the same time - the offenses occurred between April and June of this year.
The base, which is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Chengdu, has detailed instructions for visitors on its website.
“Please be mindful of your safety and the safety of your animals,” one paragraph reads. Tourists are also asked to remain quiet and stay away from the pandas.
It is forbidden to spit at them, throw garbage and food. And do anything that threatens unique animals.
The guidelines go on to say that violation of these rules may result in penalties for violators. They may be publicly denounced or banned from visiting the park for a year, for five years, or for life.
The Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding opened in 1987 in Sichuan Province in southwest China. Its website says the center's goal is "to become a world-class research center, conservation education center and international educational tourism destination."
The base is designed to recreate the natural habitat of giant pandas.
Extreme measures scientists take to create such an environment may include dressing in panda costumes sprayed with panda urine to keep the animals comfortable and undisturbed by human smells.
In 2018, the World Wildlife Fund downgraded giant pandas from "endangered" to "vulnerable" status. Today, there are approximately 1,800 pandas living in the wild.
