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Wild panda rescued from marten attacks

A giant panda injured after being attacked by a group of martens was rescued by staff members at a Chinese nature reserve on Nov 17.

The 3-year-old panda was found hiding and moaning in a cave near a patrol station in the Tangjiahe Natural Reserve in Sichuan Province, according to station staff.

The panda sustained severe injuries to its stomach, exposing its intestines. The injury was likely caused by several yellow-throated martens, said Chen Limin, an official at the natural reserve.

Experts say it is possible for weak pandas to die in such predator attacks.

The panda, later named "Ping Ping", meaning peace and safety, has undergone surgery and is now recovering.

Pandas have 20 natural enemies ranging from tigers to Asian black bears to boas, with felines being their most deadly predators. When cornered by such animals, a wild panda will often lean against a tree, defending itself with claws and teeth, or escape by climbing up a tree or rolling down a mountain rope.

Most predators will avoid life-and-death confrontations with pandas, but it is possible for sick, weak, young and elderly of the bears to die in such attacks, said Yang Xuyi, a wildlife official with Sichuan's forestry department.

The rescued panda, whose sex has yet to be confirmed, is a sub-adult, Yang said.

Giant pandas are one of the world's most endangered species. About 1,600 live in the wild, mostly in the mountains of Sichuan, while more than 300 live in captivity.