Two Men Arrested In China For Spreading False Panda Mating Claims

Two men have been arrested in China for allegedly spreading false information that two male giant pandas had successfully mated in the wild. The local law enforcement agencies in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, arrested the duo after receiving information about the fabricated claims.

The men, identified by police only by their surnames Dong, 29, from Liaoning province, and Gao, 33, from Zhejiang province, were found to have 'deliberately distorted facts' and used 'technical means' to forge the image, according to a report in Global Times.

The image circulating online appeared to have been generated or altered using artificial intelligence (AI). The screenshot titled "Chengdu: two male Sichuan giant pandas successfully mate in the wild for the first time", spread rapidly on social media, leading to disruption in online orders and negative social impact, according to the authorities.

Both Dong and Gao have been placed under administrative detention, and their online accounts have been shut down as well, the police said, citing laws against spreading false information and disturbing public order.

Notably, Chengdu is home to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, a major panda conservation centre.

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Giant Pandas In China

Giant pandas, native to southwestern China, serve as an unofficial mascot. Currently, nearly 1,900 giant pandas are living in the wild in China, primarily due to the giant panda nature reserves it has established since the 1960s.

Beijing also lends them to other countries as a sign of goodwill and as part of research and conservation programs. On Tuesday (Jan 27), the last two pandas in Japan returned to China, marking the first time in half a century that no cuddly black-and-white bears were present in the Japanese zoos.

China first sent pandas to Japan in 1972, a gift meant to mark the normalisation of diplomatic ties between the two wary neighbours. With Japan's relations with China at their lowest point in years, it is unlikely that pandas will return to Tokyo anytime soon.