Wild panda drowns in Chengdu

Chengdu forestry authority has confirmed the death of a wild panda by drowning, Sichuan Daily reported on Wednesday.

A post-mortem examination found the dead panda was a female, about 6 months old, and weighed 14.25 kilograms.

Employees at the Heishui River Reserve said the animal's body was found in Yunhua, Xiling county, on Tuesday.

A team from the reserve's protection bureau that went to scene said its preliminary judgment was that the panda died due to mountainside flooding and mudslides after a storm on Monday.

The body was sent to the Chengdu Wildlife Rescue Center for dissection.

Sichuan Daily reported that no pathological changes were observed in the panda's organs, but many bubbles were found in its lungs, with several hemorrhages in its spleen. There were also two hemorrhages under the panda's skin, and its jaw was bleeding.

There was milk in its stomach, and digested bamboo leaves were found in its intestine.