China's Panda Breeding Centre Bans 12 Tourists For Life. Here's why

In consequence of their "bad behaviour" around the pandas, a dozen tourists have been permanently banned from China's Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, according to CNN.

A statement posted on the research base's official WeChat account said that 12 people, ages 26 to 61, have been given lifetime bans. Their offences included spitting into the pandas' outdoor play area on two consecutive occasions and throwing bread, eggs, lollipop sticks, cigarettes, and bamboo shoots.

Fortunately, the pandas were unharmed by their wicked activity, and the WeChat post confirmed their continued excellent health and happiness.

According to CNN, The Research Base has not publicly identified any of the banned guests or their nationalities. The WeChat post explained that the tourists were not all together; the offences took place between April and June of this year.

The base, which is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Chengdu, has detailed visitor instructions on its website.

"Please be mindful of your own and animals' safety," reads one note. "Stay quiet and keep clear of animals; littering, spitting, throwing food into the animal activity field, and other behaviours threatening animals' safety are prohibited."

Violators of the rules face penalties including criticism and education, one-year bans, five-year bans, or lifetime bans from entering the park. The severity of the penalty depends on the degree of the violation.

The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding was established in 1987 in Sichuan, China, with the goal of restoring the native giant pandas' natural habitat while serving as a top-notch research institution, conservation education hub, and international tourist destination.