The clip, which was recorded at Wuhan Wildlife Kingdom, Hubei province, central China, shows the 220-lb baby bruin suddenly getting the upper hand in the bizarre grappling game
Zookeeper grapples bear cub in heart-stopping footage
This is the heart-stopping moment a zoo keeper flees a play session with a year-old cub after putting it in a strangle hold.
Video footage from Wuhan Wildlife Kingdom, Hubei province, central China shows the 100-kilo (220-lb) baby brown bear suddenly getting the upper hand in the bizarre grappling game.
Keeper Cai Ruting, 24, is seen as she keeps the cub, affectionately nicknamed Zaizai, at bay by pushing him backwards with what look like judo moves. But as she gets him around his throat the brown bear surges forward past her arm and she runs toward the enclosure exit as the clip ends.
The catchweight contest amazed social media users. But in an interview with local media on 8th January Cai explained: “For Zaizai to better integrate with the adult bears in the future, I train him and accompany him so he can learn certain skills.”
Cai told how she raised Zaizai from birth after his mother rejected him. She explained: “Zaizai opened his eyes when he was 30 days old. The first person he saw was me. He knew I was his mother. When he was young, I often hugged him, massaged him, tickled him, and bought him a small schoolbag. But now that he is growing up, the way we interact is different.”
She added: “He was only 600 grammes [1.3 lbs] when he was born and was not in good health. I was there to take care of the baby 24 hours a day.”
Their grappling sessions, Cai says, are to toughen him up for when he joins the adult bear colony with animals weighing up to 1,000 lbs. She explained: “Zaizai will enter the adult bear enclosure in the future and be separated from people.
“However, as long as he lives well, it’s fine. Even then I can still interact with him, but I just need to keep a certain distance.” But she added: “Mammals are very spiritual. If you are really good to Zaizai, he will know it in his heart and like you very much.”
