Giant panda suffers electric shock from fence as visitors look on at Edinburgh Zoo

‘The old enclosure had glass but this one doesn’t – it must be to stop him from climbing out, but it’s cruel’

Yang Guang was stunned by an electric fence which it surrounds his new enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo. (RZSS/PA)

Edinburgh Zoo has been criticised by visitors who saw one of its famed giant pandas suffer an electric shock from the fence of its new enclosure.

Yang Guang was moved to new living quarters along with his female companion Tian Tian earlier this month, from their previous glass-walled enclosure.

The pair, the only giant pandas in the UK, now face being stunned every time they touch the fence that surrounds it.

After witnessing Yang Guang being shocked, one visitor told The Scotsman newspaper: “I saw the male panda try and climb the fence and he got electrocuted. You could tell he was scared because he ran off into his den.

“The old enclosure had glass but this one doesn’t. It must be to stop him from climbing out, but it’s cruel.”

Zookeepers stress the electric fence is there for the safety of both the animals and the public.

Charlotte Macdonald, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s director of conservation and living collections, said: “Yang Guang had one shock from an electric fence when he was exploring outside last week. Just like farm animals, zoo animals tend to learn very quickly to avoid electric fences, which are there for their safety and to protect the public.

“Yang Guang is being slowly introduced to his new surroundings and has been really enjoying playing on his platforms and climbing trees.”

In April, Tian Tian was artificially inseminated during her annual health check in a new attempt to produce a cub.

Last year Yang Guang, had surgery to remove both testicles after a tumour was discovered.

Panda specialists said at the time this was not a factor in the pair not having had a cub since they arrived at the zoo on a 10-year loan from China in 2011.

Additional reporting by agencies