Taiwan zoo Panda accidentally swallows hypodermic needle

Panda_00_00_38_17_Still002In yet another twist to sharps injury, a two-year-old panda has accidentally swallowed a syringe needle during a regular blood sampling process in a zoo in Taipei, Taiwan.

Yuanzai, the first panda ever born in the Chinese island region, unexpectedly seized the needle with her teeth on Thursday when it was already in her left forearm. Caretakers tried to take the needle out of her mouth but failed. The panda was then anesthetised and taken to the animal hospital for treatment.

Veterinarians checked Yuanzai with X-rays and located the needle in her digestive tract. They took various measures to ensure sure that her esophagus was not hurt. A second check found that the needle had already reached the small intestine.

Due to giant pandas’ fast intestinal tract movement, the vets decided to wait for the needle to be excreted out of Yuanzai’s body, mixed in the bamboo residues six to eight hours after being taken, said Eric Tsao, a spokesperson of Taipai Zoo.

Good luck, Yuanzai

 

 

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