Giant panda briefly escapes from enclosure at Beijing Zoo

Dec. 16 (UPI) -- A giant panda escaped from its enclosure at the Beijing Zoo, but was lured back to a secure area without coming into contact with the public, officials said.

The zoo said in a post on Chinese microblogging site Weibo that a "naughty" male panda named Menglan climbed over a more than 6-foot-tall fence surrounding a panda breeding enclosure at the facility Wednesday.

Menglan's escape attempt was caught on camera by a visiting tourist.

The zoo said the Menglan made it to a "buffer area" between the panda viewing area and a sports field. The area is not accessible by the public, the zoo said.

Menglan was lured back into the breeding enclosure by a zookeeper bearing food. The panda was not injured, and was observed "happily playing" after being returned to the enclosure.

The zoo said the enclosure's security will be increased following the panda's attempted escape.