A giant panda assaulted and killed an unsuspecting peacock in Wuhan Zoo, Hubei Province on May 2 after the bird encroached into the fiercely territorial animal's enclosure.

The peacock was searching for food in the pen of the 5-year-old panda, named Hope, according to zookeeper Chen Jun.

Responding to distress calls from the captured bird, Chen found Hope tearing at the poor bird's neck and toying with it for several minutes.

Though Chen eventually managed to distract Hope's attention long enough to recover the maimed creature, there was no hope of saving its life after the attack.

The peacock area is adjacent to the panda rooms and peacocks often hop the fence to search for seeds and worms, but it is the first such incident in three years of a panda using deadly force to teach their nosy neighbors a lesson.

Changjiang Daily