A panda breeding facility in China has come out to defend itself after a viral video showed its keepers dragging and throwing panda cubs in an enclosure.

According to website Shanghaiist, a Weibo user who visited the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding recorded a video of keepers dragging the cubs along the floor in their enclosure, pushing them and throwing them.

Chinese Weibo users who viewed the footage said the keepers were abusing the cubs. The video was viewed more than 44 million times, reports the Yahoo Southeast Asia Newsroom.

In response, the breeding centre said the keepers were only trying to stop the cubs from escaping from their enclosure. In the video, the cubs can be seen trying to follow the keepers out of the enclosure and attempting to run out several times.

A staff member added that the cubs had been particularly excitable that day and one had bitten one of the keepers.

The breeding centre added that the keepers were still told off for treating the cubs roughly and would be taught how to deal with the situation better in the future.