South Korea-born panda to make debut in Sichuan
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Fu Bao left the Samsung Everland Park in South Korea and arrived in China in early April.
PHOTO: SAMSUNG C&T/EVERLAND THEME PARK
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BEIJING – After more than two months of quarantine and transitional adaptation, giant panda Fu Bao will meet the public at the Wolong Shenshuping Base of the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda in Sichuan province this week.
The female panda will make her debut at the base on June 12, and will then be on show regularly. Base employees are advising visitors to arrange their trips carefully to avoid big crowds.
Fu Bao left the Samsung Everland Park in South Korea
After quarantine, Fu Bao moved to the breeding area of the base. A technical team developed a plan to help her transition to her new life through behavioural training, physical contact and communication with the keepers.
She has also been enjoying the food provided.
“After more than two months of adaptation, Fu Bao has adapted to the current season’s bamboo. She loves to eat bitter bamboo shoots, bitter bamboo leaves and white bamboo shoots,” said Mr Xu Xiang, a keeper at the Wolong Shenshuping Base, adding that different types of bamboo are provided for pandas in different seasons.
“We feed Fu Bao two to three types of bamboo daily for her to choose from, and we also feed her bamboo shoots. As for supplements, Fu Bao prefers apples and steamed buns,” he said.
In March 2016, female giant panda Hua Ni, also known as Ai Bao, and male giant panda Yuan Xin, also known as Le Bao, arrived at the Samsung Everland Park in South Korea, initiating Sino-Korean cooperation in giant panda research. Fu Bao was born to the pair at the park in July 2020.
According to the agreement on giant panda conservation research cooperation, panda cubs born overseas are sent to China between the ages of two and four.
The research centre said that over the past eight years, China and South Korea have actively cooperated in giant panda conservation breeding, disease prevention and control, public education and other scientific areas to promote the conservation of the endangered species in both countries and enhance friendly relations between the Chinese and South Korean people.
The keepers said that since Fu Bao’s arrival in China, she has gradually integrated into the local panda population through communication windows between enclosures, interacting with neighbouring pandas through sounds and scents. Observations and assessments by the care team indicate that she is ready to meet the public.
Mr Cheng Jianbin, an expert at the base, said that the team selected a suitable enclosure for Fu Bao and gave her ample time to adapt to the new environment.
To ensure a smooth public introduction, the base has undertaken tasks such as cleaning, disinfection, safety checks and security measures, aiming to minimise the potential stress some pandas experience once they are exhibited to the public.
Considering factors such as park capacity and Fu Bao’s adaptation process, the base will limit the number of visitors on June 12.
A video blogger surnamed Zhu has been permanently banned from visiting the giant panda centre’s bases.
He was caught live-streaming from the surroundings of the Wolong Shenshuping Base after Fu Bao’s arrival, broadcasting from non-exhibition areas such as the quarantine zone, office and research buildings, as well as the breeding area, ignoring notices from the local authorities and violating regulations, the centre said. CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
