Adorable panda cub Yuan Zai melts hearts at Taiwan zoo as she gets licked clean by her mother

Little Yuan Zai was the first Giant Panda to be born in Taiwan
Staff at Taipei Zoo are caring for her around the clock

By HELEN COLLIS

Heart-melting: Little girl Yuan Zai is being cared for around the clock by staff at Taipei City Zoo, Taiwan

Adorable Yuan Zai - the first panda to be born in Taiwan - is starting to show her little personality as she grows stronger.
New pictures of the heart-melting Giant Panda cub, who was born last month, show the cute creature rolling around and showing an interest in others.
Little girl Yuan Zai was born at Taipei City Zoo, Taiwan, to Giant Pandas Yuan Yuan and Tuan Tuan.

Spreadeagled: Her little arms and legs outstretched, tiny Yuan Zai is growing stronger after being born to captive parents last month

A team of keepers have been working around the clock to take care of the cub, who was initially kept in an incubator.
But the public will have to wait three months to catch a glimpse of Taiwan's first newborn panda, officials said in July.
The little girl in the meantime is starting to gain some strength and show some interest in things around her.

The public will have to wait three months to catch a glimpse of Yuan Zai, the first panda born in Taiwan, officials said in July

When held up to her mother's cage, the cute cub reached out her tiny paws. The mother, transfixed by the tiny bear cub, licked her through the cage.
Staff at Taipei City Zoo have been caring for the miniature panda around the clock.
Their daily routine includes feeding the cub, taking her temperature after each meal, changing her bedding and keeping track of her weight, zoo official Chang Chi-hua said.
Yuan Yuan and her mate, Tuan Tuan, were gifted to Taiwan by China in late 2008 as a cross-Taiwan Strait gesture of goodwill and Yuan Zai is their first cub.
In the wild, female Giant Pandas usually give birth to a cub every two years, for about 15 years.

Bonding: When held up to her mother's cage, the cute cub reached out her tiny paws

The mother then licked the nose of her adorable little cub through the cage

During the mating season several male pandas usually compete for a female and the dominant male will go on to mate with the female several times.
However, breeding in captivity has proven to be difficult.
It appears that male pandas show little interest in females and seem not to know how to mate.
Many zoos pair one female panda with one male panda, and often the pair have struggled to produce offspring.

Transfixed: The mother of the newborn panda cub stays close be the little girl's side, watching her constantly through the cage

It has been suggested that without other male pandas, males do not compete for females.
Also, female pandas only have a small window each year in which to fall pregnant. Every spring, they are in heat for 12 to 25 days, but they are only fertile for 24 to 36 hours of this time.
In order to produce panda cubs, some zoos have used artificial insemination techniques.

source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2389790/Adorable-tiny-panda-cub-melts-hearts-Taiwan-zoo-rolls-gets-lick-mother.html
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Mum Fu Panda! Mother playfully teases her cute cub in heart-warming video

By JOHN HUTCHINSON

The mother panda tips her cub upside down and appears to be tickling...

They are widely-thought of as being one of the 'cutest' animals in the world.
That may be much to do with the way they look, but in this heart-warming video, a mother's playful nature towards her child has displayed similar traits in a panda's behaviour.
Panda cubs face a tricky few days and weeks after birth, at high risk of disease as well as being smothered by their parents.

...but the cub attempts a getaway...

And while the mother in this clip does at times seem forgetful of the tender nature of her cub, viewers at the Chinese enclosure were treated to a real exhibition of family fun.
At times, the mother looks as though she is tickling the infant with her nose, with the cub trying its best to shield its tender areas.

...but the little play thing doesn't get very far and is 'captured' by mum

The little one then makes a dash for it, using its agility to scamper between two wooden beams.
But its tiny legs aren't quite long enough, and mum catches up and nudges it back to the ground.
The whelps of delight from the watching animal enthusiasts go some way to putting the viewer's mind at rest that the whole scene is playful jest, and not parental punishment.
Cue plenty of rolling around, tipping the cub upside down, pawing it to the ground, and scampering after it when it manages to get a foot free.
The giant panda is still on the 'endangered species' list, after deforestation wrecked its natural habitat in areas of China.

Any opportunity to escape the tickling is grabbed by the cute cub



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Hello world! Five-week-old panda cub smiles and waves from its incubator at Chinese conservation centre

By AMANDA WILLIAMS

Put it there! Photographer Dr Katherine Feng, snapped one smiling black and white bear lying on its front, offering a 'high five' with its right paw at a conservation centre in China

This tiny panda looks as if he cannot wait to get out and meet the big wide world as he waves from an incubator at a Chinese conservation centre.
The 37-day-old bear seems to be smiling for the camera after medics weighed, measured, and fed him before returning him to the see-through box.
Photographer Dr Katherine Feng, 65, also captured one chilled out black and white cub lying on his back with his arms behind his head, at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda at the Wolong Nature Reserve in Sichuan.

Bear-ly a care: This chilled out panda cub cupped his hands behind his head as he relaxed in an incubator

And another is pictured being carried in its mother’s mouth just a few hours after it was born.
Other pictures show a young cub in an incubator waiting to be fed a nutritious formula mixed with a mother panda’s natural milk.
At six days old the cub is still pink with prickly white hair - and looks nothing like a panda.
Dr Feng, a qualified vet from Colorado, United States, spent four years at the centre documenting life in the nursery.

Going for a ride: And another is pictured being carried in its mother's mouth just a few hours after it was born

She said: 'If a new born cub is ignored or rejected by its mother, it is cared for in the nursery until such time its mother is able to take care of it.
“I photographed giant pandas of all ages and documented the work of the dedicated staff in their efforts to save them from extinction.
'I made it a point of being present during the birthing season for four years.
'When the cubs are first born they are about the size of a fat hotdog and weigh somewhere around four ounces.

A young cub in an incubator waiting to be fed a nutritious formula mixed with a mother panda's natural milk. At six days old the cub is still pink with prickly white hair - and looks nothing like a panda

'They are pink with white stubby hair and are not cute at all - they look very similar to large new born mice or rats and not at all like pandas.'
The dark colouring appears around the eyes and ears between 5 to 7 days.

Dr Feng said when the cubs are first born they are about the size of a 'fat hotdog' and weigh somewhere around four ounces

But Dr Feng added: 'Personally, I think the cubs start looking cute at about four weeks when they are un-mistakenly baby pandas.
'At that age, they are roly-poly balls of black and white. They are able to move a bit more and are cute to watch.
'No other photographer has ever been granted such access at the CCRCGP.
'It was very tempting to pet and play with the baby pandas.

source: dailymail

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Panda-style: Giant bear gets in on the Gangnam craze as he dances on his back legs

By STEVE ROBSON

Dancing on ice: Qin Chuan jumps up and assumes the now famous Gangnam pose

It's the most successful Youtube video of all time, now even giant pandas are doing their own version of the famous Gangnam dance.
Zoo keepers watched in amazement as Qin Chuan stood up on his hind legs and assumed a pose with an uncanny resemblance to Psy's smash hit routine.
Unfortunately his playmate LeLe seemed more interested in chewing on bamboo leaves.

Cool moves: Qin Chuan gets into the groove at China's Jinbao Amusement Park in Weifang, Shandong

Parodies of the Korean dance have been popping up all over the world as it recently surpassed 1 billion hits.
So it shouldn't come as a surprise that those in the animal kingdom are getting in on the act.
The pair of giant pandas, who moved to China's Jinbao Amusement Park in Weifang, Shandong two years ago, have been spotted copying human behaviour before.

Cold feet: Qin Chuan limbers up, right, before taking a twirl during his impromptu routine, left

At the sight of the first snow of the year, LeLe also jumped up on his hind quarters and started running forward as if looking for a hug.
This time it was Qin Chuan who, after twirling around his enclosure several times, padded off looking fairly pleased with himself.
Spectators were delighted by the show and judging by this performance, Qin Chuan will be expecting the lead bear's role.

Qin Chuan pads off after strutting his stuff in front of LeLe looking satisfied with the performance

source: dailymail

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Look, I can do a roly-poly! Super-cute panda celebrates the wintry weather by taking a tumble in the snow

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

It's a start: Wei Wei takes a tumble in the snow at Wuhan Zoo in Hubei Province in China

It is on days like this one a thick fur comes in handy - and one fun-loving panda took full advantage of his built-in protection as he took a tumble in the snow.
Giant panda Wei Wei did not waste an opportunity to roly-poly in the cold at Wuhan Zoo in Hubei Province in China.
Wei Wei practiced his acrobatics alongside his friends at the zoo after a thin layer of snow fell over Christmas.

We have liftoff! The giant panda follows through his snow-somersault

Wei Wei was photographed standing on his head in the snow before kicking off the ground to complete his tumble of joy in the wintry weather.
Fortunately for Wei Wei and fellow panda bears, their coarse, dense fur is the perfect protection against the freezing conditions in Wuhan City this week.
Giant pandas are solitary bears when in the wild, usually preferring their own company when foraging in Chinese bamboo forests.

Kung fu panda: A spot of snow is no problem for a giant panda's thick fur, and it did certainly not bother Wei Wei as he climbed a snow-covered stand

Giant panda bears are an endangered species, with around 1,600 left roaming free in the cool forests that are their natural habitat, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
The bears are easily discernible due to their black and white coat and as a result the few left in the wild are often targeted by bounty hunters.
They mostly eat bamboo, but in captivity are also enjoy being fed honey, eggs, fish, yams, leaves, oranges, bananas and other special treats.

Panda playtime: The giant pandas of Wuhan Zoo enjoy the snow following a wintry downpour over Christmas

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Playtime for panda! Giant cub loves nothing better than a swing in the snow

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Fearless: The giant panda shows off his skills as he crawls upside down on the snow-covered climbing frame

He may be playing in sub-zero temperatures but this adorable giant panda could still melt any heart.
The lovable bear clearly relished the snowfall at at Yantai Zoo in Shandong Province, China, yesterday as he rolls around in the white stuff.
First of all the brave panda shows off his skills on the climbing frame by crawling along upside down.
But it seems he only had eyes for the tyre swing.

Not tyred out yet: The panda moves on to the tyre swing as he rolls around in the snow

Oops: The panda tips over in the thick snow

After tentatively making his way along the beam, he then grabs the tyre for a play fight in the fresh snow.
And even when he lost his balance, the panda refused to be beaten.
He immediately jumped up again for another wrestle and a swing before finally allowing himself a rest.

No time to paws: The panda does not lie in the snow long before jumping back on the tyre

Giant pandas are solitary bears when in the wild, usually preferring their own company when foraging in Chinese bamboo forests.
They are an endangered species, with less than 2,000 thought to be left roaming free in the cool forests that are their natural habitat.
They mostly eat bamboo, but in captivity are also enjoy being fed honey, eggs, fish, yams, leaves, oranges, bananas and other special treats.

source: dailymail

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Who are you looking at? The tiny 'giant' panda cub who's on camera 24 hours a day - and only just learning to crawl

By BECKY EVANS

Having a ball: San Diego Zoo panda cub, Xiao Liwu, plays with a plastic ball during his examination on Tuesday

He may still be too young to make his public debut but that has not stopped a giant panda cub becoming a star.
Xiao Liwu has yet to venture outside of his special accommodation at San Diego Zoo, but the 20-week-old cub can be watched almost 24 hours a day via its Panda Cam.
The cute bear, whose name means 'little gift' in English, was born at the zoo in July and is set to be the star attraction when visitors finally get to see him in person.

Come here: Panda mother Bai Yun gives her cub Xiao Liwu a cuddle in their den that is captured on the San Diego Zoo Panda Cam

However, vets said that will not be until Xiao Liwu can climb and follow his 20-year-old mother Bai Yun.
Dr Beth Bicknese, senior vet at the zoo, told Foxsandiego: 'He needs two things to go on exhibit — the ability to climb, and he’s not quite there yet, and he also has to have the behavior of following his mom out and back into the den.

Like mother like son: Bai Yun and her cub lie down in their den

'We’re waiting for him to be stronger in climbing and waiting for him to be better at following, and then we’re going to have him out on exhibit.'
The cub has shown an interest in one of the climbing structures in the zoo's extensive panda suite but has not yet ventured off the ground.

Bear hug: Mother and son cuddle up under the watch of Panda Cam

At his latest weekly examination yesterday, the adorable panda was seen hugging a ball - the first he had ever seen - as staff measured him to check on his progress.
He now weighs 14.5 pounds and is 29 inches long from nose to tail.
His birth in July was the zoo's sixth and set a new recrod for any breeding facility outside China.

Xiao Liwu taking his first steps during a veterinary examination in October

It currentlyhas four giant pandas, mother and son, her mate Gao Gao and three-year-old Yun Zi.
Xiao Liwu's mother and another panda Shi Shi were loaned to the zoo by China for a 12-year successful research and breeding project.
According to the World Wildlife Fund there are only 1,600 pandas in the wild and is the UK's rarest bear.

Keeper Liz Simmons carries out the weekly exam in November



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One year on from Tian Tian and Yang Guang's arrival at Edinburgh Zoo staff hope to hear the patter of panda feet

By SIMON MURPHY

Party: Tian Tian tucks in to panda cake to mark one year in Scotland

Their private jet landed in a blaze of publicity befitting their status as international celebrities.
And now, one year arriving at Edinburgh Zoo, they have made more than half a million new friends.
But as Tian Tian and Yang Guang mark the anniversary of their arrival tomorrow, staff hope 2013 will be the year they finally hear the patter of tiny panda feet.

Star attraction: The animals jetted in from China on December 4 last year and have become the zoo's biggest stars, attracting more than 500,000 visitors

The animals jetted in from China on December 4 last year and have become the zoo's biggest stars, attracting more than 500,000 visitors.
Some 70,000 cuddly toy pandas have been sold at the zoo's giftshop, while it is thought their A-list status has generated an extra £3million revenue.
The animals will stay in Edinburgh for at least another nine years.

Big eater: Panda Yang Guang needs 44lb of bamboo shoots every day

However, Cupid's arrow has yet to strike for the pair, as Tian Tian, whose name means 'Sweetie' and male Yang Guang, meaning 'sunshine', have failed to mate.
The animals have a very limited breeding season, and experts believe Yang Guang came in to season two weeks after Tian Tian.
Next year, keepers are set to enforce a strict 'lights out' policy in an attempt to synchronise the animals' breeding cycles.

Arrival: The freight aircraft that transported giant pandas Tian Tian and Yang Guang at Edinburgh Airport last year

Welcome: Tian Tian and Yang Guang arrived under police escort at their new home at Edinburgh Zoo last year

source: dailymail

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Chinese conservationists celebrate after seven baby pandas born at same breeding centre in just three months

By SAM ADAMS

Fluffy bundles: The seven panda cubs sleep side by side after being born in the space of three months at the Chengdu Panda Base in southwestern China's Sichuan province

All the excitement seems to have got too much for these fluffy panda cubs - who were all born within the space of just three months at the same breeding centre in China.
After undergoing medical checks earlier this week, the young pandas have been photographed together at Chengdu Panda Base, in Sichuan, for the first time.
One of them, born on the opening day of the London Olympics, was this week named Oreo.

Cuddly: The cubs have brought the number of pandas at the centre up to 113 - making it one of the world's most successful breeding programmes

So cute: One of the baby pandas - named Oreo (above) - was born on the opening day of the London Olympics

Oreo, who weighed six ounces when he was born, is already up to a stone in weight and when fully-grown, the plan is to release him into the wild.
'It’s so exciting to see the seven panda babies together for the first time,' said Aimee Cheung.

In safe hands: A researcher takes care of one of the cubs at the Chengdu Panda Base. All of the cubs were born between July and September this year

Ms Cheung, who is from London, is in Chengdu to take part in the Pambassador competition - a global contest to raise awareness of panda conservation.
'Oreo is a special cub for me because he was born on the opening day of the London Olympics and because the experts at the Chengdu Panda Base believe he will make a good candidate for release into the wild,' she said.
The names of the other baby pandas are Xiao Qiao, Si Yi, Yuan Run, Miao Miao and two twins Cheng Shuang and Cheng Dui.

Dozing: A family looks on as the baby pandas enjoy a doze in their giant cot at the centre

Cute: Visitors to the panda centre catch a glimpse of the cuddly-looking cubs. Their births have led to celebration among conservationists

source: dailymail

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Cubs bred for profit, torn from their mothers - and sent to die in the wild: The cruel truth of China's panda factories

By RICHARD JONES and HAZEL KNOWLES

Captive-bred pandas are no more than a 'caricature' of the real thing and are unable to survive in the wild

It was a scene worthy of a Disney tear-jerker – and had a television audience to match. Leaving his mother behind, Tao Tao, the two-year-old giant panda, walked out of his cage and took his first uncertain steps to freedom in the mountain slopes of south-west China.
Behind him, the keepers who helped raise the cub from his birth in captivity watched as their young charge padded away into the bamboo-rich woodland where his fight to survive would begin.

Captive-bred Tao Tao being taken for release by handlers dressed in controversial panda suits

No detail had been spared in the careful preparation for Tao Tao’s future. His keepers made a model leopard, complete with a roaring sound, to teach him about his potential predators.
When the model was put into his enclosure in June, he dutifully ran for cover. Staff at the breeding centre even dressed in panda outfits to prevent their young charge becoming too familiar with his human captors.

Doomed: Xiang Xiang died in the wild shortly after he was released

Feeding time: Pandas born at the Chengdu breeding base. There might soon be more captive-bred giant pandas alive than wild ones

Images of Tao Tao’s release into the remote Liziping Nature Reserve in Sichuan ten days ago were broadcast around the world, just as the authorities intended, portraying an unusually humane side to the Chinese regime and demonstrating its absolute determination to save the giant panda, the national symbol, from extinction.

One of China's leading panda experts, with years of experience on the official breeding programme believes wild pandas have been driven to the brink of extinction

Today, Tao Tao is the only captive-bred giant panda in the wild. Officials boast that, if his release is a success, more young pandas will follow in his paw prints until the mountain forests of western China are once again home to a flourishing population.

Saved? Ynag Guang before he left for Edinburgh Zoo last December

If that is the vision served up to a credulous international audience, the reality is shockingly different. The truth is that wild pandas, their numbers already desperately low, are continuing to die out – their habitat disappearing beneath a tide of concrete as China’s economic juggernaut rolls on. It is entirely possible that there may be just a few hundred left.
Meanwhile the Chinese government makes millions lending captive-bred pandas to overseas zoos – including Edinburgh, which recently paid £6 million in a decade-long loan scheme.

Baby pandas being cared for in an incubator. During the breeding season, the centre becomes a brutal place as scientists use the window of opportunity to force the animals to reproduce

source: dailymail

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