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June 19, 2019

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Two giant pandas arrive at city zoo

By Echo Hu | 00:00 UTC+8 June 19, 2019 | Print Edition

Two male giant pandas from Chengdu in southwest China’s Sichuan Province yesterday arrived at their new home at Shanghai Zoo in Changning District, where they will stay for three years.

Xing Guang, born on June 23, 2016, is nicknamed “Bugs Bunny” because of his signature front teeth. He has a big head, but his ears are small.

He Feng, born on August 9 the same year, is nicknamed “White Socks” because he has some white hair on both toes, making him easy to pick out. He is naughty and energetic, and sometimes gets into fights, earning him the title “Mad He,” said Bai Furong, his keeper at the Chengdu Research Base. However, he also has a mild side, she said.

Both Xing Guang and He Feng weigh more than 90 kilograms.

“They are very good friends and grew up together,” said Bai. “The journey was very smooth and they behaved happily and cheerfully during the trip.”

They eat 150 kilograms of bamboo leaves and another 50 kilograms of bamboo shoots every day in total, according to their new keeper, Huang Kangning. The bamboo will be brought from Anji, a county in Zhejiang Province known for its bamboo forests.

“It may take a few days for them to get accustomed to the new bamboo, but they will also be fed wotou, a kind of steamed bun made of corn or sorghum, and apples to increase their nutritional intake,” Huang said, adding that Bai will stay with them for their first days.

The zoo said goodbye to two giant pandas this year.

Ya Er, who lived at the zoo for three years, returned to the Chengdu base earlier this month. All pandas return to the base when they reach breeding age. Ya Er’s friend Xing Er, another 5-year-old panda, returned to Chengdu in January and now lives in Denmark.

The keepers have cleaned and thoroughly disinfected the living area for the new residents, which now has an expanded activity space and bigger indoor halls.

The indoor area has been split into two spaces, covering 151 and 162 square meters. The outdoor activity space has been expanded by 648 square meters with a water pool and a variety of plants.

“They have a hammock, swing and plenty of toys,” said Huang. “They will get more toys once they settle in.”

To help them through Shanghai’s sizzling summer, there are air-conditioning and fans in their living area.

Metro


 

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