US born Panda freed from quarantine in China

Discussion in 'Pets and Animal Lovers' started by Sriniketan, Mar 9, 2010.

  1. Sriniketan

    Sriniketan IL Hall of Fame

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    CHENGDU, China

    Tai Chan and Mei Lan, parents were lent to U.S. zoos for conservation purposes. Under a deal between China and the U.S., any lent pandas or cubs produced must eventually return to China where they become part of a breeding program.

    After a month in quarantine, American-born panda Tai Shan was released into a 320-square-foot (30-square-meter) room attached to a large garden enclosure at the Ya'an Bifeng Gorge Breeding Base, where staff said Tai Shan was adjusting well to his new surrounding in his "motherland."

    Visitors and staff cheered and waved at the 4 1/2-year-old panda born and raised at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., as he was put on public display, Tuesday for the first time since his much-anitcipated arrival in the country.

    "After one month of his return, Tai Shan has gotten very used to the taste of the food, the smell of the air, the climate and the environment in his motherland. And he is getting along very well with his keepers, too," said Tang Chunxiang, the center's deputy director. "He is having a very happy life."

    Mei Lan, another Panda born in US.. is also due to leave quarantine, but it was not immediately clear when she would be shown to the public.

    "We will give him enough freedom to reproduce. As soon as he becomes mature enough ... we will provide him different sex partners for him to choose. Of course now his is still too young for it," Tang said.

    Giant pandas in captivity typically reach breeding age at around 5 or 6 years.

    About 1,600 giant pandas live in the wild, and another 290 are in captive-breeding programs worldwide, mainly in China.

    sriniketan
     
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  2. Gaur78

    Gaur78 Gold IL'ite

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    2 people like this.
  3. Sriniketan

    Sriniketan IL Hall of Fame

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    Thanks for sharing this picture Gaur..seeing is believing, isn't :)

    Sriniketan
     

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