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By Helen Lawson


This video captures the crucial moment where a giant panda safely delivers her fourth child in the early hours of this morning at a Chinese breeding base.

Yuan Yuan is shown being observed in her cage by staff at the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding and Research Base in Sichuan Province before standing on all fours to deliver her cub.

As the cub drops to the floor, its loving mother turns to lick her newborn's pink fur and picks it up in her mouth before turning away from onlookers for some private bonding time.

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Staff at the centre took the newborn panda to an incubator to carry out some health checks

The cub's head can be seen as Yuan Yuan delivers her fourth baby

Thrilled staff at the breeding centre look on as mother and baby share a cuddle, before wrapping the cub in a blanket to take to an incubator for an examination.

Baby pandas are born blind and toothless, and the newborn is seen to be quite the wriggler as it adjusts to life outside the comfort of the womb.

The gender of the cub, born at 5.11am, will not be known for another two months and it will develop its distinctive fur colouring in roughly a month's time.


Yuan Yuan is shown before observed by staff before the cub's birth

As labour reaches its climax, Yuan Yuan stands up on all fours for the final push

The baby panda is Yuan Yuan's fourth child - her last pregnancy resulted in a set of twins in 2010.

Staff at the centre will be especially pleased with this latest birth as the cub was conceived naturally - encouraging news for scientists working to boost the numbers of the giant panda, an endangered species.


The newborn wriggles around its incubator as staff try to keep it still so they can perform some checks


source: dailymail

By Simon Tomlinson


Fun in the sun: Giant panda Hua Ao lies on his back as he is sprayed with a hose in his enclosure at Yantai Zoo yesterday

At first, he wasn't so sure.

But Hua Ao the giant panda now seems to appreciate the benefits of a good hosing down on a baking hot day.

Last week, Hua Ao found the experience a little too bracing, raising his paw to block the stream of water and at one point losing his footing as he fought to avoid the firing line.


Spray time: The playful appears more relaxed with the water than he did a week ago when he tried fending it off with his paws

Drenched: Hua Ao appeared far more attracted by the water this time around, unlike last week

The panda also tried to hide behind a wooden platform, peeking out to see what's coming his way next.

But yesterday, the playful bear appeared to be having a lot more fun as temperatures at Yantai Zoo in eastern China reached a sweltering 32.3C.

He was pictured this time swinging in and out of the water on the same platform and bounding across the grass as the spray came towards him. His mate, Qing Feng, also joined in the action.


Hose pose: Hua Ao waves to the cameras as his keepers give him a good spraying down

Cooling off: Hua Ao took advantage of his cold shower as temperatures topped 32C at the zoo yesterday

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.


Hosing off: Last week, Hua Ao backed off and raises his paws when he was given his cooling soak


Backing away: The giant panda turns its head away as keepers try and keep the animal cool it soaring temperatures



source:dailymail

-Hua Ao got defensive as his keepers at a Chinese zoo try and cool him down in 30c heat
-The rare bears usually live in cool forests and have thick fur so need help to stop over-heating

By Lawrence Conway


Feeling the heat: Male giant panda Hua Ao being sprayed down with in water to help cool down at Yantai Zoo in China

When it's a hot, sunny and you are really feeling the heat there is nothing better than a cooling shower.

But this giant panda at Yantai Zoo in eastern China seems to be finding attempts to cool him down a little too bracing.

Keepers at the zoo decided to spray down giant male panda Hua Ao with a hose as temperatures in the town hit 30c.

Hosing off: Hua Ao backs off and raises his paws as keepers give him a cooling soak in his enclosure

But Hua Ao found their attempts a little too direct, raising his paws to block the cool water and backing away.

At one point the giant panda, with its famous black and white fur, lost its footing as it attempted to get out of the firing line.

The gorgeous bear can be seen falling into a barrel roll as it decides staying dry is better than cooling down.

The panda also takes to a wooden platform, peeking out from behind a post to see what's coming his way next.


Hose: Hua Ao takes a tumble as he attempts to escape his keepers attempts to cool him down


Backing away: The giant panda turns its head away as keepers try and keep the animal cool it soaring temperatures

Wary: The giant panda know's he needs to cool down, but he'd rather take it at his own pace and tries to use a wooden pole to deflect a cooling water hose

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.


Look: Giant panda Hua Ao flashes his big black fur ringed eyes to see where the next jet of water is coming from


Shake a leg: Giant panda Hua Ao gets a soaking at Yantai Zoo



source:dailymail

By Amy Oliver


Look! No paws: This giant panda cub was snapped showing off its gymnastic skills at the Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan, China


They spend most of their day eating bamboo and snoozing.

But as this young panda proves, there's still plenty of time for a spot of gymnastics despite the busy schedule.

Photographer Mitsuaki Iwago was able to capture the moment the bear hung upside down from a tree in a gymnastics display worthy of Olympic gold.

It then proceeded to stick its tongue out at stunned onlookers who were enjoying a day out at the Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan, China.

However, the cub then seemed to struggle to get itself upright after wedging its legs between the branches.


Mr Iwago, 61, said: 'I was just visiting the panda enclosure because they are beautiful animals and I wanted to take some photos.

'The young cub wouldn't take its eyes off me, it was fascinated. Suddenly it went over to the tree and managed to flip upside down.

'It was looking at me the whole time and I got the feeling it was showing for the camera, as if saying "look what I can do."

'I think it was also having a joke because it stuck its tongue out at me, as if blowing a raspberry.

Tree hugger: The cheeky bear put on quite a show for stunned onlookers while enjoying itself at the nature reserve before going off to eat some more bamboo

'I was so pleased with the photos and afterwards I thanked the panda for giving me such a great show.'

Mr Iwago from Tokyo, Japan, added: 'I thought it was going to be just another visit to the zoo but I ended up with something very special.'

There are only around 1,300 pandas living today. 150 giant pandas reside at the Wolong reserve, which covers around 200,000 hectares in the Qionglai Mountains region.

The average giant panda eats as much as 20 to 30lbs of bamboo a day and an adult male can grow up to 6ft long. They can weigh up to 25 stone (350lbs).



source:dailymail

-Thousands have already flocked to see Tian Tian and Yang Guang since they made their debut last week

By Kerry Mcqueeney


The taste of Christmas: Tian Tian tucks in to her special panda cake in her enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo


As much of the population reaches for the indigestion remedies after gorging on their Christmas dinner, it would seem they were not alone in the over-indulgence stakes today.

The UK's only pair of giant pandas celebrated their first Christmas in Scotland - by devouring extra helpings of panda cake.

Tian Tian and Yang Guang - or Sunshine and Sweetie - have been getting used to their new home in Edinburgh Zoo since arriving from China on December 4.

Extra helping: Tian Tian, one of the UK's only pair of giant pandas, celebrated her first Christmas in Scotland


Thousands have flocked to see the eight-year-olds since they went on display to the public for the first time last week.

On Christmas morning, zoo bosses dished out an extra portion of the special panda cake made from soya, corn, rice, egg and oil.

Yang Guang goes through 55kg of bamboo daily and Tian Tian around 30kg in total.
They get four deliveries of fresh bamboo every day while also munching on carrots and panda cake as part of their specially-tailored balanced diet.

I could get used to this: Tian Tian (pictured) and Yang Guang - or Sunshine and
Sweetie - have been settling to into their new home since arriving in Edinburgh on December 4


The zoo will be their home for the next 10 years and it is hoped that the breeding pair, the first pandas in the UK for 17 years, will produce cubs during their stay.

The animals' arrival from Ya'an reserve in Chengdu, China, is the result of five years of work to bring them to Scotland.

Edinburgh Zoo is now one of only 13 zoos in the world with pandas.


Sleeping it off: The panda looks exhausted after her Christmas feast


Taking it easy: Tian Tian stretches after gorging on her festive treats

Bear-obics: On second thought, some physical activity might aid digestion


The pair arrived from China in a 777 aircraft, nicknamed the 'FedEx Panda Express', transported in sepcially-designed crates with perspex sides.

Tian Tian and Yang Guang then made the 15-minute journey from the aiport to the zoo in a lorry.

Staff from the FedEx Express said the pandas' in-flight meals included bamboo, apples, carrots, mineral water - and a special panda cake.


Still peckish? Yang Guang starts on the bamboo after demolishing the panda cakes


Tourist attraction: Keeper Sharon Hatton stands in front of Yang Guang. Thousands have flocked to see the eight-year-old pandas since they made their debut last week


Chewing the fat: Yang Guang appears to be thinking thing over as he cleans his teeth with a bamboo shoot




source:dailymail

By Paul Harris


Getting to know each other: Male Yang Guang, left, gazes longingly at Tian Tain from his enclosure in Edinburgh Zoo


Through a wire mesh grille they gazed into each other’s big, black eyes.

On one side was Yang Guang, 20 stone of giant panda, and the other, his intended, Tian Tian.

If they progress from lingering looks to something more, it is hoped that these two could be the parents of the first natural-born panda cub on British soil.

Munch: Yang Guang enjoys a bamboo snack as he gets used to his new surrounding


Alas, yesterday wasn’t the magic moment, and not just because of the 12ft wall between them.

There was too much else to do in their new home at Edinburgh Zoo. To wit: eat, sleep, eat, eat, sleep. Eat some more, loll around a bit; then sleep.

And so, this much heralded public encounter between two Very Important Pandas will not go into the history books as the day romance blossomed in the chill air of Scotland, where they are expected to live for the next ten years. The brutal truth was that Tian Tian simply took one look at her proposed suitor and wandered off.

This was the first photocall for the pandas since their grand arrival last week to a bagpipe welcome after a 5,000-mile flight from China, which is loaning them to Britain.


New attraction: A young boy watches Yang Guang explore the outside enclosure which will be his home for 10 years

Unfamiliar surroundings: But Yang Guang's new home looks surprisingly similar to his old one in China


It was also the closest they have come to members of the public in advance of a grand unveiling scheduled for Friday.

The arranged marriage between these two fine specimens of Ailuropoda melanoleuca is in its early stages yet.

If romance is truly in the air, it will not manifest itself until February.

Tian Tian will be on heat during this period for only around two days so panda keeper Alison Maclean and zoo staff will have to monitor the pair even more intensively than at present.


Partner: Zookeepers hope that Tian Tian, pictured, can be persuaded to mate with Yang Guang

Nervous: So far Tian Tian has been less adventurous than her male counterpart, say her handlers


Their entire lives are recorded on 24-hour panda-cams, which are linked to Alison’s home so she can watch while off duty. (Her husband is getting a bit fed up with it already, she told me yesterday).

Pandas are constantly in danger of extinction.

Some estimates suggest there are fewer than 1,500 left in the wild.

So come spring, all eyes will be on Tian Tian and Yang Guang.

They will have just 48 hours to save the panda world.


It’s a tough assignment, but someone has to do it. Now, where’s the rest of that bamboo?


Relaxed: Yang Guang is already at home in his new environment...


...but he is keen to get more acquainted with Tian Tian when she is in heat


Popular: The pandas, which mark a major diplomatic operation, are expected to be a bid draw at Edinburgh Zoo





source;dailymail

By Mail On Sunday Reporter


Bring me Sunshine: Giant pandas Sweetie and Sunshine will arrive in Scotland today after a 5,000-mile journey from China


Britain’s first giant pandas for nearly 20 years will arrive in Scotland today after four years of diplomatic negotiations.

Tian Tian, whose name is translated as Sweetie, and Yang Guang (Sunshine) are causing a stir even before going on show at Edinburgh Zoo later this month. Interest in the pair crashed the zoo’s computers.

The pandas will arrive at the zoo at 1pm today after a gruelling 26-hour journey from south-west China.


The eight-year-old bears – whom it is hoped will produce Britain’s first panda cub – will be taken straight to their new £300,000 enclosures to recover.

The pair will be kept under a strict six-month quarantine, with keepers wearing protective suits and being trained in avoiding bites, amid concerns the pandas could be carrying rabies.


Bulking up: Sunshine pictured tucking into some bamboo in his enclosure before embarking on his journey this week

Going the distance: Sweetie and her mate Sunshine will be the first pandas to live in the UK for 20 years


Their arrival follows years of tense negotiations with the Chinese government.
Princess Anne, Prime Ministers David Cameron and Gordon Brown and First Minister Alex Salmond were all involved before China agreed to loan the pandas to Edinburgh Zoo for ten years.

Fragile cargo: The bears are loaded into special crates before boarding a plane heading for Edinburgh


It is 17 years since the UK’s last giant panda, Ming Ming, left London Zoo to return to China.

Edinburgh Zoo’s computers crashed almost as soon as the pandas’ arrival was announced last week. A spokesman said: ‘We have had tremendous interest and expect ticket sales to soar when the pandas are actually here.’


In the media spotlight: The arrival of the bears will be the culmination of five, painstaking years of negotiations between the UK with China



source:dailymail

By Daily Mail Reporter


I'm awake! One of the Giant Panda cubs raises his head while his 11 siblings sleep soundly in their nursery at the Giant Panda Breeding Centre in Chengdu, south-west China


They are a picture of cute that would make anyone say 'aah'.

But these Giant Panda cubs, napping peacefully in their nursery, have a far more important role to play.

They have been born and raised in the research base of the Giant Panda Breeding Centre in Chengdu, China, which is attempting to preserve the notoriously sex-shy species.

Bed time: A keeper tucks the tiny cubs in as they take a nap


Their successful upbringing comes as China launches its once-a-decade census to determine how many of the endangered bears live in the wild.

The census - the fourth since it was first launched in the 1970s - is also expected to work out their living conditions, ages and any change in habitat.

According to the count a decade ago, there are 1,596 pandas left in the wild in China, with 1,206 of them living in Sichuan.

The Giant Panda Breeding Centre boasts the world's largest artificially bred population with 108.


In line for a prosperous future? It is hoped the cubs will help preserve the endangered species


source:dailymail

Panda cubs Po and De De discover their birthday cake during celebrations for their first birthday at Madrid's Zoo on September 9, 2011 in Madrid. The two panda cubs, born on September 7, 2010 in Madrid, are the first giant panda twins to be born by artificial insemination outside China.



Panda cubs Po and De De discover their birthday cake during celebrations for their first birthday at Madrid's Zoo on September 9, 2011 in Madrid. The two panda cubs, born on September 7, 2010 in Madrid, are the first giant panda twins to be born by artificial insemination outside China.



A panda cub discovers his birthday cake during celebrations for his first birthday at Madrid's Zoo on September 9, 2011 in Madrid. Panda cubs, Po and De De, born on September 7, 2010 in Madrid, are the first giant panda twins to be born by artificial insemination outside China.



Panda cubs Po and De De discover their birthday cake during celebrations for their first birthday at Madrid's Zoo on September 9, 2011 in Madrid. The two panda cubs, born on September 7, 2010 in Madrid, are the first giant panda twins to be born by artificial insemination outside China.



A panda cub discovers his birthday cake during celebrations for his first birthday at Madrid's Zoo on September 9, 2011 in Madrid. Two panda cubs, Po and De De, born on September 7, 2010 in Madrid, are the first giant panda twins to be born by artificial insemination outside China.


source: daylife
photo: Getty images