Animal News
Yuan Zai, the first cub born to a pair of giant pandas at Tapei Zoo in
Taiwan, recently met her mother for the first time since her birth. The
giant panda cub was born on July 6 to female panda Yuan Yuan and male
Tuan Tuan. She currently lives in a incubator after accidentally
sustaining a minor leg injury when her mother tried to grasp and lick
the baby, according to the zoo. Keepers have decided it is now time for
the mother and daughter panda to be reunited with each other.
In order to familiarize Yuan Yuan, a keeper first let Yuan Yuan see Yuan
Zai, and then held the baby carefully close to her mother, but with the
cage's bars separating them. Upon seeing her baby, Yuan Yuan turned
anxiously, licking her cub. Before taking Yuan Zai back to the
incubator, caretakers gave Yuan Yuan a stuffed panda doll, which she
picked up with her mouth and put in her arms immediately. But soon Yuan
Yuan threw the doll away, and turned to look at the empty box where Yuan
Zai had been minutes earlier.
In a second part of the reintroduction, keepers briefly put Yuan Yuan
and Yuan Zai back together.
According to zoo staff, Yuan Yuan's behavior made them believe she will
be a good mother. They will allow them to meet regularly and it won't
be long before Yuan Zai is put back in her mother's care permanently.
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