Chimelong: Panda Cub Meets Visitors - 29 Nov 2013

We're so fortunate to see both mommy Panda and her little cub at Chimelong Safari Park. That day was only the 2nd day the panda cub was presented to visitors after born 4 months ago. It's the 1st giant panda cub bred in South China's Guangdong Province. The park prepared a "Baby Panda House" with constant temperature and humidity for both of them.

Clearly the main attraction here. In fact, the visitors walked past the other pandas so quickly just to get to the Baby Panda House.
The panda cub was born to mommy Mei Qing and daddy Lin Lin on 31/7/2013. Finally in December, it's named "Long Long". We're told the amazing story of how the mother would not let go of her little cub in the first 3 weeks. Until now, the mother has very little rest cos she would not let the cub be out of her sight. Like humans, she also burps the cub after breastfeeding by licking its stomach until it's comfortable. She's a great mother.

There're 11 Giant Pandas (including cub) in Chimelong Safari Park, making it the largest number of pandas outside the Sichuan panda base.

The Panda Centre has both indoor and outdoor play areas. We spent a long time here, cos it's our 1st experience seeing '11' pandas. The centre was deserted most of the time, probably cos the pandas are not new to the local Chinese.

Many groups came in and out without even stopping to observe the pandas. 

The Baby Panda House and nursery for newborn.

We attracted a staff at the centre and he spent an hour going around and sharing with us about the pandas and the work at the centre. There were a few machine-controlled ice blocks in this room so that the pandas can cool themselves should the weather becomes hot.

Each day, the panda spends 55% of time looking for food, 43% resting and 2% playing. What an unhealthy lifestyle, they should not be called Giant Panda, they should be the Fat Panda!

Kungfu Panda, "Po" in detention class!

They're SO close, not even a glass enclosure!

Playful pandas enjoying the sun and cool weather.

Looks are deceiving! Though they look so cute, the staff told us they're very aggressive animals. They could attack even the caretakers that look after them if they perceive danger. The adult panda can grow up to 160kg and size is its strength. 

Panda's favourite snack - Panda Cake, baked with different flour types and kept frozen at -86C!! before serving. We're invited to bake the cake and see how it's served to the pandas, but .... we couldn't make it back in time!

Bamboo for decoration only, the real bamboo shoots gotta be high quality and planted elsewhere. Panda can eat 20 - 30 kg bamboo per day. This is their main diet though they used to be carnivores.

Couldn't have enough of them!

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