Giant Panda Liang Bang (aka Rau Hin) successfully bore a male cub in Japan at 10:50 am, November 22, 2020 (Beijing time). After weighing 157g at birth, the cub is now nursed by his mother Liang Bang. Both mother and child are in great shape.

Liang Bang was born at the Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama, Japan. Her mother was Mei Mei, a female giant panda visiting Japan from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in July 2000 for the Giant Panda International Cooperation Program launched by China and Japan. Last June, Liang Bang successfully mated with a male giant panda called Yong Ming (also living in Japan now). Liang Bang showed evident signs of pregnancy in October. Her water broke in the early morning of November 22, and she delivered a cub at 10:50 am on November 22 (Beijing time). This is the 17th cub born in Japan since the Giant Panda International Cooperation Program launched by the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and the Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama, Japan.

Following the outbreak of COVID-19, experts of the Base could not visit Japan to provide assistance and instructions during Liang Bang's mating, the duration of her pregnancy and the birth of her cub. To follow up the study of the giant panda's life, scientific research and other work go on as usual, and the expert team of the Base has established a sound network "cloud-based cooperation" working mechanism with workers in the Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama, Japan. The expert team of the Base provided remote instructions via Internet to help Japanese workers to carry out several tasks. Both parties overcame difficulties under this "cloud-based cooperation" framework to assist Liang Bang in giving birth to her baby smoothly and finally welcome a new life.

Hopefully this cub born during the pandemic will enjoy a healthy and happy life in Japan later. On November 23, 2020, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian, when taking questions from the reporters, said: "I hope the cub will enjoy a healthy and happy life in Japan, and I also take this opportunity to extend my gratitude to every fan that cares about this giant panda cub." The giant panda, a Chinese national treasure and brand, is cherished by people all over the world. They fully deserve the title as envoys of friendship. 'Although hills and rills stand between us, the moon and wind share our kind heart.' I believe this giant panda cub born during the pandemic will certainly bring joy to the Japanese people, and also become a witness of the Sino-Japanese friendship.

As the first of its kind in the world, the long-term Giant Panda International Cooperation Program between China and Japan has created multiple world premieres and become the model for giant panda international cooperation programs: Establish the largest captive giant panda colony outside China; witness the first case of a giant panda mother in the autumn heat, that gave birth in winter and successfully nursed her baby; witness the first case of a giant panda mother simultaneously and successfully nursing twins in captivity. So far, among the giant panda cubs born in Japan, 12 have returned to China successively.

Source of video and photos: Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama, Japan


Source of video and photos: Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama, Japan