TAIPEI, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Taipei Zoo on Sunday celebrated the sixth birthday of Yuanbao, the youngest offspring of a pair of giant pandas presented by the mainland to Taiwan in 2008.
Despite currently being closed to the public for maintenance, Taipei Zoo on Sunday morning did a live-streaming session of about 30 minutes showing Yuanbao enjoying specially prepared treats, including a birthday cake, fruits and toys.
Yuanbao was born in 2020, following the birth of her sister Yuanzai in July 2013, to the giant panda pair Tuantuan and Yuanyuan. The male Tuantuan died from a cerebral tumor in 2022 shortly after his 18th birthday, having lived at the zoo for 14 years.
According to Wang Chien-po, curator of the Giant Panda House at the Taipei Zoo, the birthday treats this year were designed to help Yuanbao cope better with behavioral changes suspected to be caused by pseudopregnancy, a cycle her sister and mother have previously experienced.
During a pseudopregnancy, female giant pandas tend to eat less, move less and sleep for longer periods, thereby going through similar changes as they would if they were pregnant.
The zoo hopes to enrich the environment for Yuanbao to encourage her to explore more and eat more during her pseudopregnancy, Wang explained. ■
