Taipei Zoo

"Yuan Zai's sister" is one-month old today. The skin around her ears along with the area around her eyes, and the little vest around her shoulder blades are beginning to change from pink to black. The question that many fans are now asking is: Is "Yuan Zai's sister" more like her plodding father "Tuan Tuan" or her sensitive, delicate mother "Yuan Yuan"?
Today we will find out more about "Yuan Zai's sister" to answer this question.

Neither "Yuan Zai" nor her baby sister were successfully nursed by their mother "Yuan Yuan" right after birth.
"Yuan Zai's sister" got a scratch after being picked up by her mother's mouth. The support team resorted to hand-rearing to ensure that the cub could nurse on her mother's milk and receive treatment for her wound. The keepers now have the opportunity to act as surrogate mothers for the giant baby panda.

The "nursery team" is mainly responsible for nursing and stimulating the cub's burping and bowel movements. A "golden mother touch" was required for every task. Although seven years have passed, old memories soon came flooding back and the keepers on the "nursery team" quickly got back in the stride of things.
After seeing a photo of "Yuan Zai's sister", someone jokingly asked whether or not the zoo was recycling old photos of "Yuan Zai". Keepers on the "nursery team", however, observed distinct differences between the two sisters. "Yuan Zai" is quite robust and always stiff as a board when her bowel movements are stimulated. In contrast, "Yuan Zai's sister" is more flexible and can lean back more than 180 degrees during the same procedure.
Even though seven years separated their successful return to their mother's embrace, the keepers discovered that both "Yuan Zai" and "Yuan Zai's sister" became more flexible when they were removed for check-ups. Perhaps being held by "Yuan Yuan" enhanced the panda cubs natural talent for gymnastics.
Many fans probably still recall just how amazingly soft "Yuan Zai" was during the "Destruction of the Autumn Maple" incident, from which she emerged without a scratch.

Everyone should be able to tell "Tuan Tuan" and "Yuan Yuan" apart thanks to the identification guide.
Pop quiz: Is that "Yuan Zai" the big sister, or "Yuan Zai's sister" in the photo?