Taipei Zoo

The baby Giant Panda born over the Dragon Boat Festival long weekend is now 10 days old. She has more than doubled her birth weight by reaching 394.6g. The baby now drinks 128.6g of milk every day and is growing steadily.

Raising a baby is not easy. This is particularly true for keepers who are playing the role of surrogate mothers to a baby Giant Panda. They can draw upon their experience raising a baby Giant Panda by hand sevenyears ago, but the keepers must continue to check their old notes and stay on their toes. Even the slightest decrease in size or quantity during the day measurements made the keepers immediately double-check themselves. The growth records for her elder sister “Yuan Zai” are also quickly brought out and checked as well. Nothing is left up to chance.

“Yuan Yuan” might not have to take care of the baby right now, but she must be primed to take the baby back at any moment. A special “Baby Double” was therefore prepared by the keepers in the form of a Bluetooth speaker controlled by a mobile phone. The speaker would make noises at various times and “Yuan Yuan” would immediately make soothing noises like a good mother should.