Watch: Panda mom honored with Mother’s Day feast at Japanese zoo
By Bryan Ke
Dozens gathered at a zoo in the town of Shirahama in Japan’s Wakayama Prefecture on Mother’s Day to watch a mommy panda take delight in a feast.
Key points:
- Born at Adventure World on Sept. 6, 2000, Rauhin is known as the first female giant panda to deliver twin cubs in Japan in 2008.
- Around 50 guests attended the special occasion at the zoo on Sunday and watched her enjoy a bouquet of carnation-shaped bamboo and carrots.
The details:
- Rauhin gave birth to her 10th cub through natural breeding in November 2020. Mating between her and Eimei — the world’s oldest panda to successfully breed in captivity — began in June of that year, and she began showing signs of pregnancy in late October.
- China typically sends experts to zoos around the world to help with births. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, Adventure World zookeepers were instead given instructions online.
- Sunday’s event was the zoo’s way of honoring Rauhin, now 23 years old, for being such a good mother. The staff arranged pieces of bamboo and carrots in a bouquet, along with a message that read, “Thank you, always.”
- Rauhin took a single bite of a carrot before proceeding to munch on her favorite bamboo. Panda keeper Shintani Kimiyo told local media they were glad she loved her present.
- Zoo visitors were also happy to witness the occasion, with one telling TV Asahi, “I’m happy that she has been living healthily without any major illnesses so far.”
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