Panda pair fully recovered from quake

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Source: CCTV.com | 12-24-2008 09:29

Life hasn't always been easy for Tuantuan and Yuanyuan. They lived through the Sichuan earthquake in May. Tender care and a better environment have helped the pandas recover.

Photo taken on Dec. 11, 2008 shows the giant Pandas Tuan  Tuan (L) and Yuan Yuan, who will be sent to Taiwan, eat  bamboos in a breeding base in Ya'an, southwest China's  Sichuan Province. This pair of giant pandas is scheduled  to travel to the Taiwan island on Dec. 23. They are  expected to meet the public at the Spring Festival, the  Chinese lunar new year, but that will depend on how they  adapt to the new environment.

Over a month after the devastating earthquake, the pandas from the quake zone were still traumatized.

Moved with their companions to the more peaceful Ya'an panda breeding center, Tuantuan and Yuanyuan remained nervous at first, losing weight from loss of appetite.

Official from Ya'an Panda Breeding Center, said, "Most of the pandas were severely traumatized by the quake. The swaying mountains scared them a lot, and made them take every step carefully as if they were about to fall down."

To help them recover, the carers in the breeding center gave the scared pandas special therapy.

Official from Ya'an Panda Breeding Center, said, "We first used psychological treatment for them through comfort and communication. Carers had to accompany them for a long time, touching them and talking to them. Now Tuantuan and Yuanyuan have recovered their normal mood from before the quake."

Tuantuan and Yuanyuan cheered up and got used to their new home in Ya'an, with air-conditioning and nutritious food.

A panda keeper said, "They now weigh over 110 kilograms each, about 10 kilograms heavier than before the quake."

Efforts began in August to prepare for the pandas' move to Taiwan. A large cage was designed for the their journey, and a tight quarantine was carried out in September, banning visits by tourists.

The latest full medical check made by mainland and Taiwan experts showed they were in complete good health.

From the quake zone to the Ya'an breeding center, Tuantuan and Yuanyuan survived disaster, and now they are ready to get used to their new life in Taiwan.

Editor:Zhang Ning