WAKAYAMA, Japan, Sept. 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- After having shown
signs of pregnancy for some time, Rauhin, a 16-year-old female
giant panda at Adventure World in Shirahama Town, Wakayama
Prefecture, western Japan, gave
birth to a long-waited baby, a female, at 1:11 a.m. on September 18,
2016. The baby weighed 197 grams at birth. Both mother and
child are fine. Rauhin is seen cradling her baby with great care,
licking her constantly.
(Photo1:
http://prw.kyodonews.jp/prwfile/release/M104040/201609264628/_prw_OI5fl_0EGEGdJj.jpg)
-- A giant panda, a female, was born after a 2-year
interval.
-- The 197g newborn outweighs all other giant pandas ever born at
Adventure World.
-- Father panda, Eimei, age 24, became the oldest male panda having
succeeded in natural mating and
breeding in captivity.
Baby information
Date of birth: 1:11 a.m.,
Sept. 18, 2016
Sex: Female
Weight: 197g
Adventure World's giant panda research and results
- Breeding research
Adventure World has begun research on the breeding of giant pandas
on breeding loan from China for
the first time in the world. Currently, there are about 1,800 giant
pandas living in the wild, and research on the breeding of giant
pandas in captivity is considered important for their protection
and population growth. In 1994, Adventure World became the
Japan branch of the Chengdu
Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China, starting joint research on the natural
breeding of giant pandas on breeding loan. In 2000, as female giant
panda Mei Mei came over to
Japan, and "Project Happiness"
aimed at ensuring happiness of giant pandas and all people involved
was launched.
- Breeding results
Adventure World has succeeded in breeding 15 giant pandas. On
September 6, 2000, Rauhin was born as
the first giant panda born at Adventure World. Since then, a total
of 15 giant pandas, including Rauhin, have been successfully born,
forming a large family of giant pandas here. Also, of eight giant
pandas which grew up here and later went home to China, four succeeded in breeding, giving
birth to 10 giant pandas as of September
2016.
Happy Panda Family
Panda family tree:
(Photo2:
http://prw.kyodonews.jp/prwfile/release/M104040/201609264628/_prw_OI3fl_8eQPd686.jpg)
Currently, eight giant pandas live at Adventure World. Please
continue to keep a warm eye on the big panda family.
Place: Shirahama Town, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan
Area: 800,000 sq. m
Opened: April 22, 1978
Operator: AWS Co., Ltd.
Website: http://www.aws-s.com/english/index.php
About Adventure World
A total of 1,400 animals, of 140 land, marine and aerial species,
live at Adventure World, a theme park with "Contact with human,
animals and nature" as its motto, located in Shirahama Town,
Wakayama Prefecture, at the southern tip of the warm Kii Peninsula.
It has been successfully engaged in protective research activities
on and the breeding of rare animals, including giant pandas. With
its corporate philosophy "Smiling company making time with warm
heart," AWS Co., the company that operates the theme park, will
continue to create and provide genuine smile by caring much for
"heart" and sharing important "time" with all people concerned.
Artist's sketch of facilities:
(Photo3:
http://prw.kyodonews.jp/prwfile/release/M104040/201609264628/_prw_OI4fl_Z3x0jf51.jpg)