Macao holds events to promote giant panda knowledge ahead of new pair debut

Macao held various activities this weekend to promote the nursing and protection knowledge of giant panda before the official debut of a new pair of giant pandas on Children's Day.

The "Exhibition on China's Giant Panda" unveiled Sunday in the Macao Giant Panda Information Center, introducing the latest discovery of the fourth national giant panda census conducted by China's State Forestry Administration.

The exhibition, which is rich in scientific content, allows the public to get more knowledge about giant pandas, Macao's Secretary for Administration and Justice Sonia Chan Hoi Fan said, adding that she wishes the public to pass on the concept of rare animal protection and nature conservation.

Another giant panda culture exhibition, which opened on Saturday, showed little-known facts about how a panda grows up in the eyes of artists.

Meanwhile, over 400 pupils took part in the "Giant Panda Fun Day" organized by Macao's Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau at Seac Pai Van Park a day before Children's Day and learned about the rare animal.

During the event, the children studied how to draw cute giant panda portrait, sent blessing message to pandas, and got panda doll presents. They also had the chance to have a look at the new panda pair, "Kaikai" and "Xinxin," before the official debut under the guidance of the staff.

A girl from a local elementary school said she was excited when the female panda, "Xinxin," got close to the glass window to greet the audience.

A feeder told reporters that the physical states of the pair are quite good as they started to get used to the new environment.

"They eat as much as they did in Sichuan. The female panda, Xinxin, weighs 116 kilograms now, even stronger than before," a vet told Xinhua in an exclusive interview. Staff record the situation of the giant pandas, disinfect their houses everyday, and do physical examinations regularly to ensure their health, he added.

The panda pair will make their official debut on June 1 in the panda pavilion in Seac Pai Van Park of Coloane island. The pavilion will set a limit for the number of visitors between June 1 to 30.

The pair arrived in Macao on April 30, as gifts from China's central government to replace a former pair, also named "Kaikai" and "Xinxin," after the former "Xinxin" died of kidney failure in June last year.

The former pair came to Macao as gifts for the celebration of the 10th anniversary of Macao's return to China. Endi