Touching moments as mother panda is reunited with her cub after month-long separation

Yuan Zai, the first cub born to a pair of giant pandas at Tapei Zoo in Taiwan, recently met her mother for the first time since her birth. The giant panda cub was born on July 6 to female panda Yuan Yuan and male Tuan Tuan. She currently lives in a incubator after accidentally sustaining a minor leg injury when her mother tried to grasp and lick the baby, according to the zoo. Keepers have decided it is now time for the mother and daughter panda to be reunited with each other.



In order to familiarize Yuan Yuan, a keeper first let Yuan Yuan see Yuan Zai, and then held the baby carefully close to her mother, but with the cage's bars separating them. Upon seeing her baby, Yuan Yuan turned anxiously, licking her cub. Before taking Yuan Zai back to the incubator, caretakers gave Yuan Yuan a stuffed panda doll, which she picked up with her mouth and put in her arms immediately. But soon Yuan Yuan threw the doll away, and turned to look at the empty box where Yuan Zai had been minutes earlier.


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In a second part of the reintroduction, keepers briefly put Yuan Yuan and Yuan Zai back together. According to zoo staff, Yuan Yuan's behaviour made them believe she will be a good mother. They will allow them to meet regularly and it won't be long before Yuan Zai is put back in her mother's care permanently.


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