This footage shows an adorable panda cub endlessly annoying its mother at its first-ever public unveiling but still getting a big hug from its parent in the end.
The six-month-old ball of fuzz has yet to be officially named, and is currently known as ‘Jia Jia Zai’ (cub of Jia Jia) by staff at Shanghai Wild Animal Park in East China.
The cub and its mother, giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) Jia Jia, were presented to members of the public together for the first time on Saturday (25th April).
It was Jia Jia Zai’s first public appearance since he was born weighing just 185 grammes on 6th October last year.
The little bear grew quickly, reaching 1,542 grammes at just one month old, his handlers reported.
Footage of his unveiling shows Jia Jia Zai to be a real handful while darting around his and his mum’s indoor enclosure.
He bites Jia Jia and climbs all over his parent, while also refusing to sit still as his mum tries to give him a bath.
But the restless cub still gets a loving hug from his mum in the end, the footage shows.
The chubby cub now weighs 18 kilogrammes (40 lbs) but will remain under his mum’s care for up to two years, when he will weigh more than double what he currently does.
For panda cubs raised in captivity in China, six months also signifies the start of their wilderness survival training.
Zhong Yi, deputy general manager of Shanghai Wild Animal Park, said: “Jia Jia Zai is still relying on his mother’s milk for nourishment.
“But because he is living with his mother, he is also learning from her. When she eats bamboo, he will also chew on the leaves.
“That’s all part of how he grows up and learns.”
Shanghai Wild Animal Park is China’s only authorised panda research and breeding centre on the east coast.
Unofficially dubbed the ‘Shanghai Panda Base’, it was built with the help of experts from Chengdu, Sichuan, where the country’s forest panda facility is located.
In 2016, panda pigeon twins Yue Yue and Ban Ban became the first cubs to be born in East China.
Jia Jia Zai was the sixth cub born in Shanghai.
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Story By: John Feng, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report
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