Two chubby young pandas have been put on a strict diet at a Taiwanese zoo.
Yuanzai and Yuanbao, two female panda cubs at Taipei Zoo in Taiwan, have been placed on a diet to reduce their fat, salt, and sugar intake.
The cubs are the daughters of Tuantuan and Yuanyuan, gifted to Taiwan by the Chinese government in 2008.
The zoo said Yuanzai is nine years old and weighs a whopping 115 kilogrammes, almost as much as her father.
(Zhan Dechuan/AsiaWire)
Her younger sister was born in 2020 and weighs 70 kilogrammes. The pair was born via artificial insemination.
The panda family is a star attraction at the Taiwanese zoo. However, the high life has plagued the two cute cubs with obesity issues that carers have decided to tackle.
Adult female pandas normally weigh around 105 to 110 kilogrammes, but Yuanzai has already topped that and little Yuanbao is catching up quickly.
Similar to humans, the pandas could grow up to have health issues such as hyperglycaemia and hypertension.
(Zhan Dechuan/AsiaWire)
A zoo spokesperson said the pandas live in a very different environment to their natural habitat and perform less activity while enjoying a more nutritious diet.
As a result, they can sometimes pile on the pounds and suffer from health problems.
To help keep Yuanzai and Yuanbao trim, zookeepers have formulated a balanced diet including steamed corn and bread as well as soybeans and other ingredients.
The zoo will also increase the chubby cubs’ activity by organising games for them.
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below.
Story By: Lee Bullen, Sub-Editor: Joe Golder,  Agency: Asia Wire Report
The Ananova page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.
