Zoo's fond farewell to grown-up bossy boy
Xing Er celebrates his five-year birthday at the Shanghai Zoo.
Giant panda Xing Er will leave the Shanghai Zoo, where he has lived for nearly three years, and return to Chengdu in southwest China’s Sichuan Province tomorrow.
The 5-year-old’s new home will be the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
Xing Er weighed 88 kilograms when he arrived in Shanghai, and has grown to 110kg.
He loves eating apples and steamed corn-bread, and his “dream” is sleeping in bamboo shoots, zookeepers said.
Friday was the 1,000-day anniversary of his stay in Shanghai.
Xing Er is a smart and “bossy” boy, and he often leans on fellow panda Ya Er, treating him like cushion, zookeepers said. But Ya Er, also 5, never gets angry, and likes staying with Xing Er.
Xing Er has many toys, and he loves the swings. He also likes sleeping on the slide after he has eaten. He has received many gifts from his fans including a photo album.
“It is very difficult to say goodbye, and I hope he lives a happy life in Chengdu,” said Shanghai resident Qian Min, who brings her two children to the giant panda pavilion often. “If I travel to Chengdu, I will pay a visit to the base.”
Giant pandas must return to the Chengdu center when they reach breeding age. The zoo said a new giant panda will arrive in Shanghai after its giant panda pavilion is renovated.
file photo of Xing Er
file photo of Xing Er
file photo of Xing Er
file photo of Xing Er
file photo of Xing Er
Xing Er celebrates his four-year birthday at the Shanghai Zoo.
file photo of Xing Er
