The son of Huan Huan and Yuan Zi, a small panda born on 4th August 2017 at Beauval Zoo, is in the best of health, to the great relief of his carers. Provisionally named Mini Yuan Zi, his birth created a buzz not only in France but throughout the world, since reproduction of these bears in captivity is difficult. His twin, sadly, was not so lucky and passed away minutes after the birth.
Source: AFP
Beauval Zoo, therefore, finds itself in the spotlight. Delphine Delord, in charge of communication for the park, revealed to the French newspaper L’Express:
The Facebook posts of Beauval Zoo have been viewed 25.8 million times. We must have gained around 40,000 fans in one week and almost 2000 followers on Twitter.
Notre #MiniYuanZi gigote vigoureusement ! #JaiLaBougeotte #BBpandaBeauval pic.twitter.com/VdOCuOA5pL
— ZooParc de Beauval (@zoobeauval) 6 août 2017
Unsurprisingly, this enthusiasm has also resulted in a sharp increase in visiting numbers, which had already been impacted by the arrival of Huan Huan and Yuan Zi in 2012, lent to France by China in exchange for an enormous sum of money: 850,000 euros per year.
Source: AFP
Mini Yuan Zi, who will be named by Peng Liyuan, China’s first lady, with the help of Brigitte Macron, will make his first appearance in public in October, ordinarily a quiet month. In order to deal with the influx of visitors, Beauval zoo has therefore decided to start recruiting. The establishment is even considering not closing its hotels, which are not visited often during this season.
Source: Eric Baccega
Beauval zoo is sure to benefit from this resurgence of popularity, which is part and parcel of the “panda-mania” that has stemmed from Mini Yuan Zi’s birth. Giant screens have been installed all around the panda zone to allow visitors to observe the animals without disturbing them. The shop is also making the most of it by creating several products based on the adorable baby panda.Two Chinese animal healthcare specialists have come all the way from Beijing to make sure the precious animal is healthy. He will go back to China within the next three or four years; in fact, Mini Yuan Zi officially belongs to China and will be set free in a natural reserve there.
Distribution de dragées dans le ZooParc pour célébrer la naissance de notre #MiniYuanZi #BBpandaBeauval pic.twitter.com/mZeZ5CMdX1
— ZooParc de Beauval (@zoobeauval) 5 août 2017
First and foremost, this first month is deemed critical for the survival of the panda, who is surrounded by a passionate veterinary team.Today, the number of pandas that remain free is estimated to be around 2000.
H/t: L'Express
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