- The cub was introduced into its new enclosure in Beauval Zoo on Saturday
- The adorable cub’s name means ‘making a dream come true’ in Chinese
- French first lady Brigitte Macron is considered the panda’s ‘godmother’
France’s first panda cub Yuan Meng has made its debut public appearance in front of rapturous crowds at the zoo where it was born five months ago.
The adorable cub’s name means ‘making a dream come true’ in Chinese.
He was introduced into its new enclosure in Beauval Zoo, south of Paris in France’s Centre-Val de Loire region.
France’s first panda cub Yuan Meng has made its debut public appearance
Adoring onlookers ringed the site to see the juvenile cub for the first time. Yuan Meng had been mostly hidden from view since its birth in August last year but left its den on Saturday for its first public appearance.
French first lady Brigitte Macron, considered the panda’s ‘godmother,’ announced the little critter’s name at a ceremony in December at the zoo.
The event was attended by Chinese officials – China has dispatched its national treasure to only about a dozen countries, using the animal as a symbol of close relations.
Adorable photos show Yuan Meng playing with its mother Huan Huan inside its new enclosure
Nine-year-old Huan Huan and her male partner Yuan Zi arrived at Beauval Zoo in January 2012 on a 10 year loan from China after intense negotiations between Paris and Beijing
Breeding pandas is notoriously difficult and this is the first time a cub has been born in France. Yuan Meng was born through artificial insemination.
The adorable five-month-old was watched by rapturous crowds
He was introduced into its new enclosure in Beauval Zoo, south of Paris in France’s Centre-Val de Loire region, on Saturday
‘We got up at 3:00 in the morning. My son absolutely wanted to see the cub,’ said Delphine who had travelled from the Paris region.
‘We felt we took part in a historic moment. It was very moving,’ she said.
Zoo veterinarian Baptiste Mulot said the cub had been brought to the enclosure for short periods over the past 10 days to allow it familiarise it with the surroundings.
The tiny tot was seen playing with its mother Huan Huan who is on loan from China
The Chinese government has used pandas as a way of expressing their close relationship with another country
Panda reproduction, in captivity or in the wild, is notoriously difficult because the female panda is only in heat once a year for about 48 hours.
But the number of pandas worldwide has rebounded since the black-and-white bear was declared an endangered animal in the 1980s, thanks to efforts to protect it and its habitat.
Nine-year-old Huan Huan and her male partner Yuan Zi arrived at Beauval Zoo in January 2012 on a 10-year loan from China after intense negotiations between Paris and Beijing