Shu Bao, the youngest member of Everland’s giant panda family, will meet visitors for the first time starting Friday at the theme park’s Panda World in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.
The female cub was born June 3 to mother Ai Bao and father Le Bao through natural breeding, making her the fourth giant panda born in Korea after her older sisters Fu Bao and twins Rui Bao and Hui Bao. She weighed just 171 grams at birth and now weighs more than 9 kg, according to Everland.
Ahead of the debut, she has been exploring the empty outdoor enclosure with her mother to get used to the terrain and smells. Everland plans to gradually extend viewing hours and visitor numbers, with her health and adjustment as the top priority.
“Shu Bao relies on her mother Ai Bao, but she is also looking around and exploring on her own, little by little widening her world. She toddles around, plays with her mom and practices climbing trees, so please cheer her on,” said zookeeper Kang Cheol-won.
The name Shu Bao, meaning “a treasure as bright as the light of dawn,” was chosen through a public naming contest held to mark her 100th day. It received 42 percent of some 220,000 votes cast online and offline.
Meanwhile, Rui Bao and Hui Bao will begin quarantine Nov. 13 ahead of their move to China, with their last public viewing at Everland set for Dec. 11. Until then, visitors can see all five members of the panda family.
yoohong@heraldcorp.com