(file photo)

On Aug. 13, female giant panda Sijia celebrated her 11th birthday, one year after she and her playmate Youyou moved to their new home at the Yabuli Ski Resort in northeast China's Heilongjiang province.

Of all of China's pandas, the two live the furthest north. Compared with the mild environment in their hometown of southwest China's Sichuan province, the climate in Yabuli is much harsher, with a clear distinction between the four seasons.

"The pair has long adapted to the local climate," said Yu Tengjiao, curator of the panda house. They added air conditioners, humidifiers, electric heat, and ultraviolet lamps to help the pandas adapt to the new environment. They also arranged medical services for the pair.

The pair spends more time outdoors than indoors, even in cold winter. "Judging from their physical conditions, they can adapt very easily to life in northeastern China," said Tang Cheng, a panda expert at the Dujiangyan Panda Base in Sichuan.

Wei Rongping, a scientist with the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, said the resettlement of the pair was an attempt to expand the range of the species and can help researchers better understand the living conditions of pandas at high latitudes.