China’s panda base reopens as epidemic brought under control

A Chinese panda base in southwest China’s Sichuan province reopened to the public on March 25 after a two-month closure, as the COVID-19 epidemic is being brought under control in the country.

The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, located in the province’s capital Chengdu, reopened all its facilities except a panda-themed theater.

The base is still taking various epidemic prevention precautions, including limiting the daily number of visitors, conducting daily disinfection, and encouraging visitors to book tickets online to reduce unnecessary human contact. The base is open from 8:39 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week.

On March 17, giant panda Fuwa gave birth to a pair of male twin cubs, with a birth weight of 159.8 grams and 119.5 grams respectively. They were the first captive giant panda male twins born in 2020. Four days later, another panda, Zhizhi, gave birth to a male cub weighing 176.7 grams. They are all in good condition.