The second giant panda cub born in Taiwan made her public debut at the Taipei Zoo on Tuesday with throngs of visitors lining up for a glimpse of the animal.
The 6-month-old female named Yuan Bao was born on June 28 to her mother, Yuan Yuan and father, Tuan Tuan. The two were gifted to Taiwan by the Chinese mainland as a goodwill gesture in December 2008.
The combination of Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan means "reunion" in Chinese, which is symbolic as mainland China and Taiwan have been governed separately since they split amid a civil war in 1949. China considers Taiwan a renegade province awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je, who, along with other invited guests, met with the panda cub on Monday evening, thanked the panda team for taking good care of Yuan Bao and welcomed the public to visit the new cub.
The cub's name was revealed on Aug. 30, after netizens voted on it to reference her chubby body and mild temperament. Over the past six months, Yuan Bao's weight has ballooned from 186 grams to 13.5 kilograms.
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The cub's public debut with her mother on Tuesday was timed to welcome in the New Year. Only 400 people are allowed into Panda Hall every 10 minutes.
Taipei resident Chan Wen-guang said he plans to visit the Taipei Zoo during the upcoming New Year holidays because he has to work.
A New Taipei resident Tsai Chin-fa said he plans to do the same. He dismissed concerns that the Chinese are using the giant pandas as political tools.
"I like giant pandas simply because they are cute," said Tsai, 56.
Another New Taipei resident, Chen Jia-ci, agreed. "Animals are animals, and politics is politics," Chen said.
The 30-year-old mother of two said she and her husband plan to take a day out of their busy schedules to see the panda cub with their children because they want to avoid the crowd.
However, officials said as Yuan Bao spends 70 percent of her time sleeping, visitors wishing to see a playful panda cub will have to rely on luck.
Yuan Yuan gave birth to Taiwan's first giant panda cub, Yuan Zai, in July 2013. As with the conception of Yuan Bao, Yuan Zai was also conceived by artificial insemination.
Giant pandas have historically been unsuccessful at mating, especially in captivity. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature, the entire population is just over 1,800 in the wild and several hundred in captivity.
