Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is set to launch the “World’s First Live Broadcast of the Growth of Panda" program on September 5. This is an online live program, with its first scheduled live time from 06:30 to 22:00 on September 5 and the second scheduled live time at 08:00 to 20:00 on September 6. Afterwards, online live broadcast will last for nearly 3 months via YouTube’s and NicoNico’s official websites “Pandapia” every Saturday. Besides, related videos will be made available at Youku & Tudou’s official website “熊猫家园-pandapia”. This will enable global netizens to witness the exciting moments during the growth of the twin panda cubs “Mao Ge” and “Mao Mei” (infant names) together. In addition, the Base will upload the daily-shot growth video of “Mao Ge” and “Mao Mei” to the official websites of YouTube, NicoNico and Youku & Tudou. It will also offer access for users to watch and download the videos, providing the users with an immersive experience of watching a full-length documentary film.

“Mao Ge” and “Mao Mei”, the active and restless brother and sister, can be called the offspring of “prominent sports family”. With their fur gradually turning into typical black and white, they have increasingly demonstrated their excellent family genes. “Nanny” of the brother and sister, Tang Juwen explained: Despite the fact that “Mao Ge” and “Mao Mei” are just one month old, they seem to be especially active and energetic among their peer group. They tend to groan loudly or look for nipples everywhere with their heads shaking. When they sleep, they prefer to stay close to each other in the corner of the wooden bed. They seem so furry and chubby that people can’t help laughing. Now the appetites of the brother and sister are also on the rise. “Mao Ge” can drink 130g breast milk while “Mao Mei” can drink 110g breast milk. The weight of “Mao Ge” has increased to 1200g, and that of “Mao Mei” has increased to 1100g. This is outstanding in their peer group.

Huang Xiangming, a panda expert on the Base, said that a panda gradually opens its eyes and when it is about 40 days old its eyes are half-opened. At around 50 days old, its eyes are fully-opened. Its teeth begin to appear when it’s about 65 days old. We can witness these miraculous moments together online via the Internet!

In order to enhance participation in the activity and arousing the enthusiasm of every “panda fan” and netizen, at the start of the broadcast the Base will begin recreational online interactions such as “#opinions of names of pandas # discussion on topics” and “global solicitation of rules for naming pandas”. So, please stay tuned. 

Official micro blog of pandapia in Sina: http://weibo.com/PandaUtopia

Official website “熊猫家园-pandapia” in Youku: http://i.youku.com/pandapia

The big cub

The small cub

The twin cubs

The twin cubs

The twin cubs

Background Information:

1. Protagonists of “World’s First Live Broadcast of the Growth of Panda” program: “Mao Ge” and “Mao Mei” (infant name)

(1) The mother of “Mao Ge” and “Mao Mei”——panda “Mao Mao”

“Mao Mao” (Fu Wa) ♀ was born on September 6, 2003. Mother: Ya Ya. Father: Ha Lan

“Mao Mao” is the prototype for the creation of “Jing Jing”, the panda mascot of 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Ya Ya, mother of “Mao Mao”, was born on the ceremony day of 1990 Beijing Asian Games. She was one of the twin pandas conceived by artificial reproduction technique that survived. “Mao Mao” was born into an authentic “sports family”.

Other than the fact that Mao Mao was born into a “prominent sports family”, she seemed to be destined with sports. A few days after birth, she had an acute fever up to 39.8 degrees and no medicine would help. Researchers tried almost every possible method and ultimately had no other option but to adopt a physical method to bring down the fever by putting Mao Mao in the water of normal temperature. Surprisingly, Mao Mao got refreshed immediately and started to play in the water excitedly. And soon her temperature decreased, and she has never been ill since then.

Mao Mao gave birth to two babies before.

On September 1, 2008, Mao Mao gave birth to Da Mao♂, her first baby. Giving birth to a baby for the first time is a great challenge for mother pandas. Mao Mao seemed confused and helpless facing her newly born baby and she was even too scared to touch it. Mao Mao gave up raising Da Mao, so Da Mao was fed by artificial means.

On August 1, 2011, Mao Mao gave birth to Jun Jun♀. And this time Mao Mao behaved more maturely. She picked her baby up gently after giving birth to it.

In early 2013, Mao Mao, following the precedent set by her mother Ya Ya, became a surrogate mother panda to several babies (Ya Ya fed up to seven baby pandas simultaneously). Mao Mao and her babies composed “special 6 plus 1”.

On July 26, 2014, “Mao Mao” successfully gave birth to a pair of twins, adding two active and cute pandas to one of the Base’s “prominent sports family”.

(2) “Mao Ge”

Born at 13h01 on the afternoon of July 26, 2014, male, birth weight 138.8g, current weight 1200g;

(3) “Mao Mei”

Born at 13h07 on the afternoon of July 26, 2014, female, birth weight 181.2g, current weight 1,100g.

2. Introduction to “#opinions of names of panda # discussion on topics” activity

(1) Duration: August 20 – September 20

(2) Anticipation methods for netizens: Netizens may release contents on joining in the topic #opinions of names of panda# and @ Home of Panda-pandapia and express your ideas of the weirdest names for pandas in Sina micro blog. Meanwhile, netizens may also enter into the discussion zone “opinions of names of pandas" and express your opinions and suggestions for the names of pandas on the personal homepage “Home of Panda-pandapia” in Youku.

Note: the content released by the user shall not involve superabundant religious and political factors; nor conspiracy, negative energy, extreme topic and non-mainstream ideology

3. Introduction to “global solicitation of rules for naming pandas” activity

(1) Duration: September 1– September 20

(2) Way of participation for netizens: Netizens may log in special topic forum and propose their suggestions of panda names or opinions of other panda names. It is designed to trigger a large-scale discussion among worldly wide netizens. And the experts of the Base will ultimately issue 5 principles for naming the pandas on the basis of the suggestions of users. Participants may get surprising presents.

(3) Platforms:

①Overseas: “YouTube”, official website of “pandapia” in “NicoNico”—a famous video website in Japan;

②Domestic: Official website “熊猫家园-pandapia” in “Youku & Tudou”; topic discussion initiated in Sina micro blog “熊猫家园-pandapia”