Sunday 15 January 2012

male Giant panda 'sick with colic' and taken off public display


The male Giant panda at Edinburgh Zoo has been taken ill suffering from colic.
Yang Guang has retreated from public view to his sick bed while he recovers from the illness.
The panda only arrived at the zoo from China on December 4 a few weeks ago, along with fellow panda Tian Tian.
Yang Guang settling into his new home at Edinburgh Zoo last month. He now has colic according to vets
Yang Guang settling into his new home at Edinburgh Zoo last month. He now has colic according to vets
The pair, whose names mean Sunshine and Sweetie, are the first giant pandas to live in the UK for 17 years. 
The zoo will be their home for the next 10 years and it is hoped that the breeding pair will produce cubs during their stay.
 
The eight-year-old animals' arrival from Ya'an reserve in Chengdu, China, is the result of five years of work to bring them to Scotland.
Edinburgh Zoo is now one of only 13 zoos in the world with pandas.
Colic is a common condition that, in humans, affects around one in five babies of both sexes. Its cause is unknown.
The most common symptom of colic is excessive crying in a baby which otherwise appears to be healthy and well-fed.
Yang Guang's indoor enclosure has been closed so he can recuperate but the public might be able to catch glimpses of him in his outdoor enclosure.
Yang Guang makes his first appearance in front of the media last month. He is expected to be back on his paws in two weeks
Yang Guang makes his first appearance in front of the media last month. He is expected to be back on his paws in two weeks
Iain Valentine, director of research and conservation at the zoo, said: 'Yang Guang is not on show today as he has an episode of colic. It's not very serious but can cause some discomfort.
'He's on medication to relieve this and we're mainly keeping him relaxed and indoors, although we expect he'll go out sometimes to stretch his legs.
'These episodes can sometimes last up to a couple of weeks, so he may not always be on show over the next week or so.
'Alison, our panda team leader, and the veterinary department are keeping a close eye on him.
'Having discussed this with our colleagues in China, they reassure us this is not uncommon in pandas.
'Tian Tian is right as rain and remains on show daily.' 
The pair arrived from China last month in a 777 aircraft, nicknamed the 'FedEx Panda Express', transported in specially-designed crates with perspex sides.
Tian Tian and Yang Guang then made the 15-minute journey from the airport to the zoo in a lorry.
Staff from the FedEx Express said the pandas' in-flight meals included bamboo, apples, carrots, mineral water - and a special panda cake.
They went on show to the public for the first time on December 16 after acclimatising to their new surroundings away from the public glare.
The landmark moment for the zoo brought with it a 200 per cent increase on the usual number of visitors through the gates on a typical December day.

No comments:

Post a Comment