A giant panda cub named Satrio Wiratama, affectionately called Rio, is thriving 40 days after his birth in Indonesia, according to a video released by the country's conservation park on Tuesday.
The cub was examined for the first time outside the incubator at the Taman Safari park in Cisarua, West Java province. Veterinarians measured Rio, whose growth from a tiny pink baby to a panda with distinctive black and white fur was captured on video.
“The panda cub is developing healthily and growing very well. Its body weight has increased by 46% over the past 30 days, while its body length has increased by 95%,” said Bongot Huaso Mulia, a veterinarian monitoring Rio's progress.
Rio was born on Nov. 27 to 15-year-old female Hu Chun and male Cai Tao. The pair arrived in Indonesia in 2017 under a 10-year conservation partnership with China. They reside in a specially built enclosure at the park, located about 70 kilometres from Jakarta.
Mulia noted that Rio's birth was the result of the fourth artificial insemination attempt. “So we tried natural mating four times first, followed by four rounds of artificial insemination. It really was not easy,” he said.
China’s Ambassador to Indonesia Wang Lutong welcomed the birth, stating, “This is the moment we’ve been waiting for. After years of hard work, finally we’ve got real. The baby panda, joining the global panda family.” Giant pandas are considered China’s unofficial mascot, and their loans overseas are seen as a tool of “panda diplomacy.” With fewer than 1,900 giant pandas in the wild, births are particularly celebrated.
