Taipei Zoo's male red panda, 'Qiqi' (nicknamed Yaffa), has safely arrived at Singapore Zoo after departing Taiwan on June 10th. This transfer is part of an inter-zoo species management plan to maintain the population and genetic diversity of endangered species in Southeast Asia.
Two red pandas from Shanghai are set to arrive in Taiwan this weekend, a result of discussions initiated during the Taipei-Shanghai Twin Cities Forum. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an confirmed the arrival, noting a mandatory one-month quarantine period before the animals can be displayed at the zoo. The initiative aims to promote species breeding and genetic diversity through animal exchange.
This feature explores how the panda evolved from an overlooked creature in ancient Chinese folklore—known as 'white bears' in the Three Kingdoms era and believed to eat iron—into a national treasure and defining symbol of modern China. Palaeontological evidence shows panda fossils with butchery marks dating back 8-9 million years, while the earliest written records appear in the Book of Documents from the pre-Qin period.
