Japanese fans cheer at meeting giant panda Xiang Xiang virtually

The Japanese fans of the giant panda Xiang Xiang had a video call with her and an offline meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday, after she returned to China, witnessing her current life in China.

Xiang Xiang, born in Tokyo's Ueno Zoo in 2017, has been living in the giant panda base in Ya'an, Sichuan province, since returning to China last year. She has now adapted to the environment and climate of Ya'an, as well as the feeding management system of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, according to the keeper Zhao Lanlan.

When Xiang Xiang first returned to China, she experienced significant stress reactions, Zhao was quite nervous and worried about her.

"Later, I found out that Xiang Xiang likes to eat apples, so I increased the time and frequency of feeding her apples. To build mutual trust between us, I communicate with her in the panda enclosure, allowing her to become familiar with my voice and scent," Zhao said.

"Xiang Xiang was initially timid and sensitive to sounds, running away at slightly unfamiliar noises. Now she can calmly eat on the feeding platform in front of the public. This is a great progress for her.

"Additionally, she used to find a place she considered safe to rest after eating, where the public could hardly see her. Now, she can rest in a relatively safe place in front of the public," Zhao said.