Shanghai-based news portal The Paper on Saturday outlined the claims made by South Korean panda enthusiasts and refuted them all, citing explanations from the China Giant Panda Conservation and Research Center.
Responding to speculation that Fu Bao had lost the hair on his back due to “abuse and injury,” the report noted that in a video released by the conservation center on May 28, it said that Fu Bao had hair on his neck that was shorter than the hair around him, but that tests had found no pathogens.
“There were no abnormalities such as allergies, scabs or thickening of the skin,” the center added.
Chinese panda researchers have previously pointed out that hair loss in giant pandas could be caused by pathogens, endocrine or metabolic problems, vitamin levels or environmental factors, but in most cases it is simply due to seasonal changes.
The report, citing a study from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, said Fu Bao’s fur showed normal seasonal changes, with no signs of redness, swelling, fever, skin lesions or parasites.
03:45
‘Sad to say goodbye’: South Korea’s first baby panda prepares to return to China
‘Sad to say goodbye’: South Korea’s first baby panda prepares to return to China
The report also noted that a video posted to YouTube in March by a South Korean panda keeper showed that Fu Bao’s father, a bear named Le Bao, appeared to have lost his hair above his hind legs while living at a South Korean zoo.
Tests showed the hair loss was not caused by any illness or skin disease, and South Korean zookeepers have contacted Chinese experts to find ways to prevent the hair loss from spreading, the paper said.
Following the consultation, Lu Bao breeders implemented measures to address the hair loss, including improved temperature and humidity control, vitamin supplementation, improved disease monitoring, and keeping affected areas dry.
Some Korean fans speculated that a small dent that recently appeared on Fu Bao’s head could be evidence that researchers are “extracting panda bodily fluids.”
According to Chinese media reports, the conservation center said that Fu Bao would always rest his head on the corner of his cage when he slept, which left a small dent in his cage.
The centre also denied speculation that Fu Bao had been forced to wear a collar in China after some fans noticed scars on her neck in one video.
The center explained that the mark appeared naturally when Fu Bao walked with his head stretched forward, forming a ring-like shape around his neck, but disappeared when he sat down or changed positions.
The company also said that Fu Bao will be made available to the public in June after getting accustomed to his new facilities. Fu Bao was released from a month-long quarantine at the Shenshuping Panda Base in Wolong National Nature Reserve, Sichuan province, on May 4.
01:10
Chinese zoo dyes dogs to resemble pandas, sparking accusations of animal cruelty
Chinese zoo dyes dogs to resemble pandas, sparking accusations of animal cruelty
The panda conservation center said it contacted police after photos of people petting and feeding Fu Bao were circulated in May, sparking rumors that Fu Bao had been in contact with people other than center staff before he was certified fit for public display.
Chinese police are still investigating the case.
News of the giant pandas’ return to the U.S. capital comes six months after pandas Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and their cub Xiaoqizi left the zoo last year in a move that symbolized the deterioration of U.S.-China relations.
