Everland Panda 'Aibao' Selected
In July, Aibao, the mother of the giant panda Fubao at Everland in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, gave birth once again, bringing joy to many. The scene of Aibao giving birth to twins has been included in TIME magazine's 'Top 100 Photos of 2023,' attracting significant attention.
Giant panda 'Aibao' gave birth to twin pandas (Ruibao, Huibao) last July. This photo was included in Time magazine's list of 100 top photos. [Photo by Time magazine]
On the 21st (local time), the American media outlet TIME selected and released the 'Top 100 Photos of 2023.' Among the selected photos, the 54th spot featured the scene of Aibao, who is currently beloved in Korea, giving birth to twin pandas.
TIME described the photo as "Giant panda mother Aibao and her newly born female twin pandas, born for the first time in Korea, at Everland Zoo in Yongin, South Korea, on July 7."
Earlier, in July, following Fubao, Aibao gave birth to twin pandas named Ruibao and Huibao. Ruibao and Huibao alternated between the nursery and the inner room for ten days after birth, and on the 6th, 120 days after their birth, they successfully reunited with their mother Aibao. After reuniting with Aibao, Ruibao and Huibao recently began to walk, drawing much attention.
Photos selected by Time magazine as the '2023 Top 100'. (From left) ▲A rescue team carrying a girl during the earthquake in Turkey ▲Police spraying water on protesters during a Women's Day rally in front of the Independence Palace in Mexico City ▲Tangerines spilled on the streets of Turkey following the earthquake in southern Turkey and northern Syria ▲A man who lost his nephew in an Israeli airstrike ▲Taylor Swift concert held in Santa Clara, California ▲A family fleeing the explosion site after a Russian rocket attack. [Photo by Time magazine]
Among the 100 photos selected by TIME in 2023, Aibao’s birth photo is the only one related to animal births, making it particularly noteworthy. Besides Aibao’s birth photo, other selected images include ▲ a rescue team carrying a girl after an earthquake in Diyarbakır, Turkey ▲ police spraying water on protesters during a demonstration commemorating International Women's Day in front of the National Palace in Mexico City ▲ a street in Hatay, Turkey, where tangerines spilled following the aftermath of the magnitude 7.8 and 7.5 earthquakes that claimed 55,000 lives in southern Turkey and northern Syria ▲ a man mourning while holding the body of his nephew killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City ▲ a Taylor Swift concert scene in Santa Clara, California ▲ and a family fleeing an explosion site after a Russian rocket attack in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine.
China Awaits Fubao’s Return... Documentary on 'Fubao’s Birth' Also Produced
Meanwhile, as the return date of the panda Fubao, who is very popular in Korea, approaches, a documentary about Fubao’s birth has been released in China, further boosting his popularity there.
On the 27th, Sichuan Satellite TV, a local Chinese media outlet, released a documentary titled "Panda Keeper - The Birth of Fubao" on YouTube. The approximately 15-minute documentary captures the process of panda Lubao and Aibao at Everland giving birth to Fubao in March 2020.
The documentary features zookeepers Gang Cheol-won and Song Young-gwan, known as "Fubao’s grandfathers," who shared, "There was no experience with panda breeding in Korea," and "Since it was the first time, there were difficulties," recounting the birth process of Fubao.
Steel Won, zookeeper, and Song Young-kwan, zookeeper, with Puba, who just turned two years old (from left). Photo by Samsung C&T Corporation
Giant pandas have an estrus period lasting only three days a year during which they can conceive. Since pandas must be encouraged to mate during this time, natural pregnancy is known to be very difficult. The documentary introduces these panda habits and emphasizes that Fubao was born through a challenging process.
Meanwhile, according to China’s panda ownership policy, Fubao must be returned to China before turning four years old. Born in July 2020, Fubao will turn four in July 2024 and is expected to be repatriated to China before then.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
