Why are there so many pandas in Wakayama?

November 29, 19:21

The baby panda is cute, isn't it?

I celebrated my first birthday in November.

Do you know where to meet this panda?

Ueno?

…wrong.

This is Wakayama.

In fact, 7 pandas are bred in Wakayama, which is the largest number of pandas in the world except China.

Why are there so many pandas?

(Wakayama Broadcasting Station Ryo Fukuda)

Wakayama, which has the most pandas in Japan

A female baby panda, Fuhin, who turned 1 on November 22, weighed

only 157 grams when she was born, but now weighs nearly 28 kilograms.

It is growing quickly.

Is a 1 year old panda a baby?

You may hear such a voice, but I can't eat bamboo yet and I'm breastfeeding, so I'm a good baby.

From October, it will be open to the public at the outdoor playground, and many tourists are visiting.

Such "Kaedehama" is bred at the theme park "Adventure World" in Shirahama Town, Wakayama Prefecture, which

currently has seven pandas and the largest number of pandas in Japan.

By the way, there are 5 Ueno Zoos in Tokyo and 1 Oji Zoo in Kobe.

World's best track record outside of China

So far, 17 children have been born in Adventure World, including Kaedehama.

It has the best track record in zoos other than China in the world.

Do you notice anything when you look at the family tree?

Yes.

"Hama"

is named after "Hama", which was born in Shirahama Town.

"Eimei", the father of "Kaedehama", has

16 children and is called "Super Daddy" by fans.

Currently 29 years old.

If you compare it to a human, you are almost 90 years old, but you are still fine.

As a male panda who gave birth to a child by natural mating in a breeding environment, it continues to break the record of being the oldest in the world.

"Rauhin", the mother of "Kaedehama", is not defeated either.

I gave birth to 10 children.

We are proud of the best track record in Japan.

It was born in Shirahama-cho with the word "Hama" in its name.

My mother, Mei Mei, came to Japan with her pregnant, so the only panda born here is not her father.

Eleven of the pandas born here returned to China for breeding.

Still, seven pandas are currently bred, the largest number in the world outside of China.

At first I came in a traveling exhibition

Why are there so many pandas in Shirahama Town?

It was in 1972 that pandas began to be bred at Japanese zoos.

To commemorate the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China, a male "Kang Kang" and a female "Ranran" were presented by China.

I came to Ueno Zoo.

After that, international arrangements to protect pandas will proceed, as they are threatened with extinction.

In principle, the "gift of pandas" in the form of transfer of ownership from China is no longer performed.

On the other hand, from the 1980s to the 90s, short-term lending and borrowing of pandas became a boom in various parts of Japan in the form of expositions.

Male "Shinshin" and female "Keikei" came to Japan from China.

At that time, the places that were toured and exhibited were Okayama, Hokkaido, and Shirahama Town, Wakayama Prefecture.

September 1988.

After moving around, the two pandas finally came to Shirahama.

It is said that he was ill at first, probably because the environment changed in a short period of time.

However, the newsreel at that time shows two animals eating bamboo energetically.

Water and climate.

Was there food?

I recovered and succeeded in breeding after returning to Japan.

Breeding technology that China is also surprised

It was the high breeding technology of Adventure World that surprised Chinese researchers as they continued such exchanges.

We have succeeded in breeding cheetahs and scimitar oryx, which are rare animals and difficult to breed.

At that time, China was not as sophisticated in breeding technology as it is now, and it is said that the technology was attractive.

Under such circumstances, Adventure World used a system called "bleeding loan" to rent a panda.

The ownership of pandas remains in China, and it is a mechanism to borrow for the purpose of breeding for a long time.

On the Chinese side as well, there is the merit of avoiding extinction even if an infectious disease occurs by distributing the breeding areas of pandas.

In Shirahama, which is rich in nature, high-quality bamboo, which is the staple food of pandas, was harvested nearby.

Moreover, it is good.

Two pandas that have already come to Shirahama have been proven.

Pandas only eat fresh bamboo, but bamboo is not suitable for freezing, so it is a great advantage to be able to secure a sufficient amount.

These various points were evaluated, and the world's first panda "bleeding loan" was realized.

It was September 1994, six years after the first pandas arrived in Wakayama.

What are the secrets that lead to childbirth one after another?

The breeding of pandas started in this way.

Then, 17 animals succeed in breeding one after another.

There must be some secret.

When I talked to the deputy director who had worked as a panda veterinarian for many years, I got an unexpected answer.

Adventure World Takeko Nakao Deputy Director

"It was a good match"

According to Mr. Nakao, it is of course important for the facility to determine the time of estrus and to create an environment where breeding is easy, but the major factor is the compatibility between pandas.

In particular, female pandas have a lot of likes and dislikes, and they may attack when a male who does not like them approaches.

It is said that they will not mate if they are incompatible.

Moreover, the estrous cycle of females is only about 2 days a year.

At that time, the male and female must be in the same room.

"Eimei", who is called Super Daddy, did not have any children with the female "Yohin" who came with him.

After that, it went well with the "Mei Mei" that came, and I was able to have six children.

It is said that "Umeume", who had a childbirth experience one year before coming to Japan, led the young "Eimei".

Furthermore, it is the character of "Eimei" that Mr. Nakao points out as the secret of many children.

It is gentle and gentle, and you can notice slight changes in the female.

In human terms, it is a "popular" male.

Even if the female was in heat in the unseasonable summer, she was able to detect and adjust sensitively.

Adventure World Takeko Nakao Deputy Director

"There is also a study that the conception rate will increase even if the same mating is done if it is compatible. Eimei tended to break his stomach when he came to the park, but it is deeply emotional to be such a good male is"

A big pinch of childbirth in the corona

Adventure world that has accumulated breeding achievements one after another.

However, the birth of Kaedehama last year faced a great challenge due to the influence of the new corona.

Until now, Chinese researchers have been present at the time of childbirth.

Since panda babies are born with a small body of about 15 cm in length, the mortality rate is high, and the first week after birth is also called the "devil's week".

After giving birth, the mother panda is also worried.

An experienced Chinese researcher once picked up the baby from his mother and looked at his health.

However, due to the influence of the new coronavirus, I could not come to Japan, and only Japanese staff had to deal with the pick-up.

First pick-up work.

I prepared a stuffed animal that was close to the actual size and repeated the practice.

It is a strategy to give the mother the favorite honey painted on the plate and pick up the baby in the distracted gap.

On November 22, last year, a healthy female baby is finally born.

The keeper immediately demonstrated the results of the practice and was able to pick it up safely.

Kaedehama, who grew up quickly after that and turned 1 year old.

It looks pretty to many people.

Ueno triples the exposure of NHK news

An adventure world with a track record of breeding pandas.

However, when it comes to pandas, the image of Ueno Zoo is strong.

The difference in handling in the media may be one of them.

The twin pandas "Shao Shao" and "Rei Rei" from Ueno Zoo, which were born in June, have been born

for five months since the birth

of "Kaedehama", an adventure world born in November last year.

So, I compared the number of times it was broadcast nationwide on NHK's "Good Morning Japan", "News 7", and "News Watch 9".

Kaedehama was 5 times, while Akatsuki and buds were 15 times, a three-fold difference.

Ueno has been featured six times, but Kaedehama was featured only once.

There is a difference that Ueno is a twin and Wakayama is one, but Ueno Zoo is the first facility where pandas were bred, and it left a lasting impression on people, and the image of "panda = Ueno" may have influenced it.

I think that the accessibility of the media due to the location is also related, but as a reporter in charge of pandas at the Wakayama Bureau, I think I must do my best.

"I think it's a good companion."

These two facilities are often compared to something, but in fact, we have built a cooperative relationship for panda breeding for over 20 years.

The trigger was "Eimei".

After arriving in Japan, Eimei had a digestive illness and often broke his stomach.

What kind of medicine should I give and what should I feed?

Thanks to the advice from Ueno Zoo, a senior panda breeder, Eimei became well and led to great results in breeding.

On the other hand, at the time of the birth of "Akatsuki" and "Buds" at Ueno Zoo in June, the experience of "Kaedehama" at Adventure World was put to good use.

At Ueno Zoo, a Chinese researcher was present at the time of childbirth to pick up a baby panda, but I couldn't come to Japan because of the corona.

How to pick up if you were twins.

How to milk from your mother if you were born dying.

While repeating online meetings and exchanging e-mails, I gave advice assuming various cases.

Ueno Zoo Public Relations Officer

"This time, we asked Adventure World, who has a lot of knowledge about the breeding of giant pandas, for their cooperation.

Finally, when I asked Deputy Director Nakao a slightly mean question, "Isn't Ueno Zoo a rivalry?", He laughed and answered.

Adventure World Deputy Director Takeko Nakao

"The zoo is a place where wild animals are bred, and the idea is to use multiple facilities to breed. It is not possible to breed well with just one facility such as Adventure World. I think they are good friends who cooperate with each other, not just pandas. "

Shirahama, which is a tourism industry, has been hit hard by the influence of the new Corona.

However, under such circumstances, the locals have high expectations for the "special demand for pandas," which is attracting many tourists to the baby panda Kaedehama.

Various episodes about pandas in Wakayama found in this interview.

Ueno is not the only panda.

As a local reporter, I would like to send out panda information so that people who are not familiar with Shirahama pandas will be interested in it.

Wakayama station broadcasting station

reporter Ryo Fukuda

Joined in 2018 After being in charge of the case, he became the Nanki Tanabe branch office in September last year.

I've loved pandas since I visited the giant panda breeding base in Chengdu when I was in college.