Giant panda cubs Bao Di (right) and Bao Mei (left) eat bamboo with their mother Hao Hao at Pairi Daiza zoo in Belgium on August 8, 2021. Photo: VCG

 
Hao Hao, one of the giant panda pair on loan from China to Belgium, will return to China next month for medical treatment after experiencing recurring moderate ascites, the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda announced on Saturday.

Since March, a female giant panda Hao Hao, born in July 2009 and residing at Belgium's  Pairi Daiza zoo, has experienced recurring moderate ascites. Experts from China and Belgium have maintained close communication throughout, with Chinese specialists dispatched to Belgium to jointly conduct consultations and treatment. Hao Hao is currently in stable condition but still requires specialized medical care.
 
Following a joint evaluation by experts from both sides, Hao Hao is scheduled to return to China in December to continue receiving professional treatment and care. Under the bilateral cooperation agreement, the male giant panda Xing Hui, also born in July 2009, will remain at Pairi Daiza, the center said on its WeChat account on Saturday. 

China and Belgium launched their giant panda conservation and research cooperation program in 2014. 

Since Xing Hui and Hao Hao arrived in Belgium, the two sides have achieved positive results in panda breeding, scientific research, and public education, deepening mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese and Belgian peoples. Notably, the births of their cubs — Tian Bao, Bao Di, and Bao Mei — have brought great joy to the Belgian public and marked major milestones in the success of the joint breeding program, according to the Chinese center.

Global Times