France's first panda cub makes public debut
January 14, 2018
Five-month-old Yuan Meng — whose name means "making a dream come true" — has proved a huge hit at Beauval Zoo.
The baby appeared along with his mother in a new enclosure.
In keeping with his name, Yuan Meng's appearance meant some zoo visitors had their wishes fulfilled.
"We got up at 3 in the morning," said Delphine, who had traveled from the Paris region. "My son absolutely wanted to see the cub. We felt we took part in a historic moment. It was very moving."
'Little ball of happiness'
Yuan Meng was one of twins when he was born in August, but his sibling died soon after birth.
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"It is very important," said another visitor, Patricia. "We absolutely wanted to be here, to discover this ball of fur. It's a little ball of happiness, of peace."
China has sent pandas to only about a dozen countries, using the animal as a mark of good relations. A female and male arrived in Beauval in 2012 after top-level negotiations between Paris and Beijing.
Yuan Meng was born five years later through artificial insemination.
rc/cmk (AFP, AP, Reuters)