China reserve marks Lunar New Year with panda cubs
BEIJING (AP) — Ten panda cubs made their public debut in China’s leading panda reserve Wednesday morning to mark the coming Lunar New Year.
One appeared shy and covered its face with both paws when it saw the crowd, while another went rogue and crawled away from its keeper before being caught.
The pandas range in age from four to six months, and all resulted from natural mating, according to the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda in southwest China’s Sichuan province.
The black-and-white fluff balls made their appearance in a playground at the center adorned with Lunar New Year’s decorations including lanterns, traditional Chinese knots, paper cars and flags.
“Newborn baby pandas from the class of 2020 ... wish you a happy New Year and lots of good luck in the Year of the Ox,” their keepers shouted with the pandas in their arms, while some tried to clamber away.
Bamboo baskets of treats were prepared for the pandas, with the Chinese character “fu,” meaning good fortune and blessings, written on the outside.
This mimicked the Chinese tradition of adults giving red envelopes with money inside to children during the Lunar New Year to pass them good wishes and blessings.

Baby pandas climb on a display for the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Ox at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda at the Wolong Nature Reserve in southwestern China's Sichuan province, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021. Ten baby pandas made their debut in China's leading panda reserve in the country's southwest on Wednesday morning ahead of the Lunar New Year. (Chinatopix via AP)
- STR

A baby panda climbs on a display for the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Ox at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda at the Wolong Nature Reserve in southwestern China's Sichuan province, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021. Ten baby pandas made their debut in China's leading panda reserve in the country's southwest on Wednesday morning ahead of the Lunar New Year. (Chinatopix via AP)
- STR
More like this...
Baby pandas climb on a display for the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Ox at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda at the Wolong Nature Reserve in southwestern China's Sichuan province, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021. Ten baby pandas made their debut in China's leading panda reserve in the country's southwest on Wednesday morning ahead of the Lunar New Year. (Chinatopix via AP)
- STR
A baby panda climbs on a display for the upcoming Lunar New Year of the Ox at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda at the Wolong Nature Reserve in southwestern China's Sichuan province, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021. Ten baby pandas made their debut in China's leading panda reserve in the country's southwest on Wednesday morning ahead of the Lunar New Year. (Chinatopix via AP)
- STR
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