After having shown signs of pregnancy for some time, Rauhin, a 16-year-old female giant panda at Adventure World in Shirahama Town, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, gave birth to a long-waited baby, a female, at 1:11 a.m. on September 18, 2016. The baby weighed 197 grams at birth. Both mother and child are fine. Rauhin is seen cradling her baby with great care, licking her constantly.  

(Photo1: http://prw.kyodonews.jp/prwfile/release/M104040/201609264628/_prw_OI5fl_0EGEGdJj.jpg)  

-- A giant panda, a female, was born after a 2-year interval.

-- The 197g newborn outweighs all other giant pandas ever born at Adventure World.

-- Father panda, Eimei, age 24, became the oldest male panda having succeeded in natural mating and breeding in captivity.  

Baby information

Date of birth: 1:11 a.m., Sept. 18, 2016

Sex: Female

Weight: 197g  

Adventure World's giant panda research and results

- Breeding research

Adventure World has begun research on the breeding of giant pandas on breeding loan from China for the first time in the world. Currently, there are about 1,800 giant pandas living in the wild, and research on the breeding of giant pandas in captivity is considered important for their protection and population growth. In 1994, Adventure World became the Japan branch of the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China, starting joint research on the natural breeding of giant pandas on breeding loan. In 2000, as female giant panda Mei Mei came over to Japan, and "Project Happiness" aimed at ensuring happiness of giant pandas and all people involved was launched.

- Breeding results

Adventure World has succeeded in breeding 15 giant pandas. On September 6, 2000, Rauhin was born as the first giant panda born at Adventure World. Since then, a total of 15 giant pandas, including Rauhin, have been successfully born, forming a large family of giant pandas here. Also, of eight giant pandas which grew up here and later went home to China, four succeeded in breeding, giving birth to 10 giant pandas as of September 2016.  

Happy Panda Family

Panda family tree: (Photo2: http://prw.kyodonews.jp/prwfile/release/M104040/201609264628/_prw_OI3fl_8eQPd686.jpg)

Currently, eight giant pandas live at Adventure World. Please continue to keep a warm eye on the big panda family.

Place: Shirahama Town, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan

Area: 800,000 sq. m

Opened: April 22, 1978

Operator: AWS Co., Ltd.

Website: http://www.aws-s.com/english/index.php  

About Adventure World

A total of 1,400 animals, of 140 land, marine and aerial species, live at Adventure World, a theme park with "Contact with human, animals and nature" as its motto, located in Shirahama Town, Wakayama Prefecture, at the southern tip of the warm Kii Peninsula. It has been successfully engaged in protective research activities on and the breeding of rare animals, including giant pandas. With its corporate philosophy "Smiling company making time with warm heart," AWS Co., the company that operates the theme park, will continue to create and provide genuine smile by caring much for "heart" and sharing important "time" with all people concerned.  

Artist's sketch of facilities: (Photo3: http://prw.kyodonews.jp/prwfile/release/M104040/201609264628/_prw_OI4fl_Z3x0jf51.jpg)