Gold futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange briefly surged past the 4,000-U.S.-dollar per ounce mark on Monday, reaching a historic new high.
During the Asian trading session on Tuesday, London spot gold prices briefly approached 3,980 U.S. dollars per ounce during intraday trading, also marking a record high.
Analysts said that U.S. government shutdown, along with political uncertainties in countries such as France and Japan, has exacerbated invest unease, driving up the gold price.
Gold surpasses 4,000 USD per ounce, setting new record
A pair of playful panda cubs have been captured on camera showing off their nimble tree-climbing skills before engaging in an acrobatic joust halfway up the tree branch as they battled for the bragging rights in their enclosure.
The footage filmed last month at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in southwest China's Sichuan Province shows the pandas enjoying their playtime at the base's Star Giant Panda Nursery House.
The video shows the young pandas demonstrating remarkable flexibility and agility as they clambered up and around a tree branch. One was seen bravely hanging upside down in an acrobatic pose, while the other was able to balance steadily on a single paw, turning the small tree into their very own playground.
Panda keepers are keen to encourage the young cubs to engage with one another as a form of social enrichment, a key animal welfare measure that fosters interaction between individuals and promotes the development of diverse natural behaviors.
This enrichment practice adheres to science-backed care strategies which are designed to improve the national treasure's welfare, meet their physical and psychological needs, and encourage them to exhibit more of their innate wild behaviors.
The Chengdu base is a world-renowned facility for ex-situ conservation, scientific research and breeding, public education and eco-tourism. It is globally recognized for protecting and breeding endangered Chinese wildlife species such as giant pandas and red pandas.
Panda cubs show off tree-climbing skills, engage in acrobatic mid-air play-fight
