The annual "bamboo shoot season" has officially begun, much to the delight of the giant pandas at the Qinling Giant Panda Research Center in Xi'an City, in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.
Feeding pandas bamboo shoots at this time of year is modeled on wild giant pandas' seasonal eating habits, with bamboo shoots offered seasonally from March through July or August, after which diets gradually shift back to bamboo and bamboo leaves.
At the center, 2023-born giant panda twins Chang Qing and Chang Ning were spotted sitting upright and carefully chewing bamboo shoots, enjoying their first bamboo shoot season since they were born.
Caretakers at the center say giant pandas start eating tender bamboo leaves at around seven to eight months old to build bite strength. By the time they are just over two years old, they can eat bamboo shoots without difficulty.
[Giant pandas here] are fed about six to eight times a day. Each time, a panda gets around 5 kilograms. That adds up to roughly 30 to 40 kilograms per day," said Tian Mi, a giant panda caretaker at the Qinling Giant Panda Research Center.
In addition to the bamboo shoots, giant pandas will also be given other foods to maintain a balanced diet.
Giant pandas tuck in as "bamboo shoot season" arrives in Shaanxi
A one-legged oriental white stork has managed to find its footing again after a custom-built prosthetic was fitted at a wildlife rescue center in north China. Staff there are now assessing whether this unique bionic bird is ready to be released back into the wild.
The stork was brought to the Sunshine Wildlife Rescue and Shelter Center in Tianjin Municipality back in 2024 with a severe injury after its left leg became entangled in netting. A resulting infection was so serious that amputation was required.
While staff at the center slowly nursed the bird back to health, it was initially determined that it would be unable to survive in the wild on a single leg. To change its future, the team searched for a solution that would eventually allow it to return to nature.
Last year, staff began experimenting with prosthetic designs, testing a range of materials including carbon fiber, plastic, and rubber. Each attempt improved the outcome, but the key challenge was developing a suitable “shock absorber” to make the prosthesis feel more natural to the stork and help it fully restore its movement.
Oriental white storks typically land and step with the front of the foot first, and walking naturally requires a strong upward rebound. To deal with this, the latest prosthetic developed by the teams incorporated a mechanical component to allow for finer adjustments while providing cushioning to support the bird as it walks.
"The internal compression rod and clasp system enables [the stork to have] micro-adjustments so that the stork is able to better get used to [walking with the prosthesis]. And the [prosthesis] can match the height of the stork's remaining leg while offering both walking support and shock absorption," said Li Zheng, a staff member at the Tianjin Wildlife Rescue and Domestication Breeding Center, as he showed off the final design.
The 17-centimeter-tall prosthesis is made from resin and silicone, and it is designed to weigh roughly the same as a normal bird leg. Its orange color was also chosen to help it blend in with its peers.
The breakthrough came on the morning of Wednesday, when staff carefully carried out the fitting. After nearly an hour-long, non-invasive procedure, the prosthesis was successfully installed.
Returning to its outdoor enclosure, the stork took some time to adjust and adapt to the new feeling. But, before long, it was soon seen attempting to step up onto a rocky formation with its new leg leading the way, and after a couple of shaky moments it appeared able to keep its balance.
Next, staff say they will monitor and assess how well the stork is acclimatizing to the brand new prosthetic. If they deem it can live and move normally, the bird will be released back into the wild at an appropriate time.
One-legged stork finds feet again after being fitted with custom prosthetic leg
