Footage captures panda friendships at Chengdu base

Enduring friendships between giant pandas at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in southwest China's Sichuan Province has been captured in recently released footage, showcasing the success of the base's science-backed animal welfare practices.

Captured at the base's Moonlight Delivery House, Star Giant Panda Nursery House and No. 1 Giant Panda Villa, the video clips feature various pairs of same-age pandas joyfully playing and wrestling together.

The practice of housing same-age pandas together is a form of social enrichment, designed to promote interaction and behavioral diversity among individuals.

Panda enrichment refers to scientific conservation methods employed in captivity to enhance the welfare of these national treasures, meet their physiological and psychological needs, and encourage them to display more natural 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.

China's robotics sector accelerated its expansion in overseas markets in the first quarter of 2026, with export standing at 11.32 billion yuan (about 1.66 billion U.S. dollars).

The products are sold to 148 countries and regions around the world. In breakdown, the export value of cleaning robots in the first three months reached 7.75 billion yuan (about 1.14 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for 68.5 percent of the total.

During the January-March period, China's industrial robot exports reached 3.16 billion yuan (about 463.9 million U.S. dollars), up 42 percent year on year. China has become a net exporter of industrial robots.