Giant pandas at several bases of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) in Sichuan Province have enjoyed special birthday feasts to mark their summer birth season.
Staff at the center's different bases set up facilities and prepared cakes, fruit treats and bamboo toys for the celebrations.
At the Mianyang base, giant panda twin cubs "Bing Zai" and "Bing Bao" just turned five on August 8. They were offered a fruit cake, wax gourds, ice cubes and toys featuring Sichuan-style designs. "The twin cubs have distinct personalities. Bing Zai is calm while his younger brother Bing Bao is much more lively," said Yang Xiaotong, a guide at the Mianyang base.
Other bases in Ya'an, Dujiangyan, Wolong and Yibin also made ample preparations for their pandas.
The captive giant panda population under the CCRCGP has exceeded 400. As summer marks the key breeding period, the center's care and breeding operations are running smoothly, welcoming several newborn cubs in quick succession.
Panda centers in China's Sichuan Province hold birthday parties for giant pandas
Massive torrents of floodwater were discharged at the Nanhe Dam in Gucheng County, central China's Hubei Province, on Wednesday, as record single-day rainfall brought river levels surging in the region.
As of 16:00 Wednesday, the single-day precipitation recorded at the Nanhe River valley reached 438.8 millimeters. The downpour brought by Typhoon Dolphin, the 13th typhoon of the year, shattered historical records and caused upstream water levels to rise, forcing the opening of the gates to relieve pressure on the dam.
Footage captured by surveillance cameras at the Nanhe hydropower station that is run by CHN Energy's Hubei company showed the staggering scale of the ongoing floodwater discharge.
The largest flood peak passed the dam safely at 01:40 on Wednesday, reaching a flow of 5,240 cubic meters per second during the flood discharge.
At present, staff members at the hydropower station have remained stationed on the flood-control front line to closely track water inflows and to increase equipment patrols and inspections. The station will work to maintain stable power supply, while prioritizing dam safety and protecting the lives and property of the residents living in communities downstream.
Dam in central China's Hubei discharges floodwater following record rainfall
