Society

Wild panda recovering after surgery

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-06-17 17:14

CHENGDU - A giant panda who was found dying in the mountains of southwest Sichuan province in April is recuperating well two weeks after intestinal obstruction repair surgery.

Song Ya, a 10-year-old female wild panda, underwent surgery at the People's Hospital in Ya'an City on June 2, after she was diagnosed with an intestinal obstruction that sickened the panda and caused significant weight loss, said a spokesman with China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center in Wolong.

The most recent checkup showed Song Ya's appetite is recovering, and she is gaining weight, the spokesman said.

He said intestinal obstructions are not rare among wild pandas. Symptoms include lack of appetite, stomachache and vomiting.

Song Ya was spotted on April 23 by villagers in Songpan county of Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture.

Vets from the Wolong center soon rescued her and set about ascertaining the cause of her poor condition.

The panda was sent to Wolong's breeding base at the Bifeng Gorge in Ya'an for treatment. Panda keepers named her Song Ya, which means elegant pine tree.

The spokesman said Song Ya still needs intensive care and medical observation before she can be released back into the wild.

Wolong Nature Reserve, a 200,000 hectare-area in mountains of the Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture, is China's largest and oldest national nature reserve. It is home to about 60 percent of the world's total panda population.

Statistics from the State Forestry Administration show that about 1,600 pandas live in the wild while about 300 are held in captivity at zoos worldwide.