Two obese pandas at Taipei Zoo were put on a new workout routine and a special weight-loss diet, according to authorities.
Mainland China gifted a pair of pandas to Taiwan in 2008.
The headline attractions of Taipei Zoo are nine-year-old Yuan Zai and its younger sister, Yuan Bao, who is just over a year older, according to Xinhua, China’s national news agency. The pandas are now 115kg and 70kg in weight, respectively.
Female mature pandas should be between 105 and 110 kilograms in weight. Obesity in pandas can promote hypertension and hyperglycemia, which can cause major health concerns.
The animals are still healthy, according to the zoo. These precautions are to “help them reach their ideal weight”.
The sisters will be fed a special diet that is low in salt, sugar, and fats during their weight-loss journey. However, the protein content of the diet plan would remain high.
Steamed bread, corn, and soybeans would be their food.
The obese pandas will be encouraged to exercise and live a more active lifestyle in addition to nutrition. They will also be encouraged to play games created by the keepers to stay active and burn calories.
“For the sake of their health, I hope to slowly help them achieve their ideal weight through the change of food,” their keeper said.
Due to their time in captivity, the animals have had sedentary lives, according to the zookeeper.
Yuan Zai was the first panda to be born in Taiwan, to Yuan Yuan and Tuan Tua. She was sent to the island by China for artificial insemination sessions. The couple had been unable to conceive naturally and had to resort to medical treatment to give birth to their children.
