The world’s only brown-and-white panda in captivity, received regular physical exercises

The world’s only brown-and-white panda in captivity, Qi Zai, received regular physical exercises to enhance its hind limb strength for the winter season at a research center in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province. Qi Zai was born in 2009 and weighs 110 kilograms now.

Unlike typical black-and-white pandas, Qi Zai’s unique coloring is caused by a rare genetic mutation. Keepers insert carrots and other foods that giant pandas like into one end of a bamboo pole, then guide the fluffy bear to stand on its hind legs and chase after the food.

This is the winter physical training course for giant pandas at the Qinling Giant Panda Research Center. Starting in November each year, the training course takes place twice a day, about an hour after their morning and midday meals. Each training session lasts about five to ten minutes.

“They generally start participating in the physical training after they get three. Both males and females take part in this general training, mainly to strengthen their hind limbs,” said a keeper of Qinling Giant Panda Research Center.