Photo taken on June 3, 2017 shows the female panda Xin Xin prior to the award ceremony in Chapultepec Park in Mexico City, capital of Mexico. The Chapultepec Park Zoo in Mexico City Saturday received a special award from China for its conservation and care of pandas. (Xinhua/Francisco Canedo)
MEXICO CITY, June 3 (Xinhua) -- The Chapultepec Park Zoo in Mexico City Saturday received a special award from China for its conservation and care of pandas.
"The pandas are magnificent ambassadors of friendship that have joined our countries for over 40 years," said Qiu Xiaoqi, Chinese ambassador to Mexico, at the award ceremony at the pandas' enclosure in Chapultepec Park.
He said this event showed bilateral relations were better than ever and that Mexico was a strategic partner with excellent political ties with China.
At the ceremony, Mexico City's Secretary of Environment Tanya Muller said the city views "biodiversity and conservation as very important."
The pandas' enclosure now is home to Shuan Shuan, daughter of Pe Pe and Ying Ying, who will turn 30 on June 15, and Xin Xin, daughter of Tohui, who will turn 27 on July 1.
Pe Pe and Ying Ying were one of the most prolific breeding panda pairs in captivity, having given birth to seven cubs. Among them, Tohui became the most emblematic panda in Mexico before passing away in 1983.
The average life span of pandas in the wild is 15 years, while those in captivity enjoy a much longer life due to better nutrition and living conditions.
According to Claudia Lewy, the director general of zoos and wild life in Mexico City, each panda here receives special treatment and has their own carer and area.
Besides eating 15 kg of bamboo, Shuan Shuan and Xin Xin are also served special food every day, including a dish of Mazuri animal feed, fiber, cooked rice, apples and carrots.
