First Giant Panda Born in Indonesia Reaches 169 Days and Prepares for Public Debut

Indonesia’s first giant panda cub is thriving at 169 days old and preparing for his public debut later this month, veterinarians have confirmed. The cub, nicknamed Rio, was observed squirming during a recent check-up where his hearing and eyesight were assessed. At 10 kilograms, he has begun walking independently, climbing on his mother, and sampling bamboo shoots.

Veterinarians noted that Rio’s growth, particularly his teeth, is faster than average. They are monitoring his progress to ensure he adapts well to crowds. Bongot Huaso Mulia, a veterinarian overseeing Rio’s development, stated that all of Rio’s senses are active and that the team will train him gradually to handle noise and people.

Rio was born on 27 November to 15-year-old pandas Hu Chun and Cai Tao. The pair arrived in Indonesia in 2017 as part of a 10-year conservation partnership with China and live in a specially built enclosure at the park in Cisarua, West Java province.

The three pandas reside in a three-tier temple known as the Panda Palace on a hill surrounded by about 5,000 square meters of land and equipped with an elevator, sleeping area, medical facilities, and indoor and outdoor play areas. Aswin Sumampau, president director of the park, said Rio’s birth provides new genetic data that can help research in Indonesia and China.

He described the event as a small victory after two years without any panda births at ex-situ conservation facilities worldwide.