TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Two experts from China’s Bifengxia Giant Panda Base arrived in Taipei on Tuesday evening (Nov. 1) to visit Taipei Zoo’s panda family after the 18-year-old Tuan Tuan (團團) was diagnosed with brain lesions.
In a press release, Taipei Zoo wrote that the two experts made a trip to the zoo directly upon landing in Taiwan. However, as the pandas were asleep by the time they arrived, they simply observed the animals through surveillance camera footage to understand the situation so as to not disturb them.
On Wednesday morning (Nov. 2), the two experts revisited the zoo to observe the panda family’s activity in detail. They are scheduled to depart Taiwan on Monday (Nov. 7).
The zoo thanked the various ministries and councils in the central government for expediting paperwork required for the experts to travel to Taiwan. After reports about Tuan Tuan’s illness surfaced, the Bifengxia Giant Panda Base staff had twice expressed its wish to send members over to express concern and exchange experience in daily medical care for giant pandas.
Tuan Tuan’s symptoms have been unstable, and the two MRI scans he underwent showed expanding brain lesions. Taipei Zoo wrote that since Tuan Tuan became ill, it has been in contact with the Bifengxia Giant Panda Base to discuss possible causes, symptoms, and medications as well as with other foreign experts with experience caring for animals suffering from epilepsy.
Tuan Tuan suffers from fast developing brain lesions. (Taipei Zoo photo)
Tuan Tuan enjoys some bamboo. (Taipei Zoo photo)
