Taipei Zoo puts two ‘obese’ pandas on weight-loss diet and forced exercise routine

Animals’ diet will be low in sugar, fat and sodium but high in protein

Yuan Zai enjoys its birthday cake during the celebration of its first birthday at the Taipei City Zoo on 6 July 2014 (AFP via Getty Images)

Two pandas at Taipei Zoo have been put on a new exercise regimen and a special weight-loss diet after they became obese, authorities have said.

The two animals were born after mainland China gifted a pair of pandas to Taiwan in 2008.

Nine-year-old Yuan Zai and its younger sister Yuan Bao, just over a year old, are the star attractions of Taipei Zoo, Xinhua, China’s state news agency reported. The pandas now weigh 115kg and 70kg respectively.

The ideal weight range for female adult pandas are between 105kg and 110kg. Obesity could lead to hypertension and hyperglycemia in pandas, which can cause serious health problems to the bears.

A statement from the zoo said the animals were still healthy and that these measures were pre-emptive, designed to “help them reach their ideal weight”.

During their weight-loss journey, the sisters will be fed a special diet low in salt, sugar and fats. But the diet plan would still be high on protein.

They would be fed items such as steamed bread, corn, and soybean.

Yuan Zai, the first Taiwan-born panda, enjoys its birthday cake, during the celebration of its first birthday at the Taipei City Zoo in 2014 (AFP via Getty Images)

Along with the diet, the pandas will be encouraged to exercise and lead a more active lifestyle. They will also be encouraged to play games designed by the keepers to keep them active and burn fat.

“For the sake of their health, I hope to slowly help them achieve their ideal weight through the change of food,” their keeper said.

The zookeeper said the animals have had a sedentary lifestyle due to their time in captivity.

Yuan Zai was the first panda born in Taiwan to Yuan Yuan and its partner Tuan Tua, which were sent by China to the island for a series of artificial insemination sessions. The pair had failed to conceive naturally and underwent the scientific procedure to deliver the babies.