“Fan Xing has surprised us. For us, sex was something we wanted to verify during a health check under anesthesia, just to be sure,” said José Kok, head of the zoo, in a statement.
Months after his birth, on May 1, 2020, Fan Xing underwent a medical examination without anesthesia, carried out quickly so that the bear cub could return to its mother as soon as possible.
However, it’s not easy to determine the sex of a giant panda, Kok explained, especially when it comes to a baby that won’t stop moving.
“We were so convinced that it was a male that we had never questioned it,” Kok recounted Thursday night on a television show.
As is done with all males, the animal underwent special training at the zoo to strengthen its hindquarters so that it can reproduce without difficulty.
“This female will have solid hind legs,” Kok quipped.
The surprise does not affect Fan Xing’s health or his mission, the zoo said. The panda will soon be shipped to China, as planned, as part of an international breeding program.