advertisement

France's playful baby panda makes 1st public appearance

PARIS (AP) - France's first baby panda has made his grand public entrance by acting like many five-month-olds - climbing all over his mother, who looked like she just wanted to rest instead.

Mostly hidden from view since his birth in August, the panda named Yuan Meng left his den on Saturday for his first public appearance. BFM TV video showed him endlessly crawling over his mother, who at one point gathered the black-and-white ball of fur to her side before he escaped again to climb over her.

French first lady Brigitte Macron, considered the panda's "godmother," announced the panda's name at a ceremony in December at Beauval Zoo, south of Paris, attended by Chinese officials. It means "the realization of a wish" or "accomplishment of a dream."

Panda cub Yuan Meng, which means "the realization of a wish" or "accomplishment of a dream", is pictured with her mother Huan Huan at the Beauval Zoo, in Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, France, Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018. France's first baby panda has made his grand public entree, acting like many five-month-olds _ climbing all over his reclining mother who appeared to want to rest. (Zoo Parc de Beauval via AP) The Associated Press
Panda cub Yuan Meng, which means "the realization of a wish" or "accomplishment of a dream", eats bamboos with his mother Huan Huan at the Beauval Zoo, in Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, France, Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018. France's first baby panda has made his grand public entree, acting like many five-month-olds _ climbing all over his reclining mother who appeared to want to rest. (Zoo Parc de Beauval via AP) The Associated Press
Panda cub Yuan Meng, which means "the realization of a wish" or "accomplishment of a dream", plays with her mother Huan Huan at the Beauval Zoo, in Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, France, Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018. France's first baby panda has made his grand public entree, acting like many five-month-olds _ climbing all over his reclining mother who appeared to want to rest. (Zoo Parc de Beauval via AP) The Associated Press
Panda cub Yuan Meng, which means "the realization of a wish" or "accomplishment of a dream", eats bamboos with his mother Huan Huan at the Beauval Zoo, in Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, France, Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018. France's first baby panda has made his grand public entree, acting like many five-month-olds _ climbing all over his reclining mother who appeared to want to rest. (Zoo Parc de Beauval via AP) The Associated Press
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.