Edinburgh Panda Yang Guang Too Ill To Be Seen By Zoo Visitors (Pictures)
Male panda celebrity Yang Guang has had to withdraw from a public showing at Edinburgh zoo after a bad case of colic. He will now remain indoors to 'relax' for a few days, away from prying eyes.
Colic is a common condition that, in humans, affects around one in five babies of both sexes. Its cause is unknown.
However since arriving at Edinburgh zoo on 4 December the two bears have been under intense media scrutiny and the public eye, with an increased numbers of visitors to the zoo.
The arrival of the 'celebrity' bears Yang Guang and his hope-to-be mate Tian Tian saw a rise of 200% in the number of visitors to Edinburgh zoo.
Their arrival in Scotland was the result of five years negotiation with Ya'an reserve in Chengdu, China.
Male panda Yang Guang started feeling unwell less than a month after he and female panda Tian Tian went on display at their new home at Edinburgh Zoo. His colic is not serious but can cause discomfort.
Pandagate erupted in late December after widespread outrage that she was included in the BBC's female faces of the year.
They have not been welcomed by all animals at the zoo either, as jealous penguins have been bombing those visitors waiting to see the pandas with oily fishy poo. The Scottish zoo is now one of only 13 in the world with pandas.
The eight-year-old panda Yang Guang started displaying symptoms within the last couple of days, is being kept away from public view 12 January as he tries to get better.
Zoo officials said his condition will be monitored and he could be back on show soon if he makes a speedy recovery.
Iain Valentine, director of research and conservation at the zoo, said: "Yang Guang is not on show today as he has an episode of colic. It's not very serious but can cause some discomfort.
"He's on medication to relieve this and we're mainly keeping him relaxed and indoors, although we expect he'll go out sometimes to stretch his legs.
"These episodes can sometimes last up to a couple of weeks, so he may not always be on show over the next week or so.
"Alison, our panda team leader, and the veterinary department are keeping a close eye on him.
"Having discussed this with our colleagues in China, they reassure us this is not uncommon in pandas.
"Tian Tian is right as rain and remains on show daily."
Yang Guang, whose name means Sunshine, and Tian Tian, or Sweetie, arrived in Edinburgh from the Ya'an reserve in Chengdu, China, on 4 December.
They went on show to the public for the first time on December 16 after acclimatising to their new surroundings away from the public glare.
Edinburgh Zoo will be the animals' home for the next 10 years and it is hoped that the breeding pair, the first pandas in the UK for 17 years, will produce cubs during their stay.
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Huffington Post UK Felicity Morse First Posted: 12/01/12 17:40 GMT Updated: 12/01/12 17:40 GMT