Taking into account the nutritional imbalances and deficiencies of giant pandas', researchers from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding have recently developed China's first ever high-fiber nutritional biscuits for the giant animals. News of the biscuit was recently released at the Chinese Giant Panda Reproduction Technology Committee's annual meeting. It has taken two year's of experimentation, design, technical improvement, analysis and testing. The nationally treasured Chinese giant pandas will now eat specially-made high-fiber nutritional biscuits as part of their staple diet.

The biscuits are milk-yellow hollow column-shaped bars, each about 15 centimeters in length, and designed to resemble bamboo. Warmly referred to by researchers as the bamboo biscuit,' this all-round biscuit' is a scientifically produced compound offering balanced nutrition. The biscuits not only supply the energy needs of the giant panda, but also contain abundant microelements and vitamins with 30 percent fiber. Besides being sanitary they can be used to feed the giant animals anywhere anytime.

Some 30 giant pandas including Ya Ya, Bing Bing and Jiao Zi, inhabitants of the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, have already become fond of the biscuits. Several baby giant pandas, already one year old, have shown a special love for the bamboo biscuit.'

A production line for the biscuits has been established at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. It can produce batches of the bamboo biscuit' in eight different shapes and sizes.

(china.org.cn translated by Zhang Tingting November 25, 2002)