The giant panda cub born at Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen over the summer was given a name 100 days after the birth has been given the name Lang Yue after an online competition Lang is based on the Chinese pronunciation of the first name of Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn Yue means “moon” and is often used in China to indicate the longing for family the cub has an older sister named Fan Xing That can only be done when mother Wu Wen and the young cub emerge from the maternity den Visitors at the Rhenen zoo will not be able to view Lang Yue until next year Another baby giant panda has been born at the Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen. Wu Wen, one of the pandas at the zoo for the past seven years, birthed her cub on Friday, July 12, the zoo announced on Monday This is the second time Wu Wen has given birth in the Netherlands “Ouwehand Zoo is happy and proud that it can again contribute to the conservation of this endangered species in a natural way,” the zoo said The mating happened at the end of February in the natural way by letting Wu Wen and Xing Ya together at the right time.” In recent weeks Wu Wen increasingly retreated to the maternity den but which could also indicate a false pregnancy This turned out to be a harbinger of the birth of a very alive screaming cub that immediately received its mother’s attention,” the zoo said The gender of the new cub will only be checked at the first health check the zookeepers will leave Wu Wen and her cub in peace The new panda will get a name after 100 days Wu Wen and her cub will remain in the maternity den for a few months while the cub grows and learns to walk and follow its mother Caretakers will monitor the cub’s development via cameras “A panda cub goes its own way in nature around the second year of life,” the zoo said. According to the agreement with China, panda cubs born in the Netherlands can stay in the country for up to four years before going to China to contribute to the panda conservation program. © 2012-2025, NL Times, All rights reserved. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Rhenen's mayor recalled the days of helping Fan Xing in her first years at Ouwehands Zoo. "It was a combination between the people of the Ouwehands Zoo and also the Chinese people who have a lot of knowledge about growing up pandas." THE HAGUE, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- More than three years after Fan Xing was born at Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen, the Netherlands, the giant panda cub received a festive farewell ceremony on Wednesday and left for China. It was a sunny day at the zoo in Rhenen and a memorable day as well. "It's a special day today, although I have mixed feelings," Ouwehands Zoo CEO Robin de Lange told Xinhua. "On one hand, we are happy that Fan Xing is going to China and be part of the breeding program. On the other hand, we love Fan Xing. And we say farewell and that's not easy, of course."  People see a vehicle carrying giant panda Fan Xing off at the Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen, the Netherlands, Sept. 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) History was made on May 1, 2020, with the birth of this first giant panda cub in the Netherlands. Today the cub was waved goodbye by a full square in the park, with guests from the Chinese embassy and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as many visitors, especially children. "After we got the pandas in 2017, we were hoping to get a young one," Marcel Boekhoorn, Ouwehands Zoo owner, said, referring to the arrival of Fan Xing's parents -- male Xing Ya and female Wu Wen -- at Ouwehands Zoo on April 12, 2017. "And finally, in 2020, we got Fan Xing and we were very happy, very happy. The community was happy, Holland was happy, everybody was happy. Because it was the first time with the natural breeds, with a new panda, very small. Let's be honest. She was so lovely, she was a beautiful one."  Giant panda Wu Wen walks after her daughter Fan Xing left at the Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen, the Netherlands, Sept. 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) "And now we are all sad she leaves today," Boekhoorn added. "But we hope she will have a great life in China. We will miss her for sure." Hans van der Pas, mayor of Rhenen, could not agree more. "It was a warm welcome when Fan Xing was born three years ago, and we followed everything, her first steps, everything." "And now we are sad that she's leaving, because Fan Xing is Rhenen and Rhenen is Fan Xing. We are sad, but we are also glad that she goes back to China and goes back to the land of her parents, and her ancestors," said the mayor. Children attend a farewell ceremony of giant panda Fan Xing at the Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen, the Netherlands, Sept. 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) After a short formal program with speeches from dignitaries, a toast was made outside on the square to a good future for Fan Xing. There was entertainment and a timeline video of the giant pandas in Ouwehands Zoo was shown, with the birth and growing up of Fan Xing as highlights. The video ended with the transport bus actually entering the square and being waved goodbye. One of the young children at the farewell ceremony was Younes, a boy from the Dalton School in Rhenen. "It's kind of sad she leaves," he said. "She was kind of cute. I live around here, so I came here many times to see her." De Lange said a lot of preparations have been made for the transport of the giant panda. Hans van der Pas, mayor of Rhenen, speaks at a farewell ceremony of giant panda Fan Xing at the Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen, the Netherlands, Sept. 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) "It was a combination," the mayor said. "A cooperation between the Dutch and the Chinese people. We are very glad that she grew up here in a very good way." Young boy Younes will continue to visit the zoo to see Fan Xing's parents as he did together with his own parents before Fan Xing was born. For now he just bid farewell to the leaving panda: "Bye-bye, Fan Xing!" Children attend a farewell ceremony of giant panda Fan Xing at the Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen, the Netherlands, Sept. 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)■ Print LONDON — The excitement has been a lot to bear fans of the Ouwehands Zoo in the city of Rhenen — as well as animal lovers around the world — have been reveling in footage of a squealing newborn panda cub being cradled by its proud mother The short but compelling video is in black and white Unfortunately, across the Atlantic, crestfallen staff and visitors to the Calgary Zoo are bidding goodbye three years earlier than expected to a pair of adult pandas on loan from China. Their sojourn in Canada is being cut short because of the coronavirus crisis, which has disrupted the supply of fresh bamboo needed to keep the animals alive “We believe the best and safest place for Er Shun and Da Mao to be during these challenging and unprecedented times is where bamboo is abundant and easy to access,” Clement Lanthier “This was an incredibly difficult decision to make but the health and well-being of the animals we love and care for always comes first.” which the then-expectant mother no doubt found appropriate Because many of the tiny cubs die in the first 10 days zoo employees held their breath until the critical period had safely passed earlier this week (The incipient markings cannot be seen in the video posted on Facebook by Robin de Lange the young has grown visibly,” said the zoo which has been closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic but plans to reopen next Monday … The relatively long tail of the panda cub is also striking!” The cub will remain at Ouwehands for four years, after which it will be moved to China to participate in the breeding program there. California It’s the end of an era at the San Diego Zoo as the last two giant pandas will soon leave for China The abbreviated stay in Calgary of adult pandas Er Shun and Da Mao lasted barely two years The couple fetched up on Canadian shores in 2013 as part of a 10-year loan from China and spent the first half of that time at the Toronto Zoo where they sparked widespread rejoicing by giving birth to twins two years later — the first panda cubs to be born in Canada The family was relocated to the Calgary Zoo in 2018 Now their parents are following them home in a premature departure brought on by the coronavirus crisis An adult panda eats almost nothing but bamboo The zoo has sourced the stuff directly from China (best not to think of the food miles) but the cancellation of flights between Calgary and China because of the coronavirus has disrupted that supply line said that its search for alternative sources had been plagued by “misdirected shipments slower-than-acceptable delivery times causing some poor-quality bamboo that the giant pandas won’t eat and concern with limited supplies.” Science & Medicine “I am continually amazed by the resourcefulness and dedication of our team,” said Lanthier they are fighting against forces much greater than the Calgary Zoo.” The zoo has not said exactly when the pandas will leave. When the time comes, alas, in-person farewells will not be possible. But in the meantime, fans can still watch Er Shun and Da Mao on the zoo’s popular PandaCam before they return to their homeland — and all the bamboo they can eat. World & Nation Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Words:  Lalla Merlin redevelopment and conservation at this thriving Dutch zoo How a radical redesign – and Xing Ya and Wu Wen, the giant pandas – transformed the Ouwehands Zoo into a thriving attraction and a centre for conservation Robin de Lange is the Director of Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen  He spoke to Blooloop about how the zoo has turned from a struggling attraction into a huge success  He also discussed its conservation initiatives and the exciting arrival of giant pandas Xing Ya and Wu Wen from China Robin de Lange’s background is in marketing and management. He first worked as marketing manager for Duinrell The zoo is situated on the south-eastern tip of the great Utrecht Hill Ridge in Rhenen  It was originally founded over 85 years ago successful businessman Marcel Boekhoorn bought it as a passion project His ambitions were twofold: to reverse the fortunes of the failing attraction and a combination of edutainment and zoo,” says de Lange which was not enough to sustain the zoo successfully.” the visitor numbers increased to 1 million per year – a huge leap all efforts had to be focused on making the zoo successful again.” the Ouwehands Zoo was able to establish a foundation which supports nature and conservation projects all over the world  “In 2007 we were able to donate a significant amount of money to this foundation,” says de Lange and this year we were able to donate one million euros to nature conservation projects all over the world Running a zoo in The Netherlands has its challenges “There are about 15 big zoos in The Netherlands as well as a large number of amusement parks so there is considerable competition,” says de Lange  “The challenge is to be different: to have a good marketing concept to attract all those families with children every day to our zoo you have to be different from all the other zoos our big challenge is to inspire them to love nature Fulfilling the second part of Marcel Boekhoorn’s dream took somewhat longer to achieve. “The project to bring the giant pandas to the Ouwehands Zoo started in 2000,” says de Lange  “Our prime minister at that time sent letters to the Chinese president and after that we negotiated for fifteen years three prime ministers from The Netherlands busied themselves with that  “We travelled to China a lot,” says de Lange to meet the ministries and the people responsible for the giant panda programme we were at last able to sign a contract loan agreement in Beijing on 26th October 2015.” After years of negotiation and doubt it was a wonderful moment  “The agreement was that two giant pandas would come to our zoo,” says de Lange we would donate a million dollars every year to the Chinese Wildlife Conservation Association to protect and support giant pandas in China a moment of great significance for our zoo Nature conservation is at the heart of the zoo’s mission; it is what we do every day  This project is one big nature conservation project.” they were able to start designing and building the panda enclosure in the zoo having waited for 15 years for these animals we really wanted to have them as soon as possible The Ouwehands Zoo staff is experienced in taking care of bears different from all the other bears in the world so we travelled to China again with a zoo team There we learned from experts about the care of giant pandas.” marketing and management was brought together to plan the unusual and visually arresting panda enclosure It’s really special – designed and built by Dutch as well as Chinese constructors The Dutch construction team built the foundation  Our Chinese colleagues built a unique traditional Chinese building on top of that.” comprises two separate parts joined by a bridge The indoor accommodation for the pandas Xing Ya and Wu Wen is spacious There is a cold store for the bamboo that makes up the animals’ staple diet a clinic and a workplace for the research team Surrounding the building is a roomy outdoor play area. The giant panda enclosure covers 3,400 square metres and is situated within a wider area which will be home to a number of other Asian species including muntjac deer and smaller panda breeds “It is a unique and very special project,” says de Lange 35 Chinese workers came to the Netherlands to the zoo They built this really beautiful Forbidden City-style Chinese Temple on top of the giant panda enclosure “You have the enclosure for the pandas inside and outside and a Chinese shop for panda merchandise.” “We changed the marketing strategy,” de Lange explains all attractions use discounts and special offers to attract visitors in a competitive market  This is not an ideal way to do business and reduces the entrance fee below where you would like to have it when the giant pandas came we stopped the discount vouchers completely Visitor numbers increased by 20-25 per cent but because we were able to dispense with the discounts  Business event bookings are doing well So our turnover has increased by 100 per cent considering this is over the first seven months.” Animal welfare is always paramount “There is no conflict between the fun side and the animal conservation side,” says de Lange We have to be innovative and creative to come up with new concepts to attract and retain people’s interest The pandas certainly seem happy with their new environment  It took a few days for them to settle into their new enclosure The Chinese animal care department accompanied them  They saw that our staff was doing a good job and went back to China in a very short space of time.” Pandas are not known for being the most spectator-pleasing of animals He also explains that people tend to spend a good number of hours at Ouwehands Zoo if the pandas are asleep they can come back later on in the day to see them moving.” one of the most satisfying outcomes of the project is witnessing guests’ reaction to these iconic Everyone knows they are a very endangered animal There are about only about 1,800 left in the wild When people are there in our zoo and they see the giant pandas and their reactions are wonderful – it’s fantastic to experience that every day.” That connection, he says, is the zoo’s primary aim.  “It’s why we do it – to inspire an enduring love for nature.  Love for nature, nature conservation is the most important goal of this project.” Get the latest attractions industry news direct to your inbox More from this author Blooloop is taking climate action and is now B Corp Certified speed and the best experience on this site VolkerInfra Schiphol has high sustainability ambitions that are a good fit with the objectives of KWS The airport wants to be the most sustainable airport in the world both by being emission-free and waste-free in 2030 and by contributing to emission-free aviation in 2050 Contractor VolkerInfra Schiphol wants to reduce the emissions of fine particles and nitrogen emitted by the equipment by 50% and work climate-neutral at Plot 2 The CO₂ emissions on the project have already been reduced as much as possible for example by using more electric equipment including the construction sector’s first electric truck that is now driving around at Schiphol Airport And leftover materials are recycled as much as possible on the project Furthermore the agreement with FSC Netherlands and the Dutch Union of Forest Groups ensures that 2,500 tonnes of the CO₂ emissions are now offset “Our partnership wanted to invest in Dutch forestry projects so that we would not only offset our CO₂ emissions but also help maintain strong climate-adaptive forests in the Netherlands Our collaboration with FSC Netherlands and the Dutch Union of Forest Groups is a great way to flesh out this ambition,” said KWS Director Rolf Mars Director of FSC Netherlands: “The project is a perfect reflection of what FSC Netherlands stands for in the coming years: managing forests sustainably in the battle against climate change seeing to it that the forest’s owner is better rewarded for sustainable FSC forest management and promoting the use of more timber in construction.” Director of the Dutch Union of Forest Groups: "We applaud the initiative taken by VolkerInfra Schiphol As a group we have been advising and unburdening our members for more than 30 years when it comes to maintaining forests and nature Our knowledge and expertise of the sites means we can make an important contribution to these and future investments made by businesses." The forests that the contribution made by VolkerInfra Schiphol will go to are Landgoed Prattenburg in Rhenen and the municipal forests in Valkenswaard As a result of the contribution these FSC-certified forests will be enhanced with tree species that better suit the changing climate This will turn them into climate-smart and climate-proof forests Overt time the trees will provide high-quality wood that can be used well in the increasingly growing area of timber construction This will ensure that the CO₂ remains stored in the wood Previously VolkerWessels signed a similar agreement with FSC Netherlands and the Dutch Union of Forest Groups. The new agreement for the Schiphol project is an addition to the one with VolkerWessels. As such, this financial contribution is separate from the commitment previously made by VolkerWessels. Reggesingel 10 | 7461 BA RijssenTel: +31 88 186 6186Fax: +31 88 186 6187  My NewsSign Out Sign InCreate your free profileSections news Alerts The royal family celebrates the annual Queen's Day on April 30.Koen Van Weel / Pool via Reuters Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands waves to well-wishers in Rhenen on April 30 2012.Robin Van Lonkhuijsen / United Photos via Reuters Hordes of orange-clad revelers took to the streets of towns and cities across the Netherlands on Monday to celebrate Queen's Day a public holiday that marks the official birthday of Queen Beatrix Members of the royal family traveled to the town of Rhenen to join in the fun with Crown Prince Willem-Alexander making a particular splash The heir to the throne eagerly put himself forward for a series of challenges culminating in a popular local pastime: the toilet-bowl-tossing contest According to the blog Sanitation Updates, the prince attributed his not-inconsiderable aptitude for the sport to his chairmanship of UNSGAB the United Nations Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation The contest brings to mind the the exploits of those members of the British royal family who took part in It's A Royal Knockout, a bizarre TV game show fondly recalled as "the day when royalty lost the plot." Compared to the recently-disclosed leisure activities of another European monarch, Spain's King Juan Carlos Princess Maxima and Crown Prince Willem-Alexander participate in the traditional tug-of-war event in Rhenen on April 30 Spectators wave to Queen Beatrix from a window in Rhenen.Jasper Juinen / Getty Images Queen Beatrix doing a painting during her visit to Rhenen The Queen's Day tradition started on 31 August 1885 later Queen Wilhelmina.Robin Utrecht / EPA and Princess Maxima participate in a soapbox race in Rhenen.Robin Utrecht / AFP - Getty Images Follow @msnbc_pictures Giant panda Fan Xing celebrates his second birthday at the Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen Fan Xing is the first offspring of giant pandas Wu Wen and Xing Ya which were brought to the Ouwehands Zoo on loan from China in 2017 the park is celebrating Fan Xing's birthday with visitors before he leaves for China in the autumn The young animal could have stayed in Rhenen for another two years but in the wild giant pandas usually leave their mothers in the second year of life And thus Ouwehands has already removed the young panda from its mother also with the hope that mother Wu Wen would become pregnant again Wu Wen and Xing Ya will reportedly live in Rhenen for another 10 years The cubs they have may stay at the Rhenen Zoo for a maximum of four years and will then be returned to the breeding center in China Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466 Geert-Jan Janse has always been fascinated by the way objects can bring the past closer he will present a Museum Talk about his work as the director of the Vereniging Rembrandt (Rembrandt Association) you see old furniture that people were sitting on two hundred years ago,’ says Janse ‘So the past is still very physically present while at the same time you’re entering a world that’s no longer there The historian Johan Huizinga called this experience of connection with the past through historical objects the “historical sensation” I’ve always find that a very fascinating experience which for me is mostly evoked through objects.’ This fascination led Janse to follow two different degree programmes after high school: Art History at the University of Amsterdam and History at Leiden University the latter was well organised and structured he has good memories of a literature exam with Professor Nicolette Mout ‘We had a very interesting and inspiring discussion about all kinds of classics and the ideas in them it was one of those moments when I thought: that’s how it can be done.’ This is one reason why he chose an interdisciplinary research master’s on the history of ideas at the Warburg Institute in London he became acquainted with the museum world through various projects at the Rijksmuseum en the Teylers Museum Then in July this year he moved to the Rembrandt Association many important Dutch collections were being sold in their entirety to other countries Because the liberal government didn’t want to do anything about it a group of private individuals in Amsterdam set up the Association to save important art works for the Netherlands.’ the Rembrandt Association is still concerned with Dutch collections although its objectives have been adjusted somewhat over the years The Association not only helps museums to acquire major works such as Rembrandt’s The Standard Bearer at the beginning of this year but also encourages ambitious collecting projects of smaller museums the Society supported the purchase of a View of Rhenen by Jan van Goyen for the new City Museum Rhenen (see photo) the Association has made tremendous contributions to the Dutch art world with vast sums of money This also means that we’re now faced with the challenge of replenishing our funds so that we can continue to provide ambitious support in the future,’ says Janse while immediately recalling that only a few years ago the Association was described as ‘the best kept secret in the Netherlands’ people’s awareness of the Association has already greatly increased but there are still many more opportunities out there.’ He’s therefore very pleased to be giving a Museum Talk in the series organised by the Faculty of Humanities ‘I will look in more detail at our Association’s history how our objectives became broader on a number of occasions during that history and the challenges we’re facing at present But I will also argue for collection-based research art history and history are sometimes studied quite theoretically but in-depth knowledge of objects stays of great importance I very much welcome more opportunities for new perspectives on the Netherlands Collection but knowledge of the object is also indispensable for a new narrative.' From high-profile exhibitions to current topics within the museum world: in Autumn 2022 the Art History research group of Leiden University is organising several free Museum Talks The two giant pandas living at Ouwehands Zoo in the Dutch city of Rhenen staged an enchanting debut for hundreds of long-awaited admirers on Tuesday afternoon marking the culmination of a 16-year dream for the zoo and Dutch officials After six weeks in quarantine since their arrival on April 12 made tentative steps into her outdoor enclosure Nonchalant at the gaze of dozens of children she threw herself at the first bamboo plant she saw and started to eat Female giant panda Wu Wen discovers her new enclosure during an official unveiling ceremony at Ouwehands Zoo on May 30 strode out of his court like an emperor inspecting his new territory patrolls the grassland at the Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen "Both are in perfect health and adapted well to their new home," said Zhang Hongwen chief economist of China's State Forestry Administration they belong to a conservation reliant vulnerable species "I am glad to see that Wu Wen and Xing Ya are so popular in the Netherlands Living at this wonderful residence modeled after a Chinese palace they are really treated as emperor and empress," said Zhang adding that their stay will surely boost Sino-Dutch cooperation relating to the protection of forestry and bio-diversity The public visit giant panda Wu Wen during the official opening of the panda base Pandasia at the Ouwehand Zoo in Rhenen on May 30 Dutch State Secretary for Economic Affairs "the Netherlands has already enclosed Wu Wen and Xing Ya in its heart" Dutch children will get to know Wu Wen and Xing Ya....They can get inspired by all the beautiful and powerful things nature has to offer new nature protectors will arise here at this place," he said The Dutch official hailed 45 years of good cooperation between his country and China "Wu Wen and Xing Ya underline these good developments Let this be a sign of hope that with joint forces we can protect our nature worldwide and let this be the beginning of a wave of inspiration for the new generation." Former Dutch Prime Minister who played a role in the panda cooperation project told the audience that "if pandas are lent to a country it is an expression of friendship and connection." which will invite old and young people to reflect on the nature to increase knowledge and to achieve business success The giant panda base "Pandasia" at Ouwehand Zoo in Rhenen /VCG Photo Following a 16-year period of consultations and preparations the two pandas were symbolically gifted to the Netherlands by China during the state visit of Dutch Royal Couple in October 2015 "In China where during many trips we learned from our Chinese friends how giant pandas live and how we can protect these endangered animals Now is the moment to share this dream with the whole of the Netherlands," Boekhoorn told guests invited to the official opening of Pandasia the special complex "built with lots of love and attention" for Wu Wen and Xing Ya During the precious three days of mating time every year Wu Wen and Xing Ya will be invited to "get together" if they like each other The inside of the giant panda base "Pandasia" at Ouwehand Zoo in Rhenen /VCG Photo cuddly and previous animal also helps zoos raise prestige in the light of the cases of other foreign zoos like the National Zoo and San Diego Zoo in the US “There is a power to having pandas that allows a zoo to raise awareness among the public,” Christina Simmons public relations manager for the San Diego Zoo “And it allows it to raise money for conservation to do other important work.” The death of a seven-month old polar bear at the Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen was likely caused by rough play with her older The conclusion was made based on autopsy results which also showed that the young male cub had a respiratory infection his five-year-old sister weighs in at around 300 kilograms "Sura and the boy played together regularly always under the watchful eye of their mother and grandmother," the zoo said Adult bears and younger siblings normally play rough had been protected her young more intensively than expected the moment Sura started her heavy-handed game with the much smaller Yura .. mother Freedom remained aloof," the zoo said adding they did not think it was a meant to be an attack The cause of death came from injuries sustained as a result of playing with his older sister The zoo thinks freedom did not defend Sura because she could sense her young cub's respiratory issue even though the zoo was not previously aware of it and it had not yet bothered the cub "It is well known that mothers sometimes fail to nurse their newborn offspring if they may have something wrong," the zoo said Freedom has let 'nature' take its course." the giant pandas Xing Ya and Wu Wen from China will land on Dutch soil.The two giant pandas who were symbolically gifted to the Netherlands by China during the state visit of our Royal Couple in October 2015 will now arrive in the Netherlands following a 16-year period of consultations and preparations Following the inspection of the giant panda enclosure by the Chinese authorities in January Ouwehands Zoo was given the green light to set the transport in motion today KLM will arrange this special flight from Chengdu Expected arrival time in Amsterdam is 7.05 PM KLM Cargo is honoured to be able to transport the giant pandas from Chengdu to their new enclosure in Ouwehands Zoo KLM Cargo specialises in the animal-friendly and responsible transport of a wide range of animal species and employs specialised personnel with the knowledge and expertise to ensure that the animals are looked after as well as possible during their journey KLM is one of the few airline companies with its own animal hotel at Schiphol airport It is fully equipped to care for animals before Specially trained animal stewards ensure that the animals travel as comfortably and safely as possible in a partitioned environment Giant pandas are not transported very often KLM Cargo has already transported giant pandas a few times KLM Cargo will use this experience to safely fly Xing Ya and Wu Wen to the Netherlands The pandas will travel in enclosures made especially for them the animals will be fetched from the aircraft hold by KLM Cargo and transported to the KLM Animal Hotel The animals will be cleared through customs here and a health check will take place Chinese and Dutch dignitaries and guests will subsequently meet the giant pandas for the first time The lorry with which the two giant pandas will be transported will follow a special route through the centre of Rhenen which will naturally be in an entirely panda-themed manner When Xing Ya and Wu Wen arrive in Ouwehands Zoo they will be quarantined for several weeks Visitors to the zoo will only be able to see the giant pandas after the official opening This enclosure for giant pandas is part of a larger Asian project which will provide accommodation for a number of Asian species of which 3,400 m² is reserved for the giant panda enclosure a separate indoor and outdoor enclosure for the male and the female a veterinary clinic and a keepers' area a restaurant with a Chinese/Asian look will complete the project The giant panda is an endangered species found only in the wild in China there were only around 1,850 giant pandas living in the wild By signing the cooperation agreement with the Chinese Wildlife Conservation Association Ouwehands Zoo has committed itself to participation in an extensive nature conservation project with the objective of protecting giant pandas in the wild Besides the arrival of the giant pandas in Rhenen Ouwehands Zoo will make a substantial financial contribution each year to support nature-protection activities in China In order to ensure that a visit to Ouwehands Zoo and the giant pandas is an amazing experience it will only be possible to buy tickets for the zoo online from after the official opening KLM Cargo is the freight division of KLM and in addition to the transport of regular cargo specialises in the transport of special cargo From exclusive paintings and sport cars to competition horses tropical fish and now the two giant pandas Xing Ya and Wu Wen The public will be able to visit koalas at a zoo in the Netherlands for the first time ever announced this week that their new “Koalia” enclosure will be open to the public starting on April 25 Two male koalas and one female koala will arrive in the coming weeks and will first be placed into quarantine They will then gradually get accustomed to their new environment where the marsupials will be housed with a mob of wallabies The zoo previously explained how they planned to make the koalas feel at home, considering their solitary nature. To more closely replicate their natural habitat, each of them will have three of their own separate areas: an indoor, nighttime, and outdoor enclosure. The zoo will use an innovative heating system within the climbing trees to see if the animals will want to use them on cooler days. When the construction of the koala enclosure was first announced in 2022, the zoo said it would cover an area of 1,800 square meters, including a 170 square meter courtyard. "At the moment we are still working hard on building and finishing the area," the zoo said. The heat pump for the Koalia indoor spaces, painting, and walking paths still need to be installed, and more plants need to be placed. Ouwehands Zoo focuses their attention mainly on animals considered to be endangered that are part of the EEP programs from the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria. Koalas are on the IUCN Red List as “vulnerable,” with the mature population believed to be in decline. Austria considers the animal “threatened” after a significant decline in the species due to bushfires and floods. The animal is native to the forests and savanna in the Australian states of Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales. The IUCN Red List also noted that the animal's natural habitat is declining. Not only will Ouwehands Zoo be the first Dutch zoo to house the koalas, they will be the only zoo in the Netherlands with the animals for the the near future. The zoo had hoped to start construction in January 2023, with an opening planned for last summer. The project was handled in coordination with the relocation and renovation of several other animal enclosures. 2024 A screenshot from the video of the new arrivalThe giant pandas at the Ouwehands Dierenpark in Rhenen have produced two more babies but one of the twins died shortly after it was born on Friday The first baby was lively and immediately the focus of its mother’s interest whose sex has yet to be determined by a vet will be given a Chinese name in 100 days time Mother and baby will remain in the nest area for several months and are being monitored by camera The new arrival is the second offspring for the pandas who have been at the zoo on loan since 2017 The baby will stay in the Netherlands for a maximum of four years Wu Wen and Xing Ya will return to China in 2032 We could not provide the Dutch News service without the generous support of our readers Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day Many thanks to everyone who has donated to DutchNews.nl in recent days We could not provide this service without you Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey Jaïr van Rhenen studied Medicine in Leiden and is now a GP in the largely religious Veenendaal he worked as a tropical medicine doctor in Lesotho you often respond differently to illness.’ The Bible Belt often hit the headlines during the pandemic: because of the high number of cases and the low vaccination rate alumnus Jaïr van Rhenen (37) has been working in Veenendaal a municipality in the province of Gelderland with a population of almost 70,000 and a large Reformed community How does he look back at two years of pandemic ‘Veenendaal is a very close-knit community where people look out for one another That has also meant that many people who’ve been caring for Covid patients soon become ill themselves The number of cases in this area was often slightly above the national average The vaccination rate in the municipality wasn’t that high to start off with ‘Around 80 per cent of the population of Veenendaal has now been vaccinated so the idea that few people have been vaccinated isn’t true I had lots of conversations with patients and explained what the risks were if they didn’t do it And with other GPs I had meetings with the mayor about how to improve the communication about the vaccines.’  ‘I regularly talk to patients about their support system Many of his patients draw comfort from their faith I saw and still see a lot of gratitude among older patients that they have had a good life.’ He is now most concerned about young people’s well-being I see more and more young patients who are suffering from mental health and psychosomatic problems They’re feeling really lonely because of the long lockdowns and periods of isolation.’ To what extent is God a topic of conversation during consultations but I regularly talk to patients about the meaning of life That’s an important theme for people who are suffering from anxiety or the symptoms of burnout Then we talk about their goals in life and whether they have enough support Going back in time: why did he decide to study medicine And my father was a company doctor and he studied medicine too.’ Van Rhenen got a place on the programme in Leiden and was really happy with his student house ‘I put a lot of energy into setting up a student church in Utrecht and had already made friends through the medicine programme.’  but the first years were still very theoretical ‘Medicine only really started to come alive when I started my internships and came into contact with patients That’s when I started to try my very hardest I found the hectic hospital environment incredibly interesting After his training as a tropical medicine doctor to a rural hospital in the mountains of Lesotho ‘There were seven of us doctors running the hospital but it was a bit nerve-wracking for a rookie like me you do almost everything: all sort of operations childbirth… you name it.’ The work required extra caution because the majority of the patients had HIV He learned a lot from his African colleagues ‘They taught me how to stay calm in hectic situations and that speed is relative My colleague said: “The patient’s still breathing Don’t worry.” This helped me take the time to assess the situation before going straight into action mode.’ But he found at times that they had different views on medicine ‘They had their doubts about using a ventouse during childbirth because they thought this could be harmful to the child’s brain whereas here we see this as a good intervention if needed.’   ‘We shouldn’t take it for granted that we can reach for a phone and have an ambulance at the front door within minutes.’ His time in Lesotho opened his eyes for good Then I sometimes think: there are enough places where you can’t reach for a phone and have an ambulance at your front door within minutes It would be good if there were more appreciation for the health system and more acceptance that things don’t always go to plan.’ And thanks to his time in Lesotho he thinks much further than Veenendaal alone The discussion in the Netherlands hasn’t focused on the need for vaccination in the rest of the world The Western countries bought up almost all the supplies and the rest of the world has to go to the end of the line.’   does he have any advice for today’s students I could see the impact of my work on my life that the work can go on day and night if you are doing childbirth and emergency operations Do you want to be an all-rounder or to be really specialised and only do a certain type of operation And is your motivation really your own or are you sensitive to what others think of your work for instance because surgery is high status So listen to yourself because it’s your work and life.’ Giant panda cub Fan Xing from Ouwehands Dierenpark in Rhenen, located in the province of Utrecht, is set to depart for China on Wednesday. In China, she will be relocated to a sanctuary dedicated to conserving the species, the zoo reported on Monday making her the first giant panda cub born in the Netherlands it was understood that the panda would remain in the Netherlands for only a limited period According to an agreement between China and the Netherlands giant pandas born abroad must return to their country of origin The panda will be sent to the China Wildlife Conservation Association to participate in a program dedicated to the conservation of the giant panda species Fan Xing's departure has been planned for more than a year. “It always does something to me when an animal moves. It is as if a piece of myself disappears. Moreover, this is of course a very special animal. We have been through so much with her,” said zoology manager José Kok to AD “Fan Xing's departure is quite emotional for all of us She is the first young panda born in the Netherlands you understand how special this moment is,” said zoo director Robin de Lange Extensive preparations for her move have been in the works for some time of course a lot of paperwork involved," Kok noted Fan Xing even underwent "crate training" as part of these preparations and we hope she'll do so without any problems one Wednesday," he added a crane will lift the crate containing Fan Xing onto a truck which will then transport her to the airport She will be accompanied by a Chinese veterinarian and a caregiver from Ouwehands “I am confident that everything will go well,” Kok said The female giant panda Wu Wen gave birth to a cub at the Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen on Friday and resting in a special den set up like a maternity ward "The birth of the young brings a wonderful end to an uncertain period that followed after mating in January Wu Wen had been staying in her farrowing hole more often and for some time In recent days she almost never came out," the zoo explained The apparently pregnant panda had started acting extremely restless at about 10 a.m She was also grunting and licking between her legs which led caregivers to predict she was going into labor The gender of the cub will not be known to the zoo for the time being "When the young comes out of the maternity den in a few months we can determine what the sex is Only then does the little giant panda get a name." Once it is able to follow its mother around they will enter the main panda enclosure together It is expected the cub will remain in the Netherlands for four years before going to China to help breed more pandas "Ouwehands Zoo is happy and proud that they contribute in a natural way to the conservation of this endangered species," the zoo said Fan Xing, a panda cub born in Ouwehands Zoo in 2020 but in the wild giant pandas also leave their mother in the second year of life Ouwehands wants the animals to lead as natural a life as possible and is therefore already removing the young panda from its mother the park hopes that mother Wu Wen will become pregnant again after her cub left and cub Fan Xing are on loan from China to the Ouwehands Zoo Wu Wen and Xing Ya will live in Rhenen for 15 years The cubs they have may stay at the Rhenen zoo for a maximum of four years and must then be returned o the breeding center in China Giant pandas are only found in China in the wild The breeding program is successful because the animal is no longer considered endangered but is still vulnerable Fan Xing will be looking to find his own way in the breeding center's forest for the next two years Pandas sexually mature around the fourth year of life Fan Xing will then enter a reproductive program There may be a new panda cub in Ouwehands Zoo by then The zoo will start with preparations for mating after Fan Xing's departure That's a complicated job since female pandas are only fertile for one to three days a year It is only at birth that it is determined whether mating was successful who was born in 2020 in Ouwehands Zoo and still lives there The animal park discovered this when examining the animal said Ouwehands Zoo director Robin de Lange and caretaker José Kok on Op1 on Thursday evening "It's very hard to observe," said the caretaker "And we were so convinced that it must be a male that it never occurred to us to doubt that." and father Xing Ya are officially on loan from China Xing Ya and Wu Wen came to the Netherlands in 2017 and will stay in Rhenen for a period of 15 years It was previously agreed that any cubs born to the adult pandas can stay at the zoo in Rhenen for a maximum of four years They must then return to the breeding center in China The country is the only location where giant pandas are found in the wild The breeding program has been considered a success because the species is no longer considered endangered Pandas are sexually mature from the fourth year of life Fan Xing will also participate in a breeding program in China Fan Xing was taken away from her mother in January The park hoped that mother Wu Wen would more likely become pregnant again once separated from her cub Female pandas are only fertile for one to three days per year Only at birth is it known whether a mating has been successful Pic: Facebook / Ouwehands Dierenpark Rhenen Netherlands: Giant panda Fan Xing began a long journey home on Wednesday - to a country she has never visited The 3-year-old was given a ceremonial send off Wednesday from Ouwehands Zoo in the Netherlands where she will join a breeding program that is helping preserve the vulnerable species director Asia and Oceania at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs said he hoped the panda would be an ambassador for relations between the Netherlands and China Those links have been strained in recent months by the Dutch decision to limit sales of advanced semiconductor processor chips The government called the move "country neutral,” but it was seen as part of a U.S policy aiming at restricting China’s access to materials used to make such chips Jurgens said Fan Xing represented "a sign of the special relationship between the Netherlands and China in the field of nature conservation "So today I would also like to express the hope that this Dutch-born panda the protection of a species and of biodiversity but also continue to contribute to the relationship between the Netherlands and China.” the first cub born in the Netherlands as a part what was once known as China's "panda diplomacy” program a quick check determined that the cub was male but a test late last year that was part of meticulous preparations for her trip to China established that Fan Xing is female China gifted friendly nations with its national mascot The country more recently has loaned pandas to zoos on commercial terms were sent to the Netherlands from Sichuan province in 2017 Under terms of the deal that brought them to this small town in the central Netherlands any cubs they produce must be sent to China before they reach the age of 4 A tantra masseuse who had fled abroad after being sentenced in the Netherlands for sexual abuse has been arrested in Portugal The suspect is a 59-year-old man from Rhenen; he was arrested on Thursday The man is suspected of sexual abuse of more than six patients in his massage parlor. He was tried in April 2019, more than a year after his arrest While waiting for the results of the appeal The masseuse was given a jail sentence of 29 months and one week with ten months on condition in March 2021 The verdict became irrevocable in April of last year A special police team started an investigation last October into the suspect's whereabouts under the motto: "What good is a conviction if the punishment isn't served," it says in a police statement There was cooperation with other parties for the operation including the Public Prosecution Service and the CJIB The Netherlands has asked for the man's extradition a giant panda housed at Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen is likely to be pregnant While zookeepers are not yet fully able to determine fully whether or not the animal is indeed pregnant they are nevertheless watching closely at several "hopeful" signs "Never before has she nestled in a maternity den" these developments are certainly hopeful." Courtship and pregnancy among giant pandas is known for being a delicate business. At a zoo in Hong Kong, for example, two giant pandas mated for the first time in over 10 years on Monday because of the tranquility brought about by the zoo's closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic At Ouwehands Zoo, Wu Wen had mated with the giant panda male Xing Ya back in January By monitoring the hormone levels in the animal's urine ever since zookeepers have been keeping an eye on Wu Wen's situation to determine whether or not a pregnancy is beginning the park emphasizes that this could also simply be the result of a false pregnancy The gestation period for a panda ranges from 95 to 160 days according to the World Wildlife Foundation Originally from China, Wu Wen and Xing Ya have been housed in Ouwehands Zoo since 2017 They are allowed to remain in the Netherlands until 2032 owing to a loan agreement Any giant pandas born in the Netherlands will be allowed to stay in the country for four years Three employees of a swimming pool in Rhenen and two primary school teachers are facing court on Monday in connection with the drowning of a 9-year-old Syrian girl during a school swimming lesson. All five are suspected of death through negligence The Public Prosecutor going after five individuals instead of the school or pool as institution is causing concerns in the two involved professions Nine year old Salam drowned in a public swimming pool in Rhenen in September 2015 during a school swimming lesson The girl had only been in the Netherlands for a few months and couldn't swim yet She was given a lesson in the shallow pool if 't Gastland but was found drowned in the deep pool after the lesson How the girl ended up in the deep pool is unclear The Prosecutor and lawyers believe two scenarios likely - either Salam went to the deep pool during free swimming time after the lesson or she returned to the pool after having showered without anyone seeing her The pool workers and teachers are accused of insufficient supervision during and after the swimming lesson They did not make any form of agreement on who would keep an eye on Salam It is also unclear whether anyone explained to Salam that she should not go into the deep pool and whether she understood such an explanation nobody made sure that all the kids were out of the pool after the lesson in this case the employers - the primary school and swimming pool - can not be blamed There were clear rules in place for the swimming lessons The central question in this case is whether the accused employees complied to those rules The fact that the Prosecutor is going after individuals may have major consequences for teachers and trainers and is causing turmoil in both the education and swimming sectors Teachers and swimming instructors worry about what will happen if their colleagues are found guilty Will individual teachers always be held responsible for incidents such as if a child gets injured by falling off a jungle gym out of sight of the teacher