Taiwan welcomes Chinese panda experts in moment of easing tensions

The two panda experts from China who came to examine the sick male giant panda Tuan Tuan agreed with the decision to provide palliative care, zoo management said Wednesday. The zoo said that the two Chinese veterinarians Wu Honglin and Wei Ming from the Wolong National Nature Reserve in China's Sichuan Province agree with local experts that Tuan Tuan is too ill to undergo invasive treatment after being diagnosed with a brain lesion in September. Since the lesion is in a sensitive position, the 18-year-old panda cannot have surgery, said Eric Tsao at a press briefing, which the Chinese experts did not attend. The zoo said that the current treatment Tuan Tuan is receiving, which includes daily medication, intravenous fluids, and a vitamin-rich diet, will most likely continue. Tsao said that the Chinese experts who arrived the previous day will continue discussions with experts in Wolong to figure out future treatment suggestions. If Tuan Tuan dies, the zoo will keep its skeleton, fur, stem cells, and sperm for research or teaching purposes, according to Tsao. Tuan Tuan is one of two giant pandas given by China in 2008 to Taiwan as part of a cross-strait animal exchange program, meaning that Taiwan will continue to 'own' the panda even after its death, as well as any cubs born to Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan.