Chiang Mai Zoo staff took prints of panda cub Lin Ping's front paw yesterday to create the world's first such record of the special thumblike pad that helps pandas grab bamboo shoots.
Staff wanted to get prints of both the 20weekold panda's paws but settled for the right paw only after the cub put up a struggle. Veterinarian Kannika Nimtrakul said the prints were made as a souvenir and education aid.
Besides the five clawed finฌgers on its paw, a panda has an extra bone that works like an opposable thumb.
Lin Ping now weighs 11 kiloฌgrams and is growing faster than the average cub, putting on 120130 grams per day. Zookeepers have installed a climbing frame in its cage to help the cub learn to use its hands and mouth to climb. They have also tried to coax Lin Ping to eat a snack enjoyed by many of its peers in China - chopped up bamboo shoots.
The cub turns five months old on October 27 and the zoo is marking the occasion with a nod to the Loy Krathong festiฌval that runs from November 13. From the end of this month visitors to the panda section will get to see Lin Ping sit on her very own giant krathong.
October 27 will also see five floating lanterns released. Inside each will be a panda doll and a ticket to the panda secฌtion, which will go to the lucky person who finds the lantern.
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