Chinanews, Xi'an, Mar. 9 – A giant panda, Niu Niu, has recently recovered from its injuries after getting hurt in a fight with other pandas. However, due to a permanent damage on its upper left palm, the panda might not be able to eat, walk or mate normally in future. On Wednesday, the Shaanxi Provincial Wildlife Care Center began to solicit ideas from all over the world hoping to find a proper scheme to give the giant panda an artificial arm, the Sanqin Daily reported.

 

Niu Niu is a female giant panda and is 12-13 years old this year. It was found on December 28, 2006 in Huangboyuan Village, Taiba County, when a local farmer working in a field happened to see four giant pandas fighting together. One of them was seriously hurt. The farmer then reported the information to local forestry bureau. On December 30, some animal care workers sent the injured giant panda to the Shaanxi Provincial Wildlife Care Center and named it Ruixue. They also gave it the nickname Niu Niu.

 

Niu Niu did not have any life-threatening injuries now and it had gained some weight, from 56 kilograms to 73 kilograms. Its body length is 1.16 meters. However, the bones and muscles in its upper left palm have been damaged and it has to use its right arm to eat, of course more often than not with difficulty. Sometimes Niu Niu walks on three limbs and sometimes it has to use its damaged arm to balance its body. Most importantly, it is in the mating season and the animal care workers fear that it might not be able to mate normally and therefore to give birth to a baby.