China
2024.01.16 18:12 GMT+8

Star panda Meng Lan reunites with former breeder 'Grandpa Tan'

Updated 2024.01.16 18:12 GMT+8
CGTN

Looking at Meng Lan, a giant panda in Beijing Zoo, Grandpa Tan smiled contentedly.

"He is stronger and has become a big boy now," he said.

As if Meng Lan sensed that his Grandpa Tan came, he jumped up and down, showcasing his dance and kung fu skills.

The first time they met each other was in 2017, when Meng Lan was just over a year old at the panda kindergarten at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in southwest China's Sichuan Province. And Grandpa Tan happened to be his breeder. 

Grandpa Tan, whose real name is Tan Jintao, is a panda breeder at the panda kindergarten at the base, where he takes care of baby pandas from more than 1 to 2 years old. Even though he is only 52 years old, he is affectionately called "grandpa" by his fans because some of the pandas he has taken care of have already had babies. He became famous on the internet because of his special way of calling pandas to eat and his selfless care for pandas. 

So is Meng Lan. With a round head and fluffy face, he is also a superstar on the internet because of his playful behavior.

The panda left Sichuan for Beijing at the end of 2017, shortly after starting kindergarten, and it has been more than six years since they met again.

Instead of calling Meng Lan's name loudly as he used to ask him for meals, this time Grandpa Tan just stood quietly at a distance, watching him, not letting him feel any pressure after years of separation. Check out the video for more.

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