Panda awarded Japan's animal grand prize

Giant panda Yongming has been awarded Japan's animal grand prize by the Japan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA), according to Chengdu Research Base for Giant Pandas in Sichuan.

China's giant panda Yongming [Photo provided to People’s Daily]

The JSPCA says that Yongming, which is currently on loan to Japan, has made positive contributions to panda breeding.

The award ceremony is to be held on March 15, 2018 in Shimane-ken, Japan.

China's giant panda Yongming is awarded Japan animal grand prize by Japan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA). [Photo provided to People’s Daily]

Founded in 1948, the Japan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA) launched its Japan animal grand prize conference in 2008.

Giant panda cub Xiang Xiang presented to the media in Japan a day before its public debut at the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Japan, December 18, 2017 [File Photo: VCG]

The Chengdu Research Base for Giant Pandas began its cooperation with Japan in 1994. Since then, 15 pandas have been successfully bred through their joint efforts. Panda cub Xiang Xiang, born in June 2017, has become so popular in Japan that Tokyo's Ueno Zoological Gardens has been forced to use a lottery to limit the number of visitors.