First panda cub born in France named Yuanmeng

[Photo: from VCG]

Brigitte Macron, wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, revealed the name of the panda baby as Yuan Meng, the first-ever cub born in the country, at a naming ceremony at a zoo in central France on Monday.

Joined by Chinese officials, Brigitte Macron, who is also the new panda's godmother, announced that the four-month-old cub's name was Yuan Meng.

Born on August 4, the baby panda had been called as "Mini Yuan Zi," referring to his father Yuan Zi, who arrived with his female partner Huan Huan in central France's Beauval zoo in January 2012.

"Yuan Meng is the energetic and vigorous fruit of the Franco-Chinese friendship," said Macron.

The baby panda who will return home to China at the age of three, can be seen by visitors to the zoo as of January 13.

On August 4, Huan Huan gave birth to twin cubs, the first panda cubs born in France. She took care of the first cub immediately after its birth, but abandoned the first after the second cub was born, a common practice among pandas.  

[The audio clip is from Studio+, produced by CRI]