THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: Veterinarians and panda experts from China are keeping a close eye on Lin Hui, the female panda that gave birth to a panda cub at Chiang Mai Zoo on Wednesday, as she may deliver a second cub.

The team monitoring Lin Hui said yesterday all they could do was wait, as it had been little more than 24-hours since she gave birth to her first cub and a second cub could be born up to 60-hours after the first.

According to the team, Lin Hui is exhibiting all of the signs of giving birth to a second cub.

The birth of the as yet to be named panda cub at Chiang Mai Zoo, which weighs a healthy 200 grammes, is the first successful artificial insemination of a panda by a Thai veterinarian team.

As veterinarians in teams of six continue to monitor Lin Hui and her cub, now identified as a girl by an expert from China’s panda conservation and research center in Yaan, 24-hours a day, Thai authorities are hopeful China will allow the cub to stay longer.

Under a 10-year loan agreement, baby pandas born in Thailand have to be returned to China within two years of birth.

Thailand is also required to pay China for all of the expenses incurred with the pandas in two installments of US$150,000 (Bt5 million), with the first installment to be paid within 30 days of the birth of a panda cub.

Zoological Park Organization director-general Sophon Damnui said Thai authorities would hold talks with China on the return of the newborn and try to extend its stay in Thailand for the sake of the public.

By John Le Fevre

Thailand Travel News for May 30, 2009