Not An Outsider EP15 | Japanese panda keeper's decade in China: From Tokyo to Chengdu, caring for pandas is a lifelong dream
With its adorable and playful demeanor, the giant panda has captured people's hearts worldwide. The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, located in Sichuan Province, houses the largest ex-situ conservation population of giant pandas, with over 240 pandas thriving under the care of dedicated "panda nannies." Among them is Abe Nobuko, the only foreign panda keeper at the base, who hails from Japan.
Nobuko's connection with China's "national treasure" began when she was just three years old, after her grandmother gave her a panda plush toy. This was her first encounter with pandas, sparking a lifelong fascination. At age 11, during a school trip to Tokyo's Ueno Zoo, she saw a real panda for the first time—though only its backside—but the experience deepened her passion for these animals.
In high school, Nobuko decided she wanted to become a panda keeper. However, achieving this goal was no easy task. She first studied Chinese at a Japanese university, then pursued a degree in wildlife conservation at Sichuan Agricultural University, becoming the school's first foreign undergraduate. "I had never been to Sichuan before, and during my first year at university, I couldn't understand the local Sichuan dialect. It was a tough time, and I often cried," she recalled.
Telling herself to "take it slow," Nobuko gradually adapted to her new environment. By her junior year, she began an internship at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, where she had her first "close encounter" with pandas. In 2011, when pandas "Shin Shin" and "Li Li" were sent to Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Nobuko immediately contacted the zoo director and became a panda keeper there thanks to her professional knowledge and internship experience.
Seven years later, Nobuko left her hometown again and returned to Sichuan, officially joining the Chengdu Research Base. Now, her goal is to help in the restoration of wild panda populations. "I hope that pandas raised in captivity can one day return to the wild and live like real pandas."
During her seven years in Chengdu, Nobuko has learned much about panda cub care. "This has been my greatest achievement." In fact, caring for newborn pandas is no easy task. From the moment they are born, keepers must attend to them around the clock, just like caring for human babies. "Panda cubs are fragile and often fall ill, so we have to carefully monitor their feces and feeding habits."
In 2019, Nobuko faced one of the biggest challenges of her career: caring for a panda cub named "Cheng Lang." Due to malnutrition in the womb, Cheng Lang was born weighing just 42.8 grams, a third of the average cub's weight, making him the lightest panda cub ever recorded.
"His mouth was too small to nurse, so we had to feed him with a special bottle." During the early days of Cheng Lang's life, Nobuko and her colleagues collected milk from the mother, "Cheng Da," and used a specially designed small nipple to bottle-feed him. They also constantly adjusted the feeding posture until Cheng Lang was able to eat properly.
Nobuko recalls the first time they returned Cheng Lang to his mother, feeling anxious that the mother might reject him or that he wouldn't be able to nurse. When Cheng Lang finally started nursing, they were overjoyed. "Wow, it worked!"
Currently, Nobuko and her colleagues care for four pandas. Though the work is demanding, she remains passionate about the animals. Watching the pandas she has raised grow up happy and healthy gives her a great sense of accomplishment. Even during her time off, when she strolls through the city, Nobuko enjoys taking photos of panda-themed sculptures and street art to share with her family.
When she returned to Sichuan, Nobuko had an agreement with her family to stay for five years. Now, seven years have passed, and she still hasn't left. "I'm very interested in panda cub care. Every year, new cubs are born, and I learn something new every year. I can't bear to leave. Plus, I still want to be involved in panda rewilding efforts, helping more captive pandas return to the wild."
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