Austrian-born panda arrives a 'happy tiger' (2)

Like his 5-year-old brother, Fulong (meaning "Happy Dragon" in Chinese), who returned to the center three years ago, Fuhu was conceived and born naturally, although artificial insemination is a common practice when breeding captive pandas.

To facilitate Fuhu's safe return, the Vienna Zoo started training him last month in a small cage that the keeper shook from time to time to simulate in-flight turbulence.

Fuhu, who weighed 100 grams at birth, now weighs over 50 kg, about half the normal weight of an adult panda. His primary caretaker, Renate Haider, accompanied the panda to the Bifengxia Base together with Dagmar Schratter, director of the Vienna Zoo.

Although the taste of bamboo leaves and carrot is slightly different in China, Schratter, who accompanied Fulong back to China three years ago, is sure that Fuhu can adapt to the new environment.

A wild panda usually leaves its mother and starts a new life at around 2 years old, she said.

Her zoo scored a huge success in 2007 when it became the first European zoo to see a panda born from natural conception.