Taipei Zoo red panda Chi-Chi adjusting well in Singapore

Singapore, Oct. 12 (CNA) A male red panda from Taipei Zoo has begun exploring his new home at the Singapore Zoo and is adjusting well, a keeper told CNA on Monday.

When Chi-Chi (奇奇) first arrived, he seemed unsure of his new surroundings and wandered around, but he gradually settled in, said Jonathan Hong (洪展濠), a keeper with Mandai Wildlife Group, which operates the Singapore Zoo.

The red panda is now lively around visitors and in good physical condition, Hong added.

Chi-Chi roams his enclosure in the morning and around noon before spending time with his keepers in the afternoon, Hong said. Visitors can see him up close when keepers feed him treats such as apples.

David, a British man working in Singapore, said media reports of Chi-Chi's arrival prompted him to bring his whole family to the zoo to see the red panda, who has become a star attraction.

Chi-Chi, 10, was transferred to the Singapore Zoo in June, according to Taipei Zoo. He is the offspring of Huan-Huan and Ya-Ya, two red pandas at Taipei Zoo.

The transfer was part of a partnership between the two zoos to help maintain the captive population and genetic diversity of the endangered species in Southeast Asia through conservation outside the wild.