A Giant Panda Gives Birth to Cub in a Dutch Zoo

Giant male panda Xiao Liwu eats a meal of bamboo before being repatriated to China with his mother Bai Yun, bringing an end to a 23-year-long panda research program in San Diego, California, US, April 18, 2019. Picture taken April 18, 2019. (Reuters)
Giant male panda Xiao Liwu eats a meal of bamboo before being repatriated to China with his mother Bai Yun, bringing an end to a 23-year-long panda research program in San Diego, California, US, April 18, 2019. Picture taken April 18, 2019. (Reuters)
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A Giant Panda Gives Birth to Cub in a Dutch Zoo

Giant male panda Xiao Liwu eats a meal of bamboo before being repatriated to China with his mother Bai Yun, bringing an end to a 23-year-long panda research program in San Diego, California, US, April 18, 2019. Picture taken April 18, 2019. (Reuters)
Giant male panda Xiao Liwu eats a meal of bamboo before being repatriated to China with his mother Bai Yun, bringing an end to a 23-year-long panda research program in San Diego, California, US, April 18, 2019. Picture taken April 18, 2019. (Reuters)

A giant panda has given birth to a cub at a Dutch zoo, in a boost to the captive population of the vulnerable mammals.

Ouwehands Dierenpark announced Friday's birth on Monday, and released video of mom Wu Wen as she gave birth to her cub, whose gender has yet to be determined, The AP reported.

“Mother and her cub are in the maternity den and are doing well. Ouwehands Dierenpark is happy and proud that it can again contribute to the conservation of this endangered species in a natural way,” the zoo said in a statement.

The video shows Wu Wen in a bed of hay as a high-pitched squeal and a series of low growls signal the birth of the cub. The mother can then be seen carrying the cub in her mouth.

A second cub was born about an hour later but died shortly after the birth, the zoo said.

The surviving new cub is the second born at the central Dutch zoo. In 2020, a cub that was later named Fan Xing was born as a part what was once known as China’s “panda diplomacy” program. Fan Xing was sent to China last year, where she joined a breeding program that is helping preserve the species.

For decades, China gifted friendly nations with its national mascot. The country more recently has loaned pandas to zoos on commercial terms.

 

 

 

 

 



No, Spain Isn't Banning Tourists. Here’s What to Know.

People march during a mass demonstration against over tourism, which affects the local population with inaccessible housing, among other things, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, April 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Miguel Velasco Almendral, file)
People march during a mass demonstration against over tourism, which affects the local population with inaccessible housing, among other things, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, April 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Miguel Velasco Almendral, file)
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No, Spain Isn't Banning Tourists. Here’s What to Know.

People march during a mass demonstration against over tourism, which affects the local population with inaccessible housing, among other things, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, April 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Miguel Velasco Almendral, file)
People march during a mass demonstration against over tourism, which affects the local population with inaccessible housing, among other things, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, April 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Miguel Velasco Almendral, file)

Spain attracted a record 94 million tourists last year, making the Southern European nation famous for its Mediterranean coastline, sweeping landscapes and historic cities among the most visited countries on earth.

The surge in visitors has stoked complaints at times from some Spaniards about “overtourism, ” with concerns about overcrowding, water use and particularly the availability and affordability of housing, The AP reported.

Spain's government has started listening to demands for more regulation, particularly around housing in Spain's big cities, where rising home and rental prices have become a key concern for voters. Earlier this month, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez introduced a 12-part plan to tackle the housing crisis, with measures aimed at bringing stricter regulations to short-term rentals that mainly cater to tourists.

But that doesn't mean Spain is putting the brakes on tourism, an industry that accounts for about 12% of its GDP.

Here's what you should know before planning a visit:

Is Spain restricting tourists? No, but some cities have started to regulate tourism rental properties.

Malaga, an Andalusian port city on the southern Mediterranean coast of Spain, will prohibit new rental properties in 43 neighborhoods of the city where those rentals exceed 8% of the residential stock. The policy went into effect earlier this month and will be tested for three years.

Meanwhile, Barcelona plans to close down all of its 10,000 apartments licensed as short-term rentals in the coming years to safeguard the housing supply for full-time residents. The Mediterranean city known for its beaches, art and surrealist architecture announced last year that it would not renew any new tourism apartment licenses after they expire in 2028.

Can tourists still book hotels and other accommodation? Yes. Tourists can book hotel stays and short-term apartment-style rentals just about anywhere in Spain.

What's prompting Spain to take these measures? Spain is in the throes of a growing housing affordability problem. Skyrocketing rents are particularly acute in cities like Barcelona and Madrid, where incomes have failed to keep up, especially for young people. Housing prices are also steadily rising, especially in cities and coastal areas.

Short-term contracts mainly offered for tourists are seen as driving up rental costs for locals, too.

What else should visitors know before booking travel? Visitors renting a car in Spain or booking hotel stays will also have to file more paperwork thanks to a new law that requires hotel owners and car rental companies to send personal information to the government for national security reasons.

Passport details, home addresses and payment information used by travelers above 14 are among the details that will be collected.