Zookeeper Kang Cheol-won chose Fu Bao as his ‘favorite.’
In SBS' 'Fu Bao and Grandpa', which aired on the 23rd, MC Jeon Hyun-moo showed off the charm of Fubao, the national panda that gave laughter and happiness to many people and made them fall into 'Fubao Sickness', as its name suggests, 'a gift that gives happiness'. , Jang Do-yeon dug into the installment plan with zookeeper Kang Cheong-won.
Fu Bao is the first panda born in Korea through natural breeding. Pandas have a very short pregnancy period, and it is difficult to confirm pregnancy with the naked eye. Zookeeper Kang Cheol-won wasn't sure about everything until the day mother Ai Bao gave birth. This is why the birth of Fubao brought greater joy to everyone.
Jeon Hyun-moo and Jang Do-yeon met with zookeeper Kang Cheol-won and heard his story in person. Regarding the average number of visitors per day, zookeeper Kang Cheol-won said, "I want to show a lot of people, but there are about 7,000 to 8,000 people. We are limiting the number of visitors. There are so many people that they only watch for 5 minutes and then leave," giving an idea of Fubao's popularity.
Zookeeper Kang Cheol-won boasts fantastic chemistry with Fu Bao, earning him the nickname ‘Fu Bao Installer.’ He cited Fu Bao’s secret to his popularity as ‘human-like charm.’ Zookeeper Kang Cheol-won surprised the MCs by saying, “Sometimes when I nag them, they cover their ears and eyes.”
Among the questions asked from visitors, Jang Do-yeon chose the question, ‘Does Fubao’s poop smell like bamboo?’ Zookeeper Kang Cheol-won replied, “Pandas eat almost nothing but bamboo, so their stool has almost no odor. It has a fragrant smell like the scent of green tea.” He went on to explain, “Even if you eat bamboo, you won’t be able to digest it well. If you eat the stem, it comes out golden, and if you eat the leaves, it comes out dark green.” Jang Do-yeon, who saw the photo, laughed and said, “It looks like basil pesto.”
One of the other questions was, 'Two Bao and Fu Bao, who is the prettiest among the three?' Twin Bao is Rui Bao, Hui Bao, and Fu Bao's younger siblings born this year. Zookeeper Kang Cheol-won’s favorite was Fu Bao. He expressed his deep affection for Fu Bao, saying, "I think Fu Bao will forever be in my heart. No matter how big she is, she still feels like a baby panda to me. Isn't there such a thing as a first affection? Because there is such a thing as a first affection, I think Fu Bao will forever be in my heart." He then said, “Ruibao, Huibao, cover your ears,” which made people laugh.
Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr