ATHENS, Aug. 22 (Xinhuanet) -- China's star paddler Zhang Yining, who has won two Olympic golds in Athens, is an enthusiastic animal lover as she keeps two pet dogs at home and has adopted a giant panda in the zoo.

    "I like the animals very much, especially the dogs," said Zhang,who won both women's singles and doubles in the Olympic table tennis tournament here.

    "I am keeping two pet dogs, one at my own home, the other at the home of my grandmother-in-law, but both belong to me," the 21-year-old Beijing girl told Xinhua.

    "I named them Xiong Xiong (bear) and Qiu Qiu (ball), and both are very good dogs," said Zhang. "Though they look quite untamed, they are actually docile and kind."

    Sources say that Zhang also adopted a giant panda in the Beijing Zoo in 2002.

    "Apart from funding the zoo, she also visited the zoo at least two to three times a year to visit her panda," one source said.

    The sources also said that the giant panda, whose name is Niu Niu, had recently given birth to a cub, and Zhang was eager to see the newborn and its mother early. Enditem