BEIJING, July 11 -- The oldest panda in the world is recovering following initial reports that she was on her last legs because of a respiratory tract and lung infection.

    Mei Mei, 36, the main attraction at a zoo in Guilin, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, has regained her ability to eat on her own since late last week, local media said.

    According to the zoo's supervisor Shi Zhukui, Mei Mei had two bites of bamboo and 0.4 kilograms of milk on her own on Friday morning, a month after her health began to deteriorate because of age and hot weather.

    She also reportedly walked out of the air-conditioned compound on Friday and enjoyed the sunshine for some minutes.

    At first she had been unable to stand on her own.

    Mei Mei, the sole giant panda in Guangxi, was taken into captivity in 1985 out of fears she would starve because of a shortage of bamboo. She was housed in the Wolong Giant Panda Protection and Research Centre in Sichuan Province.

    She was once quite a fierce mammal and a big eater.

    Former zoo director Shen Lantian said Mei Mei used to be able to eat five kilograms of bamboo in one meal, and on occasion had been rough enough to actually hurt zookeepers.

    In 1989, experts attempted to impregnate her through artificial fertilization but failed.

    She now is the equivalent of a 108-year-old human, as the average life expectancy of a panda is about 20.

    She can no longer eat solid food and keepers have to feed her with dextrose infusions and milk.

    Since her illness, keepers have supervised her round the clock. Her enclosure is air-conditioned and medicated 10 times a day.

    "We selected a better antibiotic, which she had never used before," Shi said.

    Reports of her waning health also attracted tourists who the keepers said had somewhat disturbed Mei Mei's rest.

    The giant panda, whose existence is threatened by loss of habitat and a low birth rate, is always a hit.

    Mei Xiang, 6, a giant panda at the United States National Zoo, gave birth to a cub on early Saturday.

    First-time mother

    The first-time mother was so intensely licking and caring for her cub that zoo officials have yet to determine its gender or inspect it.

    "Mei Xiang is a poster child of a wonderful mom," said Dr Suzan Murray, the zoo's chief veterinarian, hours after the birth of the cub, which was conceived through artificial insemination.

    The public will have to wait at least three months to see mother and cub, who will remain indoors at the panda exhibit area.

    The father Tian Tian is expected to continue roaming outdoors in the morning and return to the air-conditioned enclosure during the day's warmer hours.

    Mei Xiang and Tian Tian went to the National Zoo in late 2000, on loan for 10 years from the Chinese Government in exchange for $10 million raised through private donations to benefit conservation projects.

    Their cub will be turned over to China after it is two years old, the zoo said. Following tradition, Chinese officials will probably name the cub once it is 100 days old.

    (Source: China Daily)