Popular panda Xiang Xiang at Tokyo's Ueno zoo took her first steps towards independence Tuesday, spending the morning away from her mother Shin Shin for the first time.Xiang Xiang will turn 18 months in December. In their natural habitat, giant pandas start living on their own when they are around one-and-a-half to 2 years old, according to the zoo.Zookeepers said they hope to gradually wean Xiang Xiang off her mother's care, starting by separating them just for the mornings. Once Xiang Xiang becomes accustomed to it, she will start spending the afternoons, and eventually nighttime, away fr…READ FULL ARTICLE
