"Basi", a 21-year-old female strolled into her open exercise field in Fuzhou, capital of East China's Fujian Province, and madeherself right at home again.

Back in familiar surroundings, she walked around in high spirits, inspecting her bed, drinking trough and toilet room. Seeing that all was in good order, she then proceeded to feast on bamboo leaves. A moment later, she walked into the exercise field,mounted a chair and waved to spectators. She then played with her steel fork and held her rag doll in her arms.

Seven years ago Basi contracted cataracts. Irritable with her failing vision, she used to attack the wardens. Eventually she wasput in confinement, where she spent the next seven years.

A month ago she received a successful cataract operation, the first on a giant panda in the world, and has now recovered after intensive care by doctors and wardens.

Basi is a legend among giant pandas. Hunting for food in 1984, which had become scarce due to the blossoming of bamboo, she was found floating in a river. She was picked up by a local woman and sent to Fuzhou the next year. There she showed a love of games andthe "Beauty Panda" has travelled to the United States and many places in China. She was mascot for the 11th Asian Games held in Beijing.

"Basi" is also of great interest to scientists. She was the first giant panda to be diagnosed with high blood pressure, the first to undergo a successful cataract operation and scientists used one of her somatic cells in a cloning operation.

(Xinhua News Agency May 31, 2002)