The panda baby of Beauval Zoo more popular than Mont-Saint-Michel or Chambord Castle

You must have heard of Yuan Meng, the baby panda that was born eight and a half months ago at the Beauval Zoo. Well, you know, he's grown up, and he's even become more popular than some popular spots. Zoom on a star animal that attracts visitors from all over Europe.

Photo credit: ZooParc de Beauval

Indeed, the arrival of Yuan Meng allowed the zoo to increase its attendance by 20%. Thanks to this meteoric rise, Beauval Park could reach the symbolic mark of 2 million visitors in 2018, compared to "only" 1.45 million for the year 2017. As a result, the animal complex climbs impressively in the ranking of the most visited places in France. Today, it can boast of doing better than the famous Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel (1.2 million) or the castle of Chambord (0.92 million). And if its attendance continues to grow as is currently the case, the ZooParc de Beauval could still grab some extra places. It could exceed the Paris Arc de Triomphe (1.6 million) or Parc Astérix (2 million).

Photo credit: Thibault Camus / AFP

On August 4, 2017, the world and more particularly France discovered the small ball of hair for the first time. Since then, Yuan Meng and the Beauval Zoo have been able to enjoy media coverage that is sometimes worthy of the most important personalities. For example, they received the visit of Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, the latter having been officially named godmother of the baby panda. Since this huge spotlight, it is not uncommon to see public figures among the crowd permanently present in front of the enclosure. Recently, Laurent Wauquiez and Ségolène Royal went on site.

Photo credit: ZooParc de Beauval

If some of you wish to go and say hello, know that it will still be hosted at ZooParc Beauval for the next two or three years, but he must then leave France to return to the land of these ancestors, in China. There, he will be released in a nature reserve in Sichuan Province, located in the center of the country. By then, another baby panda may take his place, who knows? In any case, it is widely desirable for the defense of the species, which as a reminder, is unfortunately in the process of disappearing.