getting closer to the animals and work at the she scored her dream job back in japan becoming a panda keepert a tokyo zoo. but her joy would eventually turn to despair when a baby panda in her care died six days after its birth. >> i was devastated. it was so hard. i never want to go through something like that again. >> abe eventually returned to the breeding center in china to brush up her skills. a few times a week she works overnight to feed the cubs milk and rub them to help with their digestion. sometimes it's a challenge to get the little ones to breast-feed from their mothers. abe imitates a cubs cry in an effort to stimulate the process, but it doesn't always 30 minutes later abe tries again this time with success. one of her responsibilities is keeping the pandas in good shape. for mealtimes she has devised a contraption that gives the animals a little work out. not just for their bodies but their minds, too. to get their food they have to climb down and reach up into the basket. >> translator: i think it's good for the pandas. they have to find the food which stimulates their brai

keepers use incentives like food to get him exercising keeping his lower legs strong is vital to successful breeding. special attention is also paid to diet. like most pandase eats around 20 kilograms of bamboo every day but the breeder's collect three times that amount that they sort manually for quality to suit his finnicly palate and mood on any given day. >> we tend to pick bamboo with abundant quality leaves. he only eats the truly delicious parts. it's a bit tricky to find bamboo to his liking and his preference differs day-to-day and by season. so you never really know until you feed him. >> his mate is the 19-year-old born at the zoo to a a differen male. the two seem to click and chemistry is key in successful panda breeding. they produced nine cubs so far. he may verery well break his ow record of the oldest male panda to produce an offspring. >> i think he still has the spark as long as he has the will, i hope he goes for it.. >> we just try to follow the daily health maintenance program to keep him fit to ensure more successful mating. i just hope another cute baby panda will be born and loved by everyone. >> spring, when females come into heat