Mother panda's struggle to get her adorable cub to go to sleep

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Yuan Zai gave mother Yuan Yuan the bedtime runaround at Taipei Zoo
The 7-month-old gave mother slip for ten minutes, rolling and eating bamboo
Finally Yuan Yuan caught her by the scruff and bear-marched the cub to bed

PUBLISHED: 12:22 EST, 3 March 2014 | UPDATED: 13:55 EST, 3 March 2014

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When mum says it's bedtime, it's bedtime ... it doesn't matter what age (or species of animal) you are!

But as any parent knows, it can be easier said than done getting your little one to put their head down - especially when it's the last thing they want to do.

That's exactly what Yuan Yuan the panda found this week when she tried to convince her toddler, Yuan Zai, that playtime was over and that it was time for bed at Taipei Zoo.

The recalcitrant cub simply would not listen and gave her frustrated mother the slip for a full ten minutes, rolling around and eating bamboo shoots to her heart's content.

Hard work: Yuan Yuan the panda found it easier said than done getting baby Yan Zai to stop messing about and go to bed at Taipei Zoo this week

Panda-monium: The recalcitrant cub simply would not listen and gave her frustrated mother the slip for a full ten minutes, rolling around eating bamboo shoots to her heart's content

But it was a battle the seven-month-old was never going to win and in the end Yuan Yuan caught her by the scruff and bear-marched her back to bed.

Yan Zai was born to much fanfare at the zoo on July 6 last year, weighing 183.4g and and standing at 15.5cm tall.

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But now she has grown, keepers say she is fast becoming quite the madam and loves nothing more than giving her weary mother the runaround in their enclosure.

TOO CUTE: Giant Panda puts Baby Panda back to bed in Taipei Zoo

Trouble maker: Keepers say Yan Zai is fast becoming quite the madam and loves nothing more than giving her weary mother the runaround in their enclosure

I'm staying here! The naughty bear sat stubbornly on her haunches as her mother tried to drag her back to her bed

It's bedtime! But this was a battle the seven-month-old was never going to win and in the end Yuan Yuan caught her by the scruff and bear-marched her back to bed

At last: And finally she managed to get the youngster to bed in their bamboo-branch nest

Giant Pandas are notoriously difficult to breed and it often takes years, if at all, for them to conceive in captivity.

With fewer than 2,500 giant pandas living free in China, down largely to deforestation and a growing human population, conservationists are desperate to increase their numbers to boost their dwindling numbers.

Poaching has also been an issue over the years although the Chinese government has made efforts to reign in illegal hunting of wild animals in recent years.

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B Have, In the hills, United States, 1 day ago

what a horrible depressing place that zoo is.

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Bert Puttocks, Dunham Massey, 1 day ago

What is the obsession with the Panda? This is an animal that is a carnivore and yet eats bamboo, but not any bamboo only a few sub species. The animal has no energy because bamboo is a poor diet nutritionally. They should all be extinct by now

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lesley-57, Durham, United Kingdom, 1 day ago

Just precious! After all the doom and gloom, this has made my day!

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colman, swansea, United Kingdom, 1 day ago

If these animals were allowed to just die off. Animal authorities could concentrate on much more important species crying out for intervention. Cute and fluffy animals always get priority for some reason.

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the girl, windham, United States, 1 day ago

why would any living creature want to sleep on a few branches, on cold concrete. why would any living creature want to reproduce within caged circumstances ... just to recreate a life in the prison humans deem suitable. little by little humans are destroying more and more; creatures, as well as the earth itself. i'm so disappointed in humanity, over and over again.