CHENGDU, March 20 (Xinhua) -- A giant panda in southwest China's Sichuan Province had its testicle removed due to a tumor, authorities said.

Fufu, a captive male panda at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu, the provincial capital, is recovering from the operation and is in normal condition, according to the base. This was the first time that a panda had such an operation in Chengdu.

According to the base authorities, in January, a vet found the panda's left testicle "bigger than usual." A B-ultrasound scan found something similar to a tumor in the testicle, which was later confirmed by a group of experts.

To prevent the tumor from spreading, doctors decided to remove the testicle. On Feb. 22, Fufu went through an hour-long operation. The panda was able to walk 40 minutes after the operation, and it returned to normal after six hours.

The panda tried to scratch its wound multiple times after waking up from the operation, so a team of experts looked after Fufu 24 hours a day to prevent any infection. Its enclosure was kept clean and dry.

Samples were collected from the removed part, and a pathological diagnosis found the tumor to be seminoma. Authorities said they would conduct regular check-ups on the panda and observe any changes in its right testicle.

Sichuan has the largest population of giant pandas in China. At the end of 2015, it had 1,387 wild pandas and 364 captive ones, accounting for 74 percent and 86 percent of the national total, respectively.