Panda News from around the world
Not quite as promised a photo of You You with her wet behind from sitting in her pool. She did seem to enjoy doing it. I think she was a little "uncomfortable" which the Chinese use to mean upset stomach. Pandas are well known for their poor digestive tract. About once a month they have problems and the keepers have to keep a very close eye on them. When I first arrived You You was not well, and you could tell that Mr Li her keeper was very worried about her, but in a few days she was eating a lot more, and her poo wasn't as disgusting.
Once again this is You you(yoyo). She was very restless on the day I took this, she wanted to get back to her bedroom, which we were cleaning, but not quick enough for her it seems. I was trying to give her some food at the time of the photo. She just kept pacing back and forth between the entrance to her room and the water pool that is in her enclosure. I noticed that she must of been sitting in her pool as her bottom was soaking wet. I'll see if I can find the picture of her soaking wet bottom and show that another day. :)
On October 26th 2008, a villager of Wolong Gengda Town found a wild panda at the gate to his house he contacted officials, who organised for the panda to be transferred to the Wolong Hetaoping base. Once there she was given a physical examination and a transfusion. The female panda thought to be between 10 and 12 years of age was in a poor condition and under weight (60kg). She is currently being watched and cared for by the staff.
On 24th October 2008, CCRCGP at Bifengxia held the naming ceremony for Ping ping and An an. Iw was a big event as they were the first cubs born after the quake. The ceremony also thanked the staff for what they did in the quake, and they also thanked everyone around the world who have rallied together to bring funds and raise awareness of the pandas plight after the quake.
This little fellow was in the Panda Kindergarten, along with the little chap I had my photo taken with. S/He's two years of age and just finished running and rolling about and is taking a well earned rest. He's sitting there saying "Wow that was exciting just need a quick break"
Are you enjoying the photos? What more ? Less? Let me know
This is You You (Pronounced yoyo), She is one of the pandas I helped to look after. She had a cub last year but didn't come into season this year. She was very stubborn and would only do things when she was good and ready. The keepers have to weigh the pandas every five days, trying to get You You on the scale was tremendous fun. We used slices of apple to coax her into the weighing room, and threw bits on the scale but she worked out how to get the apple without getting on the scales.
This beautiful comic strip was Drawn by Coco Wang, It reflects the feelings and actions of the People and animals on May 12th 2008. Images copyright Coco Wang used with permission. (Many Thanks Coco)
This is Ge Ge, He was in the other station in Leopard Mountain where I was helping, He shared the station with another two males, Yuan Yuan and Wei Wei. They were being looked after by an pair of volunteers Ken and Lorraine. The Keepers office looked out over Ge Ge's Enclosure so it was easier to see hat he was up to and hence take photos. Looking back through my collection most of them seem to be of Ge ge.
Some more information and pictures about Gougou twins the first pandas to be born after the quake. Their names are Ping Ping and An An.
The charming little boy panda cub at Atlanta will turn 100 days on December 8th. This is a very special time in Chinese tradition as it is the time he will receive his name. Now the only problem is choosing one for him. Zoo Atlanta would like you to help choose it. From Monday 27th October voting will be open online (I'll post the link when it goes live) and also by casting a ballot at the zoo. Voting closes December 4th.
The following news story I found on the daily mail web site mentions that the first set of twins born this year have turned 100 days old and are having a naming ceremony but fails to mention their names. Does anyone know?
As these adorable twin giant panda cubs playfully roll around on the floor, they seem worlds away from the devastating earthquake that destroyed much of their habitat in south west China.
They are one of the first twins delivered this year at the Bifengcia base of the China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center in Yaan, in the Sichuan Province.
A photography training program entitled “See the Nature Through A Lens” concluded successfully at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding on October 16, 2008. It was organized by the Base and sponsored by WWF. Employees from 13 nature reserves and NGOs engaged in a three-day closed intensive training program and then displayed their photographs. Awards were granted to the best photos at the meeting’s end.
Meanwhile, over 100 nature photographers gathered here to see the pictures taken by the trainers all of whom are famous landscape photographers in Southwest China.