Pandas Live on

China needs to step up and provide policy for leased pandas

Prelimanary findings are reporting that Quan Quan may have died from gas poisoning.

This report comes from Xinhuanet.com

"Initial investigations showed that the panda died after inhaling gas disinfectant from a nearby former air-raid shelter. The gas was composed of chlorine, chlorine hydride and carbon monoxide, said Liu Jungang, deputy Party secretary of Jinan Zoo. Workers were disinfecting the air-raid shelter when the gas leaked to the zoo's panda house through an air-pipe. Police are investigating the case. The panda was found poisoned at around 7 p.m. and died in a local hospital after three hours of treatment failed."

The China Global Times presents a good article on the whole business of leasing giant pandas. I recommend that you read it in its entirety. "Quan Quan's passing revived concern that the attention surrounding the species is too much. Critics say the leasing of pandas, which disturbs their normal habits, has become some zoos' way of luring tourists."

In 1963 the  United States Fish and Wildlife Service stepped in and stopped all shipments of giant pandas to the U.S. when they began to see problems with how pandas were being be cared for.  Before this there were no guidelines that zoos or anyone else who wanted to showcase them, had to follow when they received their pandas.

Fortunately, due to the diligence of some concerned people they got the FWS involved and before any pandas could arrive into the U.S. a permit had to be requested, stringent guidelines and rules were set up which also included the facility that would house them.

This is from their Q & A page on their website, you can read the complete Giant Panda Policy and Q&A page:

Why have a policy just for pandas? 
Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)are protected by the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora(CITES).

Any import requires the Fish and Wildlife Service to issue a permit under these wildlife measures. The giant panda is unique. It is highly endangered,with probably fewer than 1,000 animals in the wild, extremely popular with the public worldwide, and capable of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Giant Panda Policy Questions & Answers Generating substantial profit when displayed. Because of this, giant panda imports have had a controversial history.

Conservationists fear humans will “love  the panda to death.”

It is time that China took the initiative themselves and set up stringent policy to protect leased pandas, NOW before any further leasing of giant pandas continues. How many more panda deaths need to occur before someone wakes up from this nightmare that is happening over and over again!

Four female giant pandas begin 'field training', the future is now.

Meet the four female giant pandas who have begun 'Field Training' within the Wolong Reserve.

  "CARDS",  Was born in the autumn of 2000 Baoxing Fengtongzhai Nature Reserve, Sichuan, May 8, 2001 rescue in Baoxing field, in September 2003 transferred to China Giant Panda Research Center breeding. 2006。 In 2006, through 34 hours of the production process, it gave birth to the baby giant panda reproduction in the history of the heaviest (218 g), also set a record of the longest giant panda birth.

   "HASTILY",  Was born in 2002, grassland nature reserve in Wenchuan County, the earthquake has been seriously frightened, but the maternal instinct to keep a full stomach it was a small life, then first litter will be happy to go a pair of twins, each weighing 206.7 grams and 192.6 grams.  The time they are born just minutes apart, hit a giant panda breeding history of the production record of the shortest interval between twins.

  "BLACK BAMBOO"  Was born in the fall of 1999, by the end of 2005 weapons were found in the flat, early the next year was transferred to the Research Center in Ya'an Bifengxia base.  As in the wild injured and lumbar spine fractures, "black bamboo" can not walk to the site of the hind legs and wear a very serious, significant muscle atrophy, also suffering from malnutrition, anemia and liver dysfunction and other diseases, resulting in their foraging, activity is extremely difficult , just over 60 kg body weight.  Research Center staff adhere to its hind leg muscle massage and fed drugs, it is gradually restored ability to walk. 2007, it normal estrus and mating, but the cubs died abortion. 2009, it finally produced a class along.

  "BRITISH PING"   In October 2008 in the Canton River Conservation Area OF WENZHOU Chuan Tang family was rescued, the age of 8 years old, for the province after the earthquake, the first relief from the wild giant pandas.  Just when it was put back severely malnourished and had a black part of the Mao Doucheng gray eyes have cataracts, is now fully recovered, yet under the litter in captivity.

One of the goals to keeping giant pandas from becoming extinct is after a sustainable captive population is achieved through the breeding bases then a process would begin to release pandas back into the wild through a series of phases.  This phase places them into a large area of the Wolong Reserve where they will be closely monitored through surveillance cameras and minimal or preferably no human contact. 

The four pregnant females were selected after a thorough evaluation of all of their breeding female pandas.  Special criteria were set up for their selection .  Hopefully each female will bear a cub while living in the reserve and teach it to live on its own without the aid of humans. 

Thanks to Chet of Chet's Chatter who found this article that explains the process, it came off of the Sichuan Provincial People's Government website and this is where the descriptions for each panda was also.  Thank You to Chet and also to YingYing816 of YouTube for the photos of Cards, Hastily, Black Bamboo and British Ping. 

"July 20 morning 7:30,4 Field Training only be accepted from the Wolong China Giant Panda pregnant Giant Panda Research Center in Ya'an base in Auckland went to Wolong.  17:45 PM arrived in the Wolong China Giant Panda Research Center farm site.  This marks the Wolong Giant Pandas Field Training and the reintroduction of the second phase of the project officially entered the implementation phase of work.

This year, the female giant panda breeding program a total of 26, there were four finalists were "cards", "hasty", "black bamboo", and "Ying-Ping", they are from the mountain and Minshan Qionglai Mountains of the giant panda. The four giant pandas are the ambulance on the field, compared with other pandas, they have some experience of field survival, in which black bamboo, cards and carelessly  litter size in captive conditions, have good nursery experience and behavior.  The field of training programs, researchers in minimizing the impact of human factors on giant panda case, observation, monitoring and recording of a dam on litter size in nests of choice, farrowing, nursery and other behavior and growth and development of pups ." Sichuan Provincial People's Government

For another take on how this program will work, I am including a link from another news source that may explain it a little better only because the translation problems with the article from China. Pandas get lessons in survial skills

Another story was released just about the same time as this one and it ties in with release of the four females into the Wolong Reserve.

It has been discussed for years that giant pandas are facing extinction because of the tremendous reduction of suitable habitat that pandas need for their survival, such as the availability of food sources (bamboo) and the ability to mate.  But upon further observations of where pandas were living, they have discovered that many of them are living in small groups, isolated from others due obstructions such as developments, roadways, etc., throughout their habitat.

The WWF World Wildlife Fund has been actively involved with China to develop 'corridors' that would connect these segmented areas. They even put together a short video describing this as you can see below.

Here is an article, thanks to Lee of Facebook who alerted me to it, that discusses the genetic research that reveals why it is critical to connect these habitats.   You can read a abstract of the research here.

For pandas, there is a mountain high enough, there is a valley low enough
Zhu et al., BMC Genetics

"Fuwen Wei, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, worked with a team of researchers to study giant pandas in the Xiaoxiangling and Daxiangling mountains. He said, "These results suggest that gene flow will be enhanced if the connectivity between the currently fragmented bamboo forests is increased. This may be of importance to conservation efforts as gene flow is one of the most important factors for maintaining genetic diversity within a species and counteracting the negative effects of habitat fragmentation".

The giant panda is one of the most endangered mammals in the world. This is the first study to demonstrate that there is a relationship between landscape features and gene flow within their population. Wei and his colleagues recovered 192 fecal samples, which were found to come from 53 unique genotypes.

These 'genetic signatures' demonstrated signs of fragmentation within the panda population. The researchers said, "It is vital to reconnect the fragmented habitats and increase the connectivity of bamboo resources within a habitat to restore population viability of the giant panda in these regions".

More information: Landscape features influence gene flow as measured by cost-distance and genetic analyses: a case study for giant pandas in the Daxiangling and Xiaoxiangling mountains, Lifeng Zhu, Xiangjiang Zhan, Tao Meng, Shanning Zhang and Fuwen Wei, BMC Genetics (in press), http://www.biomedc … om/bmcgenet/"

Dear panda #20 nicknamed 'Beauty of Wolong' passes on

Annette from China relays some sad news today.  Panda #20, known as Quan Quan, died suddenly at the Jinan Zoo. 

"The death occurred at 10 pm Thursday inside a former air-raid shelter where zoo keepers had brought the panda, named Quan Quan, to escape the summer heat, said Liu Jungang, the spokesman for Jinan Zoo.

Experts and zoo staff are currently investigating the cause of death, said Liu.

The female panda Quan Quan, a superstar of Jinan Zoo and a "heroic mother", has given birth to seven cubs.

Quan Quan arrived at Jinan zoo three years ago. Now, at the age of 21, the panda was the equivalent age of a woman more than 70 years old."  China Daily.

She was wild born and brought to the Wolong Base, where she was a hero mother of these cubs.

2000 Xi Mei,
2001 twins[Xiang Xiang]& Fu Fu,
2003 twins Yang Gang& Xin Yue,
2004 Tong Tong

We have some videos taken back in April 2009, at the Jinan Zoo where she was currently living, to remember "Beauty of Wolong" as they called her at Wolong, thanks to Annette, (yingying816)

Rest in Peace, dear Quan.

San Diego describes the work day of a panda keeper, UPDATED

The San Diego Zoo panda staff has put together a couple of wonderful blog post that gives us a behind-scenes-sneak peak at what a keepers day is like.

Thanks so much to the zoo for getting this information out there, especially seeing that it is National Keepers Week.

Be sure to go to their panda blog site to read the article, check them out with these links:

Panda Keepers Day

Panda Keepers Day, Part Two

Panda Keepers Day, Part Three

Don't forget to check out their video collection. This one is narrated by Senior Keeper, Karen Barnes. Playtime for pandas

Mei Xiang of the National Zoo celebrates 12 years, UPDATED

Mei Xiang 'Beautiful Fragrance' celebrates her birthday today and the keepers should have a special 'fruitie' for her late in the morning today.  If you keep an eye on the Smithsonian National Zoo, live-web cam, you should be able to see her enjoying it! 

Mei was born at the Wolong Panda Base in China and came to the National Zoo on December 6, 2000, along with her partner Tian Tian, 'More,More'.  They have had one male cub named Tai Shan "Peaceful Mountain' who was born on July 9, 2005.  Tai has since moved to China to participate in the breeding program there.  He lives at the Bifengxia Panda Base near the city of Ya'an, China. 

Thanks to the beautiful photography of Mei by Unka Bobby of flickr in the graphic above. 

We hope you and Tian have a long stay at the National Zoo.  We have loved having you here in the US, along with your beautiful son who we all miss dearly.

BIRTHDAY PHOTOS! 

Thanks to daniel.techie of flickr.com, we have some great photos of Mei enjoying her birthday cake.  Thanks, Victor for letting us know how much she enjoyed her cake, too bad the weather is so hot!

 

Tian Tian, Mei's male partner also got a cake!

 

 

Mei Lan explores her big yard, photos! UPDATED

 

Here are the most recent photos and beautiful ones I might add of Mei Lan, formerly of Zoo Atlanta but is now living at the Chengdu Panda Base in Chengdu, China. 

These were taken on July 18, 2010 and I don't know how they got these except to walk in front of her, in the yard.  They may have had a treat that they lured her with.  Nonetheless, the photos came out wonderfully and Mei Lan looks right at home.  I can only post so many of the photos, so be sure to go to the Sina.com/cn/Xiongmao blog site to see all of the photos in a larger format. 

Here is the paragraph that introduces the photos from the Sina.com/cn/xiongmao (English) blog site.  Thank You. 

"Although the "Meilan" Back Chengdu base has more than five months, but may be used to the small playground in the United States, the base provides a large playground for her very low utilization.  She usually only in a small corner of the playground activities of daily living such indoor and outdoor corner of such a line of life.  But today, she was a bad move to change past habits, like the Queen visited the same territory of their own, and you look in her playground it."

I would like to add a better translation thanks to Bobby who left this comment for us.  Dr. Lan is quite the photographer and you can tell through his photos how much he loves pandas.   Thanks Bobby!

"Hi! I found a translation that I think was done by someone who speaks Chinese :-)

Mei Lan has been in Chengdu for almost five months. However, up until now she has not taken full advantage of the big yard our base has provided her with - probably because she was used to her smaller yard in the US. She usually walks in a straight line from her bedroom to one corner of her yard. At least until today when she decided to shrug off her shyness and boldly survey her kingdom.

And it's my understanding that the author of the blog and the photographer is Dr. Lan who is the head of the veterinary department in the Research and Breeding Base in Chengdu."

 

Be sure to THANK THE KEEPERS!

 
 

The AAZK American Association of Zoo Keepers, has designated the week of July 18 - 24th of July as 'National Zoo Keeper Week'.

"As the need to protect and preserve our wildlife and vanishing habitats has increased, our role as educators and wildlife ambassadors has become essential. During the third week of July each year, celebrate National Zoo Keeper Week; both you and your animals deserve the recognition."  AAZK

The zoo keepers are the 'unsung heroes' of zoo life.  So often, their hard work and dedication goes on unnoticed by the public as they quietly go about their business, cleaning out the enclosures, hauling in huge amounts of bamboo, preparing fresh fruit, taking weights and measurements of what the pandas eat and excrete and coming up with new ways to keep them enriched as well as keeping records of this.  They must be totally exhausted by the end of the day.  Keep in mind also that most keepers are assigned other animals in the zoo as well that they take care of in a day. 

I think keepers are the best way to bridge the important information about zoo animals to the public and I wish more zoos would allow their keepers more freedom to interact with the public through articles, meet-ups, updates, and video blogs etc., on a regular basis.

THANK YOU! so much, to all of the keepers around the world, even though this is a national holiday, I would like to extend it to all keepers also.  Maybe we can get a International Keepers Day or Week going. 

Be sure to give a big shout out to any of the keepers you see this week while at the zoo and you can even email or call the zoo to show your appreciation for their efforts.  

If you are interested in a career as a keeper here is the link for you to get more info.  Zoo Keeping as a Career

 

 

Wolong's first panda cub of 2010 is delivered!

Congratulations to everyone at the Wolong Panda base. 

"At 10:04 am of July 8, 2010, the giant panda "Zhu Yun" gives birth to CCRCGP's first panda cub of this year.  At present, it is known that the cub is male.  Its birth weight is 159.9 g and length is 14.8 cm.  It is healthy.

After mating with the female giant panda "Ling Ling" on this March 24, "Zhu Yun" shows obvious delivery tendencies from June 15.  At 9:15 am of July 8, its amniotic fluid broke.  At 10:04, the cub was born.

This time it is Zhu Yun's second time to deliver a cub.  Its first baby "Min Min" is one of the ten Expo Pandas because of its elegant figure and loveliness." Wolong Panda Club

 

Happy 12th Birthday to Le Le in Memphis

Le Le 'Happy Happy' was born on this day in 1998 at the Chongquing Zoo in China.  He and his partner Ya Ya have been at the Memphis Zoo in the US since 2003.  He is very laid back is quite the bamboo cruncher and loves sitting in his outdoor pool to keep cool.  Here are some photos that I got of Le Le taken last year.

 

 

Maybe you have seen this video before, it popped up on google alert again, so I thought I would include it here for you in case you missed it. The description that went with the video..."A baby panda makes cute noises as it tries to get up and over a step! Shot at the Wolong Giant Panda Breeding and Research Center in Sichuan, China!" Thanks to eglogie of YouTube for recording and sharing it for all of us to see. 

Keeping up with the 2010 Shanghai-10, Expo pandas

Here is a follow-up on the 10 adorable cubs that have now moved to their second location for the year as part of the Shanghai Expo. Here is a humorous news report that the China Daily did on them while they were at the Shanghai Zoo.

You can read about their first six months from our previous post 'Popular Expo Pandas in Shanghai are growing so fast!"'.

"The cubs are now living at the Shanghai Wildlife Park in Pudong, which has constructed a 3,000-square-meter exhibition area and bamboo forest.

The pandas will also get to enjoy ladders and swings, which are installed in their new home. The facilities are designed to encourage the pandas to exercise regularly."   China Daily

We have all been dealing with a lot of heat this summer and to keep the cubs cool, the Shanghai Wild Animal Park has installed air-conditioners for the 10 Expo pandas. The park's two panda exhibition halls each have six air-conditioners, which keep the enclosures between 20 C and 25 C

Thanks to Annette who recently returned with these photos after seeing the cubs backstage with their keepers, you can see how much work is involved in keeping each of these pandas healthy. 

Thank You to everyone who is caring for these cubs, we appreciate the hard work and dedication that you contribute to the care of these pandas.

As a side story I wanted to share with you a photo of a beautiful sculpture that was created by artist, Zhang Huan that was commissioned for the Expo. You can see more photos of this sculpture with the link.

Hehe Xiexie
May 2010, Mirror Finished Stainless Steel

This is Zhang's description of his work that was taken from his website.

Confucius said: Gentlemen are diverse while being harmonious. Social responsibility of Confucianism, Taoist "use close to get far", and the Buddhist ideals of cause and effect, they all speak harmony of thought. Heaven and man as one, harmonious society and development, harmonious cities and families bring prosperity all over the world. Hehe Xiexie is an image of two sitting pandas that harbor dreaming, righteousness with courage, perseverance, optimism, tolerance, and generosity. One is called "Hehe" the other "Xiexie", they are made of mirror-finished stainless-steel. In honor of the Shanghai World Expo, it will be erected on the north Expo Axis to serve as a permanent public sculpture near the China and Taiwan Pavilion.

As harmony grows among people as well as nations, peace will flourish in the world. Hehe Xiexie (Harmony) is the common dream of all inhabitants worldwide. As people advocate justice, pursue peace, and oppose war, a healthier environment is created on earth, making it more equal, more free and more gratifying. By establishing a new international order and the rising of great compassion, harmony can thrive in the world, with nature and in prospering times. This is our so called "grand harmony", to allow people to move completely from our big-self to our little-self and on to no-self, and then from no-self be released, always refining oneself to tolerant, harmonious, and generous new heights.

Follow-up videos of Tai Shan's birthday bash in China, Updated

Not only do we have the translation for China.com video that featured Tai on the TV news in China but we are also getting some wonderful movies that  YingYing816 who was present at Tai's BD recorded and has just made it home to process them so we can see them.  Thanks so much, 'Y'. 

Thanks to Chetchin of YouTube for getting the China.com video up onto YouTube and secondly thanks so much to 'Amanda in Singapore' who has provided the translation for us.  Following this are Ying's videos.  

TRANSLATION: On the 9th of July, celebration was held under the arrangement of Yaan BiFengXia for the first birthday panda Tai Shan had had since his return home, which was also his last pre-adulthood birthday. Tai Shan is the offspring of the two giant pandas currently residing in the US, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, conceived through artificial insemination. After spending four years of his life abroad at the National Zoo of Washington, he had arrived at the beginning of this year at the China's Panda Conservation Centre, the Yaan BiFengXia Base.

His birthday treat came in the form of a two-tiered cake made of ice. The words "Happy Birthday" were carefully spelled out with the use of bamboo leaves on the bottom layer of the cake, while the top layer was marked with a clear sign of the Arabic figure 5 arranged from bamboo leaves. On the top surface of the cake, five bamboo sticks were aligned around a big apple, while the cake was lavishly adorned with flowers, bamboo leaves, panda bread and apples all around it. At around 11 am, the cake was placed on a tray assembled from bamboo sticks, and was cautiously delivered by the workers to Tai Shan's villa. Among those who carried the cake were a pair of twin brothers from England, who finally placed the cake on the appointed spot. Amidst the warm and enthusiastic cheering of the crowd, Tai Shan strolled out at a leisurely pace, slowly approached the cake, and commenced eating it with large bites.

The Supervisor at the Base: "Today is Tai Shan's fifth birthday. We have just given him a birthday celebration. We wish him a great and happy birthday!"

The birthday wishes for him went on ceaselessly. Visitors from Japan, England and other countries were expressing in their different languages their well wishes for him...

Check out how well the renovation is coming along in Tai's permanent enclosure, Villa 1. It looks like everyone had a great time. A big Thank You to Annette also known as YingYing816 for all of these great photos.

Amazing BaSi turns 30 years old!

Isn't it just wonderful when you look at BaSi and realize what a life she has had. 

She looks fantastic for 30, this is great news because she was ill just a couple of months ago, but it looks like the good doctors at the Fuzhou Panda Base in Fuzhou took good care of her. 

Here are some photos of her birthday celebration.  BaSi has quite a history, so I have included a video I did awhile back on the Fuzhou base and the wonderful story of her almost dying at a very young age but getting rescued and then off to America to entertain everyone with her unique handling skills. The photos in the video were taken by yingying816 of YouTube and Leo uu of Flickr.

Congratulations dear BaSi and we wish many more happy birthdays to come!

Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico loans Shaun Shaun to another zoo

The Chapultepec Zoo in central Mexico has moved Shaun Shaun a 23 year old female panda to the Guadalajara Zoo in western Mexico. There are a couple of articles covering this story each covering different information about the zoos and Shaun Shaun. 

"Shuan Shuan was born in the Zoo on 15 June 1987. She is a sibling to Xiu Hua. Xin Xin ("hope" in Chinese) was conceived via artificial insemination and was born in the Zoo on 1 July 1990. Her mother is Tohui (she died 16 November 1993) and her father is Chia Chia from the London Zoo" ...source: Wikipedia

Thank You to  Lee of Facebook for sending this cool info our way!

Giant Panda Arrives at Mexican Zoo
Latin America Herald Tribune

GUADALAJARA, Mexico – A giant panda, one of the world’s most endangered species, is the new attraction at this western Mexican city’s main zoological park.

Shuan Shuan, one of 35 pandas living in captivity outside China, will remain at the Guadalajara Zoo until January 2011 in a 900-sq.-meter (9,670-sq.-foot) pavilion built especially for her and decorated with symbols from ancient China, that species’ country of origin.  (continue reading by clicking here)

Pandamania hits city zoo
Guadalajara Reporter

Chinese music played in the background as one dignitary explained how “a distinguished, very charismatic guest has been brought to Guadalajara.”

There was even a ribbon-cutting ceremony to greet the special visitor to its temporary new home.

But Shuan Shuan, the giant panda at the center of all the fuss, just chomped away on his bamboo shoot and stared back at the gawking eyes and photographers’ lenses with the nonchalance of a seasoned celebrity. (Continue reading by clicking here)

Tai Shan turns 5 years old today! Updated

Tai is five and living high up in the mountains of China now.  The Bifengxia Base is planning quite a celebration for him.  We hope to see photos and videos of him as the day goes on. 

I put together this video of all of the birthday wishes that many of you left as comments when we were talking about sending a birthday card to him.  For anyone who has never witnessed how much joy Tai took in having a fruitie, I have also provided a great short-take video of Tai eating one.  Thanks to the great close up recorded by RoxandaBear of flickr.

Here is the article that Bifenxia put together along with some wonderful photos of Tai enjoying his 5th Birthday cake.  I just love the creativity that the Chinese put into their celebrations.  This cake has all kinds of neat decorations and they are all eatable.  Happy Birthday Tai!

Thank You to anita~~~u r responsible for your rose of flickr for posting these photos.  I was able to find all except the very first one on the Bifengxia Tai blog site. 

Tarzan" in the rain to celebrate the birthday Ya

Today, the "Tarzan" five years old, the Chinese Giant Panda Research Center for the Taishan enthusiastically celebrated the birthday. This is the Mount's first birthday after returning well before the age of Taishan farewell last birthday. An elegant drizzle, a special cake, a group of all sides of the "Tarzan fans" with this meaning Taishan spend extraordinary birthday.

Morning, the rain came much to the fans at Mount Taishan Panda Base leopards lived in villas next to the mountain Rain is still falling, when volunteers and keepers will be carried to a special cake "inside sheds Taishan, Taishan is also pacing the elegant character to the cake within the next, the audience spontaneously sang happy birthday to Mount Song.

In the crowd's attention, Taishan first on the cake off the Big Apple, breathing great to eat it, then put the cake on behalf of the age of five shoots a one to unplug, sent to the mouth. In Taishan "sweep" Light of the cake all the apple slices and Wowotou, it plays a game of ice. Mount Tai is used in the cake was a bit exhausted. When the "Tarzan" after eating the cake into the indoor pens, "Tarzan fans" are also around the fence next to the "Taishan" Farmer to thinking about the "Happy Birthday" for a long time refused to leave. “

Happy Birthday ”Research Center staff Taishan special birthday cake prepared cake layer constitutes the main by the ice, the bottom on the use of bamboo carefully spell out "Happy Birthday" words, there are bamboo top form in the bright "5". Birthday cake surrounded by a bamboo shoot five of the Big Apple, dotted around the bamboo, apple slices, ice and Panda Wowotou, there are a bunch of flowers with dew placed beside the cake will be even more beautiful decorated cake. February 5 this year after returning, Taishan adapt quickly to the home environment, climate and food. And with the Chinese Giant Panda Research Center staff to establish a good relationship of trust.

At present, the "Tarzan" excellent health, weight just came back from a long time of 87 kilograms to 110 kilograms. “ "Tarzan" in love with the home all kinds of bamboo and panda Wowotou special, and, Taishan mountain leopards lived in Villa No. 5 has a variety of terrain, complete sports facilities, to provide sufficient stretch Taishan body place. With the increased activity in Taishan body is increasingly becoming fit. In addition, the breeder told reporters Huangshan, Taishan is the only wise panda, giant panda returned to training after it received excellent progress, it already can listen to breeder command, and can meet with staff, in the absence of a state of complete anesthesia, blood, B ultrasonic routine physical examination.

Would you like to be a giant panda keeper?

Oh, wouldn't this be a dream job!   Alot of work is involved but the rewards would be priceless and they mention you may get a chance to work with Mei Lan (photo to the left) who arrived at Chengdu from Zoo Atlanta.

You have a chance to participate in this for one month.  There are no details as to how to apply yet but as soon as they are released I will post them here.  Great article and it continues after the break.

Thank you Xi Shan of flickr for sending this our way!

China launches global search for panda keepers
By Marianne Barriaux (AFP)

CHENGDU, China — Yang Gangkun calls out to two pandas lying on their backs chewing bamboo. They push themselves up and slowly amble over for their morning workout in a breeding centre in southwest China.

The 24-year-old is a panda keeper at the Chengdu Panda Base in Sichuan province -- which will soon offer contestants from around the world a chance to help look after the endangered animals for a month.

As Yang dangles an apple fixed to a rod over the wall of their enclosure, Jing Jing and Xiao Yatou stand up on their hind legs and reach awkwardly for the treat with their big paws -- an exercise aimed at bulking them up.

"The best is when you're on duty and you walk on the partition between enclosures," says Yang, after the eight pandas he cares for with 14 other keepers have retired to their indoor air-conditioned pens.

"When it sees you, the panda runs over. When you run, it follows and runs too. It's like it's studying the way you are, it's great."

Officials at the base are planning to give animal lovers from around the world the opportunity to sample Yang's job by launching a global search for six panda keepers as part of an awareness campaign on the plight of the animals.

Organisers say that from August, they will be looking for "bright, articulate and engaging individuals from China and around the world, who care deeply about conservation issues" to spend one month in Chengdu.

The winners will "learn how unique these animals truly are, assist researchers and scientists there, and help raise awareness by blogging to millions of people around the world about their experience," organisers note.

Cutie pie, Xi Lan is ready to celebrate the holiday

Today the USA celebrates it's independence with the 4th of July holiday.  Picnics, barbecues, concerts and fireworks all play part of the fun celebrations. 

So, if you stop by to see the pandas today in the US, be sure to wish them a Happy 4th of July!

Thanks to bob2cleo for great photos of Xi Lan who lives at Zoo Atlanta.  He was born on August 30, 2008.  You can see more of their panda photos following the link to their name.