These next couple of weeks will zip by I'm sure. It always does when an impending event is about to take place that I'm not particularly excited about, you know like going to the dentist. It's necessary, but ugh!
Through the marvel of live webcams, photos and stories from fellow panda fans who make it to see the pandas and the experience of my own visits, I have been on a fun journey observing three giant pandas from the first days of their lives through to an up-and-coming day when Su Lin of the San Diego Zoo, Mei Lan of the Zoo Atlanta and Tai Shan of the National Zoo, will be leaving for China.
I have to count myself as being blessed to witness the transformation these three have gone through, following them from the day they were born to watching them grow and becoming more confident with each passing year.
It was amazing to watch them as they astutely observed their moms while she taught them the skills needed to handle and eat the different parts of the bamboo stalk for sustenance. Playful romps, wrestling matches and tree climbing adventures were other lessons that the cubs would partake in not knowing they would translate into life saving skills for them later on.
Now, as they reach adulthood, it is time for them to take their own place in this world as part of this unique species.
Thanks to all of the wonderful people in the U.S. who have worked so closely with these three that we have been able to learn more about these gentle giants through their observations that they have shared through scientific reports, blogs and cam monitoring.
I will miss Su, Mei and Tai, I can't deny that and I hope to be able to keep up with them in the future.
Looks like making that trip to China will become a reality now.
In the meantime, if you want to see one of them before they leave for China, you should try to stop by and see them within the next couple of weeks.
Thanks to jdbartross, daniel.techie and ajay77*, and bob2cleo all of flickr for the trip down memory lane with the photos of Su Lin, Mei Lan and Tai Shan, when they were still just cubs and more recent photos.
