SAN DIEGO ZOO
Well, I got up early to see 7 month old, sweetheart Yun Zi of the San Diego Zoo live on NBC Today. Wouldn't you know it, he decided to sleep in during the whole interview but the zoo had some great video that they showed while senior mammal keeper, Kathy Hawk continued the interview. Good going Kathy!
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STEVE IRWINS LEGACY LIVES ON
Bindi Irwin along with her mom, Terri and brother, Robert toured the Fuiji Giant Panda Habitat at the Smithsonian Zoo this last week.
They got a up close and personal visit with daddy Tian Tian. Bindi is on a nationwide tour to promote the release of her movie Willy 4, Escape from Pirates Cove to DVD this month.
Best of luck to you Bindi, your wonderful dad, Steve, would be so proud!
Thanks to JustJared for posting these photos.
SHANGHAI WILD ANIMAL PARK
I am amazed at the state of the art facilities for giant pandas that are now being built around the world. We have had a chance to see the new facility at the Adelaide Zoo, where Wang Wang and FuNi hang out, another was recently added to Ocean Parks' Amazing Asian Animals where they moved Ying Ying and Le Le and now The Shanghai Daily reports that 13 pandas will be moved into a new panda home at the Shanghai Wild Animal Park.
"Among them are 10 pandas sent to Shanghai from Sichuan Province to meet the public during the city's World Expo from May through October, today's Oriental Morning Post reported. Their new home has 500-square-meter "bedrooms" as well as a 1,000-square meter playground surrounded by bamboo covering 10,000 square meters, park officials said. Air-conditioning has been installed in the new quarters, built of environmentally friendly materials. Some "bedrooms" have been fitted with hammocks and others with trees to suit the pandas' individual sleeping preferences. Construction of the panda's new home is expected to finish around the end of March. Currently the 10 pandas from Sichuan are at Shanghai Zoo." Thanks to Xi Shanof flickr for sending this story our way.
ZOO ATLANTA
Congratulations to Zoo Atlanta on receiving 2 Atlanta Marketer of the Year Awards for their 'Give So They Stay Campaign'.
"Zoo Atlanta was a finalist in two categories, General Advertising and Integrated PR Campaign, and won both honors during an awards gala hosted on Thursday, March 11, at the Fox Theatre. Entries were judged on program strategy; tactical execution; creative artwork and video; audience impact and achievement of quantifiable results.
“Zoo Atlanta is delighted to have been recognized by the AMY Awards,” said Marcus E. Margerum, Vice President of Marketing and Sales. “Give So They Stay was a great example of a team effort between Zoo Atlanta’s Marketing and Public Relations and Communications divisions, and these awards exemplify the hard work and commitment that made the campaign so successful.”
Kudos to Marcus and his team who worked so very hard in making this program a success so that the zoo was able to keep the pandas we so dearly love. You can read the complete article at: Zoo and Aquarium Visitor .
CHENGDU PANDA BASEFinally, I wanted to leave you with this cute video that I came across. It was taken by a tour group called Overland China that hosts tours in China, now I am not promoting them because I know nothing about them, but because it was taken at the Chengdu Panda Base where our sweet Mei Lan just recently moved to, and it gives us a little peak at what the inside of what the base looks like. What made the one video so special though is the expressions of the young children that are visiting the pandas. Have a great weekend.
Giant Pandas from Overland China on Vimeo.
Giant Pandas from Overland China on Vimeo.
