Pandas Live on

Holiday Season brings a gracious gift to the National Zoo panda program

Mei Xiang and Tian Tian of the national zoo may not be aware of the wonderful news that was posted in the Washington Post this morning, but you can be sure all of their panda fans are extremely grateful. 

A big Thank You goes out to David M.Rubenstein who has reportedly donated 4.5 million dollars toward the zoo's panda reproduction program.  As a regent with the Smithsonian, he heard of the zoo's difficulty in acquiring the much needed funds to keep the reproduction program going.  

“When I heard about it,” Rubenstein said, “I thought . . . ‘We have been residents of Washington for a long time. We took our children to the zoo when they were younger. I’m a Smithsonian regent.’ And I thought it would be a nice holiday gift for the zoo and people in Washington.”

You are certainly right about the donation being a nice holiday gift, Mr. Rubenstein.  For those of us who keep up with the National Zoo Pandas, maybe your donation will turn the tide for a new cub or two in the coming years.  May you and your family have a wonderful holiday season!

$4.5 million gift to support National Zoo panda efforts  
By Michael E. Ruane, Monday, December 19, 3:02 AM, Washington Post

The National Zoo plans to announce Monday that philanthropist David M. Rubenstein is donating $4.5 million to its giant panda reproduction program, bolstering the zoo’s ability to maintain one of Washington’s most popular attractions at a time of economic strain.

The donation, which Rubenstein described as a holiday gift to the zoo and the city, will cover the tab for five years of giant panda reproduction efforts and for other panda research here and in China. The pandas, on loan from China, previously had their stay extended through 2015, but the zoo had been having trouble securing corporate sponsorship for a program that has delighted and captivated zoogoers for more than a decade.

Now, zoo officials can stop worrying about fundraising for the pandas and turn to what they consider a far more important task: The often frustrating effort to produce panda cubs. The zoo has said that 2012 is probably the last year it will try to achieve a pregnancy with its current pair of giant pandas.

Officials plan to announce the donation during a news conference at the zoo to be attended by Rubenstein; the Chinese ambassador to the United States, Zhang Yesui; the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Wayne Clough; and National Zoo Director Dennis W. Kelly.

Zoo officials, privately, expressed excitement about the development, but they declined to comment officially before the formal announcement.

Rubenstein is a co-founder and managing director of the Carlyle Group, a global asset-management firm. He is also a member of the board of regents at the Smithsonian, which operates the zoo, and chairman of Washington’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Panda Census Continues, new technology helping researchers

Rising high above the hustle and bustle of a busy and expanding China are where our dear pandas live now.  Having been forced to move into these small regions due to China's population growth, it takes some special people willing to climb and explore these mountains to conduct the latest panda census. 

MSNBC went along with a couple of the researchers to show us how the census is coming along how the use of gps and other technological advances are helping.

 

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Here are a couple of maps thanks to the WWF, that show previous habitat and current map zoomed in showing areas the giant pandas now live.

Team Husar and their wonderful panda photography

Oh, drats its August and Monday and....well that's enough already! 

As I make sure to purchase at least one giant panda calendar each year, this months 2011 WWF calendar and gorgeous photo that was taken by Team Husar.com  helps to remind me of the important things in life, as well as put a smile on my face and I'm sure it will do the same for you.

Team Husar are actually Lisa & Mike Husar who take wildlife photos and this is one of their photos that was featured on the WWF giant panda calendar this year.  Of course, the watermark is not part of the photo on the calendar, but because the calendar photo is so large I would have had to seriously crop it when scanning it, which I didn't want to do. Be sure to check out all of their beautiful photos on their website. Team Husar Wildlife Photography.

Thanks to the WWF and Husars who bring these special moments to us throughout the year. 

A little bit about Team Husar from their website.  

"Lisa & Mike Husar have been capturing unique wildlife images on film since 1993, the year they founded Team Husar Wildlife Photography. Since then, the couple's award-winning photographs have been widely published in magazines, books, calendars, greeting cards, posters, and in the advertising industry. National and worldwide conservation organizations such as World Wildlife Fund, the National Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club and Defenders of Wildlife regularly feature Team Husar's work in their publications. In addition, the Husar's photography has appeared in the prestigious Smithsonian Institution's Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.

Photographing wildlife isn't just a job for this husband and wife team - it's a passion. In addition, Lisa & Mike feel they have an obligation not only to obtain great natural history photos, but also to use those images to help educate people about the importance of human coexistence with the Earth's wild creatures. They are committed to wildlife preservation and actively participate in both local and national conservation organizations. The couple lives in West Bend, Wisconsin."

The Curious History of China's Political Animal

If you are looking for a new panda book to read this summer, while you are lounging on the beach, The Way of the Panda, is the book for you. 

Author, Henry Nicholls has spent quite a few years researching the material for this book including traveling to China, volunteering to work with the pandas at the Chengdu Base, as well as speaking with scientists and many others who could provide details of the pandas interesting history.

His book has received great reviews from across the globe.  Here are a few of them.

"A fascinating story of an extraordinary animal," Desmond Morris

"Henry Nicholls expertly charts the panda's decades of fame and binds together many intriguing facets of 150 years of Sino-Western interaction," Daily Mail

"The book reads somewhat like Gone With the Wind, with the sweeping events of Chinese history in the background and pandas playing the roles of Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler," David Pilling, Financial Times

"Nicholls has written an engaging popular science narrative of the panda's discovery...cleverly interwoven with its symbolic role and significance for wildlife conservation, as well as with the politics of the period," Morning Star

It is available on Amazon.com and also on the Amazon Kindle.  Henry also has a website called The Way of the Panda where he further discusses the book.

I just loved this book.  Henry's writing style keeps the pace going from the moment Armand David first discovered the panda on to the many people and pandas who's lives have become so intertwined throughout history. 

Thank You Henry for all of the tremendous effort you have put into this book.  It is a book that every panda lover should have in their library. 

The future of giant pandas is complicated

I don't know if you have read the recently published book by Henry Nichols, "The Way of the Panda", but it is definitely worth your time.

Henry has done alot of research on this book, traveling to China to review ancient journals, talking to many people including scientists who have worked with pandas in the past and present, along with volunteering at the Chengdu Panda Base. 

He travels to promote his book and The Scotsman recently caught up with Henry in conjunction with the arrival of the pandas to the Edinburgh Zoo.

 

Mad about the bear: why are we fascinated by pandas?

Published Date: 22 April 2011 By Alice Wyllie

With a breeding pair set to take residence at Edinburgh Zoo, our reporter meets a man who says there's more to it than just looking like a real-life cuddly toy.

SO, WHAT'S black and white and has got us far more excited than the Royal Wedding ever could? It's got to be the giant panda, or more specifically a particular breeding pair of giant pandas. Since it was confirmed that this other royal couple – Tian Tian and Yangguang – are to take up residence at Edinburgh Zoo, the pair have barely been out of the headlines.

Why do these beasts elicit such excitement and curiosity? Why, when Edinburgh Zoo is already home to a spectacular array of lions and tigers and bears (oh my) are these animals guaranteed to get the turnstiles spinning at record speeds?

Author Henry Nicholls will attempt to answer these questions in his talk, The Way of the Panda, as part of the Edinburgh International Science Festival this evening. Nicholls, a panda expert, is fascinated by our fascination with pandas and will set out to explore the political and historical significance of these real-life cuddly toys, whose story incorporates politics, corruption, death and scandal.

Indeed everything but – if one of the many myths surrounding them is to be believed – sex.

Believe YOU can make a difference!

Google's Earth Day picture that interacts when you run your mouse over it.

 

The wonderful photo used in this graphic is from the Wolong Garden Blog that is following the successful work that is being done to introduce giant pandas back into the wild through different phases. 

Thanks to the hard work of the group of scientist/ veterinarians that are enduring what must be cumbersome but beneficial panda suits to reduce their human imprint on the cub.  Momma Hastily, gave birth to her cub at the Wolong base in phase One. 

This entry is from February 2011.

"Expert rating: may feel more secure in the trees, but also that it has a certain degree of independence and self-protection

10 am yesterday, too, the opposition of the world's first training base for only six months of the birth of the baby panda was officially named "Tao Tao."

Altitude of 1800 meters from the small Field Training moved to 2100 meters of medium-sized Field Training Area, weighing about 12 kg of "Tao Tao" was put into the sling, wearing a specially made by the panda keeper at the back of mountain clothing, and re- 120 kg of "hastily" were put into large metal cages weighing 80 kg, 11 from the Wolong local villagers carried into the home.

Mother and son's moving a total of nearly a half-hour time-consuming, although there is still snow-covered mountain, rugged walking, but the whole process is very smooth."

Good luck to Tao Tao.  We will keep up with the work that is being done here. 

Pandas, Pandas everywhere!

The digital age of photography has certainly made sharing images and videos with the world much easier then in the days of processing film.

I am going to try and share several stories with accompanying pictures and news reports about pandas from around the world in one post today because first off I'm behind and secondly I have plenty more to share with you in the days to come. 

Bi Li and Xian Nu to meet the Public

Let's start with good news about the newly arrived panda pair that now make their home at the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo.  Due to the devastating tsunami that struck Japan the 5 year olds Bi Li and Xian Nu had their public opening delayed to ensure their safety. 

Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who was affected by this tragic disaster and we will continue to pray and support you in the years ahead.  

The zoo has announced the big day now.  Here is the story from The Stait Times.

"OSAKA - THE Tokyo government said on Tuesday a local zoo will start showing giant pandas from Friday, when it will resume operations after a temporary closure following a deadly earthquake and tsunami.

A pair of the animals, leased from China, arrived at Ueno Zoo on Feb 21, causing a media frenzy in the panda-loving nation.

They were originally scheduled to appear before the public from March 22.

But the zoo closed after the 9.0-magnitude quake and deadly tsunami on March 11, which also caused a massive nuclear power plant accident, prompting a nationwide radiation scare.

The zoo will wave admission fees for victims of the natural disasters until April 10, the Tokyo metropolitan government said." -- AFP

Fu Hu goes outside for the first time

Fu Hu sniffing the fresh air.  March 25, 2011 - Zoo Vienna

"The seven-month-old panda offspring at the zoo yesterday made his first trip in springtime weather in the outdoor complex. No sooner had the door open, Fu Hu has won curiosity and he followed his mother into the open. "Anything new is exciting, of course. He is getapst through the grass, has nibbled on bushes, sniffing everything and found the hollow tree trunk the same as a game and hiding place, "said zoo director Dagmar Schratter."

"While his mother Yang Yang bamboo eaten with relish, their offspring proved during his two-hour trip once again be climbing skills. "After a round in the cage he is straight, the branches of the climbing scaffold and then cheerfully climbed around gymnastics. Back in the indoor unit is he fell asleep on one of his favorite places exhausted, "says zoologist Eveline Dungan."

"Thus, the now 13-pound and 91 inches wide Pandabub During his excursions in the open air is safe, some precautions were taken: The shrubs were cut back, left out the water in the pond. But his mother has already always keep a watchful eye on him. Whenever the two are attracted to outdoor activities, outside the door is now open to them."

Pandas take part in the 2011 Xi'an World Garden Expo

Oh, being a Horticulturist myself, I wish I could be over there and then I could take in two of my favorite things in life, plants and pandas.  

"The "Four Treasures of the Qinling Mountains," namely the giant panda, crested ibis, takin and golden monkey, were officially relocated in the Four Treasures Museum of Qinling Park at the Xi'an World Garden Expo on March 28. They will live there for the next half year until the Xi'an World Garden Expo closes.

The Shaanxi Province Rare Wildlife Rescue Research Center selected a total of 42 rare animals, including seven giant pandas, 20 crested ibises, five takins and 10 golden monkeys, as the mascots of Qinling Park at the Xi'an World Garden Expo. These rare animals were transported in special boxes and arrived at the Four Treasures Museum at the Xi'an World Garden Expo at 10 a.m. on March 28."

I found a animated video that showcases the Expo and you can read more about the pandas in the article that was just released titled; "Rare animals arrive at Xi'an World Garden Expo' from Peoples Daily Online.

 

 Queen Sophia of Spain stops in to see the cubs

"Spanish Queen Sofia poses with twin pandas Po and De De at the Madrid Zoo & Aquarium March 29, 2011. The twin pandas were born on September 7, 2010 conceived through artificial insemination in a joint effort by Spain's National Research council and scientists from China. The cubs are the first of their species to be born in Spain since 1982 and only the third litter to be born in Europe, according to Chinese veterinarian Yuan Bo, who travelled from Beijing to assist the birth and the first months of the newborns."(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) 

What a great time the Queen had with these sweeties.  Kudos to the Queen for taking time out of her busy schedule to share a moment with them, understanding the importance the birth of these cubs are.  There are more photos just follow the link above.

You can keep up with more panda videos of the pandas at the Madrid Zoo on their Parques Reunidos YouTube website.

Edinburgh Zoo and their plans to have pandas is getting close to reality

Alot of things are on going on behind the scenes as the Edinburgh Zoo prepares to accept their panda pair, Tian Tian and Yang Guang. Even though I have seen some articles posted questioning the availability for the funding for this project, it looks like everything is coming together due to the diligence of some strong leaders. Congratulations to the Edinburgh Zoo and all of UK.

Keepers meet giant pandas that are being loaned to Edinburgh Zoo - picture

by Lynn White, Daily Mirror

RELAXING on a bench, these two seem to be hitting it off – even though it’s their very first meeting and one of them is a giant panda. Zookeeper Alison Maclean met this cute chap in Ya’an, China.

She was also introduced to a pair of pandas who are being loaned to Edinburgh Zoo as part of a historic breeding programme.

Alison will be caring for Tian Tian and Yang Guang, both eight. She said: “It’s a real honour. I’m extremely excited to be working so closely with these precious bears.

Acting Consul General Zhou Youbin Attends the Dinner in Recognition of "the China/UK Giant Panda Project"

On March 16th, Acting Consul General Zhou Youbin attended the dinner in recognition of "the China/UK Giant Panda Project" in the Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle. The event was organised by the Scottish Government and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. Among over 70 attendees, there were Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs & the Environment Mr. Richard Lochhead MSP, Minister for Climate Change and the Environment Ms. Roseanna Cunningham, President of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland Mr. John Spence OBE, and representatives from the tade, financial and educational fields from Scotland.

First of all, Mr. Lochhead MSP mentioned that last time he was in this very hall, the First Minister welcomed His Excellency Vice Premier Li Keqiang to Scotland in January where, the atmosphere during the evening was extremely. He said, the following morning, we were delighted that His Excellency was able to witness the signing of an historical agreement to loan a pair of breeding giant pandas to Edinburgh Zoo. This concluded five long years of negotiations between the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and their Chinese counterparts, the Chinese Wildlife Conservation Association. I think it is safe to say that a special welcome will given to Tian Tian and Yangguang the pair of breeding giant pandas which have been identified to make their new home at Edinburgh Zoo. Edinburgh Zoo, in my mind, is the ideal location to house China's most iconic symbol due to the world leading research, breeding programmes and animal conservation to which the Zoo can rightly boast.

However, this project is not just simply about two very special animals coming from China to Edinburgh Zoo. There are wider benefits for Scotland to contemplate and take forward, especially in terms of tourism, business and education. And it has been almost 20 years since giant pandas were last seen in the UK. I hope you all agree that is a great opportunity to give every pupil in Scottish education an excellent opportunity to study and see pandas up close and personal. I'm sure the enthusiasm for learning about the pandas will encourage even more schools to link to the Confucius Classroom Hubs network across Scotland, so that children can have access to learning more about Chinese language and culture.

Mr. Zhou expressed his immense pleasure to join this celebration of the signing of the agreement on conservation and research of giant pandas. It was 5 years ago when the Giant Panda Project was initiated. Many people at that time took it much unlikely for giant pandas to make their home in Edinburgh. The road to happiness is always full of hardships. With continuous efforts by various parties, the project was finally secured during the visit to the UK by the Chinese Vice-Premier HE Li Keqiang at the beginning of this year. During the 5-year long hard work, the Chinese Consulate General in Edinburgh has been doing its best part, which we are quite proud of.

The Chinese people cherish very much the friendship with the Scottish people, which I think is the most important reason for the Chinese Government to approve of giant pandas Tiantian and Yangguang setting their new home at the Edinburgh Zoo. As the Ambassadors of Friendship, the couple wil undoubtedly help further promote mutual understanding between our two nations and consolidate the friendship between our two peoples.

Edinburgh is well known for its advantage in the field of life sciences and the Edinburgh Zoo is richly experienced in the wildlife conservation, education and research. I strongly believe that the Giant Panda Project is a win-win model. It will do good to the giant panda species, researching for the better disease treatment, breeding and survival in the wild. Meanwhile it can help the Edinburgh Zoo become one of the most popular and leading zoos in the world.

The name Tiantian means sweet and Yangguang means sunshine, which can be regarded as symbols of the good sentiments between our two peoples and brighter future for our two nations. The Consulate as always would like to join hands with the cencerned departments and institutions to make the Giant Panda Project a complete success and further promote the friendly and cooperative relationship between China and Scotland to a new height.

The celebration was prevailed with an atmosphere of rejoicing and festivity. Many guests expressed their eagerness to see Tiantian and Yangguang and willingness to offer their biggest support to the Giant Panda Project.  Source: .fmprc.gov.cn