American-Born Pandas Struggle In China

Giant panda twins Mei Lun and Mei Huan were born and raised in Atlanta, but not as a birthright citizens, and at age three they were returned to China. But since they were raised as Americans, the pandas only understand English, and their new Sichuanese-speaking keepers are finding them difficult to handle. Panda researchers in China can recognize basic panda vocalizations, but the twins probably speak panda with a Georgia drawl.

Mei Lun and Mei Huan don’t like the local food, either. The cuisine at the Chengdu Panda Breeding Center is not up to the standards of Zoo Atlanta, where the beasts feasted on sugarcane, bananas, rice gruel, carrots, apples, sweet potatoes, and high-fiber panda biscuits, not just bamboo and steamed bread.

More:

“U.S.-born panda twins return to China, but struggle with the language and food,” Simon Denyer, Washington Post

“Zoo Atlanta Panda Twins Move to China, Don’t Care for Country’s Food and Can’t Understand Chinese,” Kelli Bender, People

“American-born pandas return to China, struggle with adapting to local language, food,” Alex Linder, Shanghaiist

“Returned giant panda twins prefer western lifestyle,” Xinhua, via Global Times

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Double-Good News from Washington DC

In the Nation’s Capital, Congress and the President may be on vacation, but the Smithsonian’s National Zoo has been busy. The zoo’s 17-year-old Giant Panda Mei Xiang gave birth to two cubs over the weekend. The twins are pink, and while new-born pandas are often said to be be the size of sticks of butter, they’re really more like packs of Starburst. The father of the two is Tian Tian, who had a little help from the National Zoo staff. Mother and cubbies are doing fine.

More:

“National Zoo’s twin pandas are only the 3rd set to be born at a U.S. zoo,” Michael E. Ruane, Washington Post

“It’s panda-monium! National Zoo says Mei Xiang has twins,” Jessica Gresko, AP via Deseret News

“Bamboo-zled: Panda surprises with birth of twins,” AFP via Asia Times

“Double the Joy at National Zoo as Panda Gives Birth to Twins,” Daniel Politi, Slate

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Panda Viewing

The Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoological Park made a rare juvenile female Ailuropoda melanoleuca available for public observation today, and hundreds of researchers participated. Review of preliminary field notes indicates wide agreement that the specimen is a widdle bitty roly-poly fuzzy-wuzzy cutise-wootsie-poo.

Name the Panda Cub

The National Zoo’s cute little panda princess needs a name. Vote here (or here for the Chinese ballot). Voting closes November 22nd.

More:

“Name of zoo’s giant panda cub is going up for a vote,” Michael E. Ruane, Washington Post

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Panda Passion

There’s romance in the air at the Edinburgh Zoo, but it’s in the minds of zookeepers, not in the hearts of the pair of pandas they hope to breed. Tian Tian and Yang Guang (“Sunshine” and “Sweetie”) got together on a brief date which included a cuddle, but cupid’s arrow missed its mark. The Sun has video (the swine).

The female panda only goes into heat for 1 day a year, leaving 364 when she’s JUST NOT IN THE MOOD thankyouverymuch. Pass the bamboo, please.

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The Panda Express

Washington-born panda Tai Shan (known locally as “Butterstick“) is set to leave the National Zoo for Bifengxia (“Green Peak Canyon”) in China. By FedEx.

Federal Express has prepared a special “Panda Express” airplane to transport the four-year-old chubby cub to a panda breeding center in his ancestral home. The plane’s name is rather unfortunate; it’s the same as Andrew and Peggy Cherng’s 820-store fast food chain.

Tai Shan, the Movie

Tai Shan, the young Giant Panda born in Washington DC, is heading to his ancestral homeland to seek romance. Okay, to participate in a breeding program in Sichuan Province, China.

Still, it sounds like a great premise for a film.

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Creditor Repossesses DC Panda

Tai Shan, the National Zoo’s four-year-old panda cub, will be sent to the People’s Republic of China, the largest U.S. creditor, Smithsonian officials announced today. 

The United States owes China approximately eleventy-seven trillion dollars plus three giant pandas.

Panda repo details here.

 

Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

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