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Published: September 13th 2006
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At the Panda Breeding Center in Chengdu
It is like having your picture taken with a "Hollywood-star" How can a personal encounter with a "smirking" Panda-Bear not be a happy life's moment? But we were not prepared for what this morning had waiting for us, and later had difficulty finding words to express the experience...
An early sun-rise-visit to the Panda Breeding Center near Chengdu, the Capitol of Sichuan Province of South-Central China, on this rather rainy morning, had at times been discussed. All of Arthur's meticulous and tireless planning brought us this moment. We were heading for an "enchanting" encounter, right out of a story-book, and something I have only dreamed about. This was to become a beautiful day.
All of my research and reading had suggested, that the true "panda-spectacle" takes place early, when these fairy-tale-like-creatures are about to enjoy the first and the freshest bamboo of their day. What to us is a Crispy-Creme-Donut-Morning, fresh and choice Bamboo-Sprouts do it for the Giant Panda every time.
A misty and rainy sunrise, gives the bear additional spunk, and much of the morning-activity helps clear- out "Yesterday's meal " and make room for "Today's supply", usually some 50 pounds of bamboo a day. (That's alot of ruffage and fiber!!) Tree-acrobatics help with the internal
He asked me to scratch an itch.
... and how can you refuse that face? movement of the already digested "sludge", providing ample opportunity for hours of enjoyment, while tasting the newest crop.
This celebrated- though rare- creature is one of nature's gentle gifts to mankind, yet man is the only preditor this harmless, huggable giant has to fear. In the wild, less than 1,400 Pandas are estimated to exist. Their natural habitat is only in China, and serious efforts have been made to improve their chances for survival.
It has become a marriage of gene-technology and old fashioned seduction, in some of the world's better zoos, that have brought success to current panda-breeding. The Atlanta Zoo has just added one more to the panda-baby-count, while only some 125 pandas are cared-for in all of the world's zoos.
With less than 1,500 living Pandas in the world remaining, to survive, it helps to be cute!!! To be protected from extinction, the movie-star-like-quality of each Panda has created whole industries. Man is finally learning, that it is better to profit from the "likeness" of a stuffed-animal, than from the "actual hide" of the animal.
And make no mistake, this animal is cute in all of it's manifestations: From the way it looks,
to the way it eats, to the way it behaves, and to the way it gives rare and confusing birth to a screetching-baby, no larger than a pink mouse. It truly becomes a miracle-baby, and its image has become a symbol of our resposibility to be good stewards to the blessings of ALL life.
A Panda eats around 50 pounds of bamboo each day, even though they have the digestive track of a meat-eating animal. Since only 25 per cent of the nutrients are digested, much of their day is spent sleeping and resting. They are most active in the mornings, when they feast and encourage each other in friendly play.
These activities are exhausting. By mid-day each will have found a branch, balance like trapiz-artists on a wire and snooze, only to dream about the next serving of bamboo-sprouts.
The Pandas find greatest enjoyment in the morning, entertaining each other in solo-tumbles and acrobatics, looking clumsy, as if to fall any moment, and then, to the applause and delight of adults and children alike, find one more successful hold.
There are now over 10 reserves in China, that have been set aside for the preservation
only a few days old
Now tell me if this doesn't look like a cutest little "turd" with two eyes?? of the Pandas. At times, they can be seen in family groups, though they tend to be loners and can live for almost 30 years.
As we use cologne to mark our body's territory (some of my students at CGHS use musk-oils), so does the Panda use a squirt of "body-scent" at strategic locations of his territory, to invite and lure potential lovers, or send a warning to intruders.
The death of a panda is always seen as a tragedy, and the birth of another is greeted with national and international fanfare. Infant mortality in the wild is high. Births in breeding programs are usually aided by incubators, to help in the chances for survival.
We were witness to two baby-pandas, each weighing maybe 10 ounces, the size of a little hamster, clawing and squirming on a soft blanket, looking nothing like their 400 pound Mom. They are such pink-white-miniatures, one wonders, how Momy-panda could have known, that she had given birth.
It must have been the screetching and squeeling of "something" down there. I don't mean to be crude, but a "turd" is no bigger than a Panda at birth, only three or four
Red Panda
The Red Panda looks nothing like his cousin, only more mischievous. ounces, and we make sure that doesn't stay with us. It must have been the noise and not the smell that alerted Mom!!!
Once the mother-instinct kicks in, Mommy becomes a terrific example of motherhood. Though she carried this "little-one" for only 90 days, the baby stays with her over 3 years. It becomes one more reason to hope, that we are saving one of the world's special wonders.
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Celia
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i love you schneider!
schneider i miss you so much. and by the way.. this is pretty much my favorite journal entry ever :) i'm so happy you got to meet the pandas.. and that baby panda is adorable! you look soooo different these days schneidipoo.