Panda Breeding and Research Center

It's hard to believe, but I have lived in China now for almost three months. I've seen things that gross me out (see previous posting) and others which are simply amazing. The Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research center is the latter.

According to the center's website, there are less than 1,000 Giant Pandas left in the world, 80% of them are in this region of China. I saw so many it is hard to believe they are endangered.

We got to the center at the perfect time- feeding time. It was about 3 in the afternoon and all the pandas were hungry. Some were given big piles of bamboo, others were fed what looked like canned cat food. I shot a great video of it- watch it here.

I had no idea pandas sounded like that! Have you ever heard a panda make noise? Amazing.

That was cool, yes- but nothing really compares to baby pandas. Lots and lots of little furballs in their "cribs". Wanna see em? Yup here's more video. I nicknamed one Jim because he kept on trying to "break on thru to the other side."

Of course, it's me, so I couldn't visit someplace without something odd happening...

In the panda nursery, I look over to see a worker pull out a cub. She weighs him and then places him on her lap. As he is laying there she starts to rapidly massage his belly. (You can see it in the background of my video). I can't figure out why until I see another worker pull the trash bin over.

Sure enough, the little guy starts to poop. Pandas are so lazy, they can't even poop on their own when they are little. Oddly enough, they are still cute even when doing this. I would gladly massage poop out of a panda if I got to hold one. (Wow that is an odd thing to type.)

The other thing I learned, is that there are Red Pandas. They look more like Red Raccoons to me. Still pretty cool. They also eat lots and lots of bamboo. So much that the center has to truck the stuff in.

If it weren't for that (and the fact I would be arrested) I would take one home.



Om nom!