Posted on 1 January 2010 @ 21:10 in Stress Busters
Bifengxia Panda Base
5 August 2008
Among giant panda lovers, a common question we ask of one another is “who is your first panda?” Well, my first panda is Hua Mei, the first giant panda to be born in the US, to survive into adulthood, to be returned to her motherland, and to become a mother.
Hua Mei was born on 21 August 1999. I started watching her on the San Diego Zoo panda webcam when she was around six months old. She was returned to China in early 2004, a return delayed by the SARS epidemic the year before.
During my first volunteer trip – Wolong in September 2007 – she had just given birth to her third set of twins and was in confinement. I’d asked to see her and was told I couldn’t. I was then assigned to help a keeper care for another new mother so I was working in the maternity ward, the same area Hua Mei was staying in. I found out which room she was in and went to see her. On my first visit, Dr Wang, a senior vet, walked by and confirmed that it was Hua Mei in the room. He also didn’t shoo me away and I ended up going to see her everyday I was at Wolong, each time standing by the window and parting the curtain a little so I could catch a glimpse of her. But I didn’t take any pictures.
In August 2008, I went on my second volunteer trip, this time to Bifengxia Panda Base, new home to the majority of Wolong’s pandas after the earthquake on 12 May 2008. I met up with Dr Wang, he remembered I’d asked to see Hua Mei the previous year and took me to see her. She was living on the grounds of the Research Centre, in one of the temporary enclosures put up to accommodate the new residents. Each enclosure had 2 rooms. We walked into her room but it was empty. Dr Wang then took me around the side of the enclosure, to the outdoor yard. And there she was, lying in a sunbathing position – a true California girl! I squatted low to get a better view, called out “Hua Mei” and she turned to look at me. And stayed looking at me long enough for me to take this picture of her.
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Posted on 20 December 2009 @ 11:28 in Pictures, Stress Busters, Writing
20 pictures. 20 stories.
These 20 pictures grace the back of my Moo MiniCards. After I chose them and sent off the order, I realised each of the picture has a story behind it. What a great store of panda stories to tell!
These are actually version 2 of a set I ordered almost a year. I never gave out version 1 but recently brought some along to a book launch. Good thing I did – or maybe I had a feeling I would need them that evening – as I did have to exchange cards with a potential client. And when I told some friends later, they asked for my cards so I gave away a few more.
Never gave them out until recently … so why did I order a version 2 pack?
All I have are the 20 in the card holder; I have no idea where the other 80 cards are. I searched my apartment but just couldn’t find them. So I decided to order a second set – I figured if I find the first set, I would just have more cards to give out.
This second set is version 2 because I updated some of the pictures to include some recent ones.
Hopefully, I’ll learn to be not shy about giving out my MiniCards.
Meanwhile, I have 20 panda stories to write.
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Posted on 28 September 2009 @ 15:25 in News, Stress Busters
Bifengxia Panda Base has announced its latest panda births for this year. Guo Guo gave birth to twin girls on Sunday, 27 September 2009. The cubs, weighing 168.8g and 146.1g, were born at 5:35 p.m. and 11:12 p.m. – yes, a difference of almost six hours.
If her name looks familiar, Guo Guo was the first to give birth after the May 12 earthquake in 2008 – on 6 July 2008 to a pair of twins since named Ping Ping and An An (which together, Ping An, means “safety”).
I have been posting panda birth updates over on Facebook, and now here is what may be the full list of births for 2009. I’m hoping this is NOT the full list, as there have not been much news from Chengdu. Hopefully, Chengdu will make a full announcement of their new cubs soon.
27 May
Ling Hui
Chiangmai Zoo, Thailand
Single cub, female, 235g
Name: Lin Bing
7 July
Hua Mei
Bifengxia Panda Base, China
Single cub, female, 200g, 12:53 p.m.
7 July
Gong Zhu
Bifengxia Panda Base, China
Single cub, male, 200g, 1:08 p.m.
15 July
Bai Xue
Bifengxia Panda Base, China
Single cub, male, 150g
16 July
Xi Mei
Bifengxia Panda Base, China
Single cub, male, 200g, 11:19 a.m.
19 July
Li Li
Chengdu Panda Centre, China
Twins, both females, 122g and 100g
22 July (solar eclipse!)
Na Na
Bifengxia Panda Base, China
Twins, both boys, 96.2g and 130g, 4:53 a.m. and 5:08 a.m.
23 July
You You
Bifengxia Panda Base, China
Single cub (from frozen sperm – a first), weight undetermined, male, 7:41 a.m.
24 July
Hai Zhi
Bifengxia Panda Base, China
Single cub, weight undetermined, male, 5:51 p.m.
5 August
Bai Yun
San Diego Zoo, USA
Single cub, male, weight undetermined, 4:58 a.m. PST
7 August
Tien Tien
Bifengxia Panda Base, China
Twins, weight undetermined, male, 11:27 a.m., and female, 11:37 a.m.
15 August
ZhiZhu
Bifengxia Panda Base, China
Single cub, male, 148.6g
19 August
Lousheng
Shaanxi Rare Wild Animals Rescue and Breeding Research Centre, NW China
Twins – male, 162g, 8:40 a.m., and female, 131g, 8:58 a.m.
20 August
Le Sheng
Bifengxia Panda Base, China
Single cub, female, 213.8g, 5:03 a.m.
23 August
Yalaoda
Chengdu Research Base, China
Single cub, female, weight unknown
26 August
Ying Ying
Bifengxia Panda Base, China
Single cub, female, 158.5g, 3:34 a.m.
4 September
Zhu Zhu
Shaanxi Rare Wild Animals Rescue and Breeding Research Centre, NW China
Single cub, sex undetermined, 206g, 7:12 a.m.
12 September
Ye Ye
Bifengxia Panda Base, China
Single cub, male, 161g
27 September
Guo Guo
Bifengxia Panda Base, China
Twins, female, 168.8g and 146.1g, 5:35 p.m. and 11:12 p.m.
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Posted on 15 September 2009 @ 23:35 in Friends, General, Stress Busters
Let’s see … I have 296 names on my Facebook contact list. Many of them are people I’ve never met, people I would not know if we were to meet in real life unless we identify ourselves, but because of some shared interest, we are online friends.
Such shared interests include giant pandas, the singer-songwriter Janis Ian, and gadgets. Yet, when I posted a request yesterday evening, and personally sent the same request via the Facebook message system to almost 200 names on my contact list, the response has been very positive. I am overwhelmed and the phrase “the kindness of strangers” comes to mind.
The request is giant panda related. Suzanne Braden, director of Pandas International, has been shortlisted for the Animal Planet Hero of the Year 2009 award. Voting began yesterday and will continue for the next two weeks, ending on 27 September. Just to be shortlisted is an honour in itself; to win would, to use a cliche, be icing on the cake.
The award includes a US$10,000 donation to the animal welfare organisation of the winner’s choice. If she wins, Suzanne will donate it to the precious giant pandas that Pandas International, the organisation she founded back in 1999, has supported all these years.
For some reason, the contest actually allows multiple votes per person but this is limited to one vote per email address per day. I have voted three times so far, including, for some reason, twice yesterday evening and just once this evening. There was a thank you page after my vote this evening which included the following statement:
Please note that your vote is only counted once per day. Any other votes will not be included in the final tally. If you’ve already voted today, please come back in 24 hours to cast another vote.
The voting is one of three criteria to be considered by the judges and carries 25% towards the final score; the other two criteria are level of accomplishments and impact of the Nominee’s actions (40%), and inspirational value that the Nominee’s actions have had on others (35%).
Suzanne Braden’s nomination has further highlighted the plight of the giant pandas, especially in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake on 12 May 2008. To have been nominated is an honour in itself; winning the award will bring much needed funds that will go towards the on-going conservation efforts as well as the urgent replanting of bamboo destroyed in the 2008 earthquake.
If you would like to help Pandas International continue its on-going support of the giant pandas, please vote for Suzanne Braden here.
The giant pandas say Xie Xie Ni (thank you)!
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Posted on 19 August 2009 @ 21:56 in Stress Busters
If my travel plans have gone as scheduled, right this minute I would be in a room in Xiao Xi Tian inn on Bifengxia Panda Base. I would either be waiting for the water heater to sing and signal that the hot water is ready for my shower, or running a hair dryer over my arms and legs in an attempt to warm up after the shower.
Earlier today, I would’ve visited with birthday boy Mei Sheng and spent some time in his black and white presence, taking lots of pictures to be posted on the Flickr Pandas Unlimited group for fellow panda lovers.
Day after tomorrow, it would be his half-sister Hua Mei’s 10th birthday. But she’s in confinement, having given birth to her seventh cub on 7 July, and I would not be able to visit with her, the way I would’ve done with Mei Sheng.
Then, on Sunday, 23 August, I would be walking up to Leopard Mountain to visit with my adopted panda daughter, Feng Yi, and celebrate her 3rd birthday with her.
But I am not in Bifengxia Panda Base right now, I did not visit with Mei Sheng earlier today, and I would not be celebrating Feng Yi’s birthday with her on Sunday. In fact, I don’t even know if she’s still living on Leopard Mountain with Xi Dou and Si Xue, or whether she has been moved to another enclosure on the Base.
My travel plans have not gone as scheduled, thanks to the H1N1 flu alert. I’m feeling sad that I can’t be in Bifengxia as planned, but at the same time, I’m also grateful for the little nudge from God earlier this year that got me thinking about being there on 12 May, the first anniversary of the earthquake.
Back in September 2007, during my first visit among my beloved bears, I remember promising myself, as soon I stepped into Wolong Panda Centre, that I would return every year from then on, at least once a year.
At least once a year …
I’ve kept this promise twice so far – in August 2008 and in May 2009.
I’ve done my volunteer visit for this year, so I shouldn’t complain.
How was I to know, when the thought came to mind in April this year about being in Bifengxia on 12 May, that a worldwide flu alert later in the year would make it difficult for me to carry out my original travel plans? But He knew.
God knew.
He knew that there would be a flu alert later in the year. I didn’t know, and the thought that came to mind wasn’t really my thought, but His thought that He put there for me. I listened and went through with an earlier visit, thus fulfilling my volunteer trip for this year.
I shouldn’t be greedy. The promise is at least once a year. More would be nice, but in the future, that could happen. Who knows? Right now, I’m sitting here, feeling a little sad but mostly grateful.
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