Pandamonium!
We are so excited to see the Giant Panda's! We got up early so that we could be first in line. The wild panda population is thought to be around 1,200. Much effort is made to learn about panda, to breed them, and nurture them to adulthood. Also, there are some 120 panda's in zoos around the world. In Chengdu there is a panda research park and breeding center where panda specialist study the life cycle of panda's. The park is beautiful place, plenty of walkways, flowers, trees, and a lake. We stayed for hours and hours.
Our friends Nicole and Patrick Woo invited us to join with them for this trip. Patrick can speak and read Chinese, a most valuable benefit to our friendship especially in restaurants that didn't have pictures of their food for us to look at when ordering.
From time to time the path we walked on would lead through a bamboo tunnel. Bamboo is growing everywhere at the park, only the panda's living here don't seem to want to eat this bamboo, they will only eat bamboo grown at a higher altitude. These panda's are so loved that bamboo is trucked in daily from a distance of more than two hours away.
Nicole and Ruth venture off of the path for a picture.
This is a happy day, a perfect day.
Everyone in the park is happy. Panda's just make you want to smile and take pictures. They are a cute, lovable, content, and sometimes playful animal.
Opp's, this was suppose to be a picture of Nicole holding a baby panda. (I do not know how to erase pictures so you'll just have to enjoy this picture twice)
Aside from a few zoos world wide Sichuan Province in Southwest China is the only place to find pandas. At the breeding center only 20 people a day can hold a panda. (at least that is what our tour guide said.) The nursery tried to tell us that we couldn't hold the panda on this day, but Nicole persisted and got our name on the list. We had to pay 1,000 RMB each for this opportunity. We were happy to pay knowing that they money went to the center for the care of the pandas. Ruth is now one of a small percentage of people to hold a panda bear.
Once in awhile there would be a plaque in English telling the story of one of the panda's. This panda, Qi Zhen or Seven Stitches also had a movie made of her story. Panda's weigh only 3 1/2 ounces when they are born--compare that to the mother's weight of 440 pounds and you can see that it is a miracle when one of these tiny infants survives to childhood.
The park has several playgrounds for the young cubs to spend their days. The keepers will rotate the cubs around the different play yards so that they do not get bored. The cubs are playful. They seem to enjoy the companionship. In the wild adult panda are occasionally seen in family groups, but mostly they live a solitary life in clearly defined territories.
Telling secrets in a tree.
The rough-and-tumble of childhood.
Learning to climb up and over.
This is how pandas climb trees looking for the perfect spot for a nap.
Pandas spend 10 hours a day sleeping, 12 hours a day eating bamboo, leaving only 2 hours for exercise. From what we observed that exercise time is spent in walking over to the pile of bamboo for more to eat.
Looking for the perfect spot to nap.
Pandas have a happy talent for being comfortable and content.
Did we mention that this is a happy day? We feel truly blessed and grateful for life and love. God's creations are vast and amazing, a testimony of His goodness and glory.