Search Results for: blog panda politics the tale of hsing hsing and ling ling

Encouraging Panda Repopulation

There are less than two thousand giant pandas living in the wild. What’s worse is that pandas are notoriously difficult when it comes to breeding. They are shy about getting together, and can have real trouble conceiving. At the National Zoo in Washington D.C., two resident pandas recently attempted to mate. Yay! But it didn’t work. Boo! So the zoo officials artificially inseminated the female, Mei Xiang. Yay? Last year’s artificial insemination attempt did not take, but zoo staff is hopeful that this year’s attempt will be a success. (Mei Xiang already has one cub, so here’s hoping for a … Continue reading →

China Protects Pandas Against Swine Flu

We have evidence here in the United States that both cats and ferrets can catch swine flu (H1N1) from humans. Officials in China are concerned that pandas may also be susceptible to the disease. A panda research center has been closed to visitors in hopes of protecting the endangered pandas from swine flu. The Shaanxi Wild Animal Rescue and Research Center started seeing increased numbers of swine flu cases and flu symptoms in general after the weather turned cold and snowy in November. Now they’ve put a halt on recruiting new volunteers and are not allowing staff members with flu-like … Continue reading →

Giant Panda Ling Ling Passes Away

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The fifth-oldest male panda in the world passed away at the end of April. Ling Ling was Japan’s oldest giant panda. He was born at China’s Beijing Zoo in 1985 and was given to Japan as a symbol of friendship in 1992. Ling Ling was a star attraction at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo for more than fifteen years. This is the first time in a long time that Ueno Zoo has not had a giant panda in residence — Ling Ling’s predecessors arrived from China to commemorate the signing of a peace treaty between China and Japan in 1972. The Ueno … Continue reading →

Teaching Survival Skills to Pandas

Less than a year ago, China released a five year old panda into the wild. Why is this news? He was the world’s first artificially bred panda to be released. Unfortunately, Xiang Xiang didn’t survive. Scientists believe the panda fell from a height after a fight with wild animals (possibly other pandas) over food or territory. This is a terrible loss for the Wolong giant panda breeding center. But the loss of Xiang Xiang is inspiring scientists to work on better preparing future pandas for life in the wild. China has been making a serious effort to save the giant … Continue reading →

National Wildlife Day: How You Can Help

Last month I wrote about National Dog Day sponsored by the Animal Miracle Foundation. Today is another AMF sponsored day, National Wildlife Day. What It’s About Initially the woman who created these days, Colleen Paige, was going to have this one fall on June 6th. However, she changed it to September 4th to honor “the last day that Steve Irwin graced this planet.” The goal is to raise awareness of the non-domestic creatures those of us who are urban dwellers may forget about. The ones who are endangered or otherwise threatened, but who can be saved with a little help … Continue reading →

The Amazing Panda Adventure (1995)

Ryan Tyler’s parents are divorced. He lives with his mom and hasn’t seen his dad in two years, since his dad moved to China to help build and run a panda reserve. When his dad sends a ticket for Ryan to come visit, Ryan’s not really sure he wants to go. His dad has been so involved in his work, he’s missed a lot of important occasions in Ryan’s life and Ryan feels like his dad cares more about the pandas than about his own kid. Finally deciding to go only after his mother says he can come right home … Continue reading →

The Sea, the Storm, and the Mangrove Tangle – Lynne Cherry

This is a non-fiction nature book for children, written with the intent of educating children and their parents about an endangered form of plant life, the mangrove tree. As we proceed through the pages, we see how many animal species are dependent on the tree for their own survival. We begin with a flock of pelicans landing on a mangrove island. As they settle in the branches, they knock off one of the seeds, known as a propagule, and it falls into the sea and is swept away until it reaches a lagoon. There it takes root and begins to … Continue reading →

The Pets Blog Week in Review for Apr 16-22

Politics, first aid, pet phobias, and our pets many quirks were among the hot topics Aimee and I wrote about this week in the Pets Blog. Snippets of what we covered each day follow below: Monday, April 16 Panda Politics: The Tale of Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling recounts the life and times of two pandas who became ambassadors not only for their country, but for the cause of environmental conservation as well. Who won the Moose vs. the Vacuum showdown in Aimee’s house? You’ll have to read her blog to find out! Tuesday, April 17 Spring has sprung and the bugs … Continue reading →