When we got there, the Giant pandas were lying on a bed of fresh bamboo having their breakfast. We instantly halted our conversation, and got our cameras out! We were captivated by these fuzzy, nonchalant, and cute animals. The first paddock had 5 giant pandas, who were a year old and were born in captivity. Since they were not moving too much, you don't have to try very hard to take good pictures! It might look like they were posing for pictures, but in fact, they were just eating and could careless about the awestruck visitors. Based on our esteem guide, Victor, they couldn't see further than 10 feet, though have a good sense of hearing and smell.
At some point, one of the Giant pandas rolled onto another one and was partly sitting on it while continuously eating; and at another point, another one snatched the bamboo out of his neighbor's hand and ate it. Yet another one, sitting at the edge, rolled over the edge into the trench between them and us. He just climbed back up and continued his eating as if nothing had happened. Then I remembered they were expert climbers. The adult pandas, 5+ years old, each had his or her own paddock, because they were so territorial. The mothers live with their cubs for the first one and a half years.
Victor reassured us that in the wild, Giant pandas were not so lazy or comfortable. They had to fight for their territory, looked for food, and even when they were eating they had to stay alert of the hostiles in the surroundings. So wild Giant pandas were definitely more fit and more resourceful. These Giant pandas that we were watching, some were born in captivity and some were injured in the wild and being rescued. Once in captivity they were decidedly too well-fed, comfortable and overweight. They were all in a rehab program to help them to get back to the wild, but over the last 12 years, only 2 of them passed the program and were successfully returned to the wild. The rest of them stayed in captivity and live the lives of true national treasure - eat, sleep and be cute. They were too big and lazy to mate, and most of the new born were artificially inseminated. We walked around the park, watching these cuties eating, and saw some cubs sleeping high up in the trees. Victor said the cubs naturally were great climbers because their claws were growing and they had to climb trees (to release the growing pain?) We took as many pictures and videos as our hearts content, and exclaimed with every slight movement of these pandas, including one's pooping action. Victor explained that Giant pandas had small intestinal system, so they had to eat many meals a day and when they had to go, then had to go right there, so no need for separate bathrooms.
Victor explained that first there were raccoons some 25 millions years ago, then there were Red Pandas - the Sifu (master) in the animation Kung Fu Panda, then came the Giant pandas, and then finally came the various kinds of bears, millions of years ago. The Giant pandas each had a name like Xiao Bao, but next door in the Red panda exhibition, the Red pandas lived with their family and each one did not have a name. The Red pandas did look very much like raccoons, and I like them as well.
I must add, the Panda center was very well-manicured, clean, and well-maintained. It was a big park and we spent the whole morning there - mainly because we spent so much time watching the Giant pandas. It reminded me of Disney World, except this was the real deal! They didn't try very hard to sell you Giant panda souvenirs, although they could and they would be making a boat load of money. Even the donation center was very easily missed. Or maybe Victor tactfully ushered us away from those places. We did go to the museum and he gave us an additional lecture about the Giant pandas. Starting from 6 rescue Giant pandas, there are now about 176 of them in this park, and there were multiple Giant panda centers and wild life parks through out Sichuan!
I love this place and promised myself to come back next time I have a chance! If you go there in May or June, that's when you could see new born! But beware the weather is very hot in Sichuan as it will get over 100 degrees.
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