Global Search for Chengdu Pambassasdor 2012 ~Panda Quest~

Global Search for Chengdu Pambassador 2012 launch Ceremony

On 10th September 2012, the press conference was held in Shanghai for Panda Quest, to search for the next Chengdu Pambassadors. The next three Pambassadors will participate in the global panda conservation tour in 2013, a globe trotting experience to visit pandas all over the world and initiate local activities to raise awareness for endangered animal protection. This year's program shifts the focus from panda breeding and rehabilitation in captivity to reintroduction into the wild.

From right to left,Dr. Zhang Zhihe, Director of Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
Ms. Yang Fang, Assistant County Director, UNDP China
Mr. Jiang Chu, Deputy-Directer of the Forestry Bureau of Sichuan
Mr. Peter Knights, Founder of WildAid
Mr. Yao Ming,, former NBA basketball player
Yumiko Kajiwara, Pambassador 2010
Ali Shakorian. Pambassador 2010 

Pambassador Ali (from Sweden) and I did a speech to introduce Pambassador 2010 and to talk about the wonderful experiences we had as Pambassadors.
Pambassador 2010 Official Website

If you have a strong passion to nature and animal conservation, and are willing to learn and spread the word about complex dynamics of animal conservation, apply now and become next Pambassador! For further information about Panda Quest, please click here:
Panda Quest, search for next Pambassadors

Here are the links to news about the press conference in Shanghai.
FIRSTPOST
People's Daily Online
CNN GO
Nikkei Shinbun Online

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding Official Website
WildAid Official Website


Pambassador Yumiko Kajiwara

YaYa and 2010 born cubs, MeiLan, ShuHin and BingDian @ CRBGPB

Today was my last day at the Chengdu Panda Base,
and I went to say "see you" to all the pandas here.

ErXi and the 2010 born cubs were enjoying bamboo
with YaYa at Sunshine Nursery. YaYa will soon move
to another enclosure, and the 2010 born cubs are
moving to other enclosures also. They only have a
few more days they can spend together.

YaYa has been taking great care of all seven of the
2010 born cubs for nearly a year and a half.
Everytime I was there, the cubs were all over her,
but YaYa never ignored them and was very kind to them.
I loved watching them spending time together
and will miss them very much.

ErXi and the 2010 born cubs have grown up in the
past few months, and the way they eat bamboo is
just like adult pandas. They smell the leaves first,
pick the good part and makes bamboo leaf "sandwhiches"
and bite them in a bunch.

ErXi looks like a miniture version of
his father Shuhin (QiuBang, 秋浜).
It's always interesting to see the resemblance
of their parents, to see how the DNA
passes on to the next generation.

I love ErXi's white teeth.

And how he closes his eyes to enjoy
his favorite food.

Now he has grown up as a panda.
He is not soft and fluffy like he was anymore.

MeiLan was enjoying his bamboo in the afternoon.
I was happy that he was awake for me!

MeiLan is quite picky with food.
He only eats the good part, and throws away
the part he doesn't prefer.

Shuhin (QiuBang, 秋浜) has moved to
Moonlight enclosure from Quarantine
quite a while ago. Now he looks happy
with his outside den. He is ErXi's father.

BingDian has moved from No.14 to
Sunshine Nursery where LiLi had been.
Kouhin (XingBang, 幸浜) moved to
where BingDian was.

I will miss them very much after I go back to Japan,
but will be back very soon!

Pambassador Yumiko Kajiwara

Ryuhin (LongBang, 隆浜) and Kouhin (XingBang, 幸浜) in No. 14 enclosure @ CRBGPB

This morning, I went to No. 14 enclosure to
take care of Ryuhin (LongBang, 隆浜)
and Kouhin (XingBang, 幸浜). The Adventure World
born brothers live next doors, and Kouhin is always
watching what his older brother Ryuhin is doing outside.
I took this picture from Ryuhin's outside den
while we were cleaning.
(And Ryuhin was inside during this time)

"Mmmm, I was looking for my brother Ryuhin.
I didn't expect that you were coming to see me today!"

Kouhin, who only moved to No. 14 enclosure
a few days ago walks around a lot to see if
this place is safe for him. He probably smells
BingDian who was here before him.

After cleaning Ryuhin and Kouhin's enclosures,
I watched how Kouhin was doing outside
from the keeper's room inside. It was freezing cold today.

Ryuhin came to say hello when
we went to clean his enclosure.
"Hi Yumi"
He sticks out his long nose between
the bars to show that he belongs to the
Shirahama family, just like his twin
younger brother Shuhin.

This picture was taken from Kouhin's outside den.
Ryuhin is in the middle far away enjoying bamboo.

Link to Adventure World Shirahama in Japan

Pambassador Yumiko Kajiwara

Kouhin (XingBang, 幸浜) moved from Adult Area to No. 14 @ CRBGPB

On January 13, Kouhin (XingBang, 幸浜)
in Adult area was eating bamboo when
I arrived. He did my favorite angle for me.

He Enjoyed bamboo while we were
cleaning his outside den.

It must be very hard to bite on this thick bamboo stem,
but pandas are good at it. They break the bamboo into half,
peal the outside and eat only the inside part.

"Do you have something interesting for me to eat?"

As we gave him some fresh bamboo leaves,
he waved the bamboo leaves to show how happy he was.

We weigh the feces every day
to make sure that he is healthy.
Today it was over 12kg.

After cleaning his outside den, we let him go outside.

In the afternoon, Kouhin moved to No.14 enclosure
next doors to Ryuhin (LongBang, 隆浜).
He stayed inside for a night and went outside
the next day. I went to see how he was doing
in the afternoon of January 14.
I geve him his favorite panda cakes,
and he seemed to be fine with his new enclosure.

He enjoyed the thick bamboo stem again this day.

 Pambassador Yumiko Kajiwara

Farewell ceremony for pandas going to France @ CRBGPB

Today is a special day for the Chengdu Panda Base in
Sichuan, China and Beauval Zoo in France.
A Pair of giant pandas, YuanZi and HuanHuan
will leave Chengdu early tomorrow morning
to move to Beauval Zoo.
Link to Beauval Zoo in France

This is the entrance of Chengdu Panda Base.
The pair will be loaned to France for a
conservation and research program.













They were preparing for the ceremony in the morning
when I arrived.

YuanZi and HuanHuan will be sent to the
Chengdu airport on this truck.

The container has names of pandas on each of them.
This is the container for YuanZi.

I've never seen one of these before!
Contents "one panda"

The quarantine area is restricted, and only a few people
are allowed to go close.

These picture at the quarantine were taken on January 13, 2012.

YuanZi was wating for apples.

YuanZi
"Give me something to eat!!"

HuanHuan was enjoying her Sichuan bamboo.
After she leaves Chengdu, bamboo will be
supplied from bamboo fields in France.

I took a picture with the French team from Beauval Zoo.
Thank you Delphine and Rodolphe, it was a
great pleasure meeting you here!
I hope to see you soon in France. The second from left is
Zhang Hao who will go to France with YuanZi and HuanHuan.

At 2:30pm, January 14, 2012 a farewell ceremony
was held in Chengdu Panda Base. Journalists were here
all the way from France to see the great moment.

Yay! I got the FedEx panda.

I will miss YuanZi and HuanHuan very much,
but hopefully my friends in Europe will post pictures
on how it goes back in France. My "panda friends"
Jeroen Jacobs and Jérôme POUILLE

will post information about their arrival in France.

Link to Jeroen Jacob's website
Link to Jerome POUILLE's website

See you YuanZi and HuanHuan in Beauval Zoo!

Pambassador Yumiko Kajiwara