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

French pandas in quarantine @ CRBGPB

My Pambassador friend David from France is here in Chengdu for the two events that are taking place this week at the Chengdu Panda Base: Opening of Dujiangyan Field Research Center and the pair of giant pandas being sent to France on January 15th, 2012.

On January 9th David went to quarantine to see the pandas, YuanZi and HuanHuan that are coming to France. Here are a few pictures that were taken by the photographer who was accompanying him and a video David shot himself.

Pambassador David Algranti and HuanHuan.














YuanZi looking cute.

On the next pictures YuanZi is on the left and HuanHuan on the right.

Keeper Mr. Zhang Hao will go to France with the pandas and will stay in Beauval Zoo for several months to share his knowledge and make sure that the pandas adapt well.

David is happy that these great pandas are chosen.

Here is the video.



David tells me:
“I am sure that everyone will fall in love with YuanZi and HuanHuan as soon as they meet them in France, and I hope it will make people want to come and visit the Panda Base in Chengdu, Sichuan, to meet YuanZi and HuanHuan’s relatives and all the other wonderful pandas. There are over a hundred pandas there. Another great reason to come is Chengdu itself, one of the most modern and exciting cities in China, especially renowned for its delicious cuisine and beautiful popular and historic places (don’t miss Jinli, the Wide and Narrow Lane, DuFu’s Thatched Cottage, Jinsha Museum, and my personal favourite: Renmin Park, where everyone is always dancing).”

Link to the Beauval Zoo in France

Pambassadors David Algranti and Yumiko Kajiwara

Reintroduction Project - Six Giant Pandas moved to Dujiangyan Field Research Center

This morning a huge ceremony was held in
Chengdu Panda Base Dujiangyan Field Research Center.
This reintroduction center is located in Majiagou,
Yutang Town just outside of Chengdu with a
total investment of RMB 200 million.
They have completed the first stage of construction
and six giant pandas,  XingRong(female, 4), XingYa (female, 4),
GongZai (male, 3), YingYing (male, 3),
ZhiZhi (female, 2) and QiQi (female, 2) were moved to
Dujiangyan Field Research Center from Chengdu Panda Base. 

Panda Ambassador, Yao Ming gave a speech.
He mentioned in his speech that he is happy
that now the reintroduction project has
started after all these years of rescuing
wild pandas and the progress they have made
in giant panda research.

YingYing moved to Dujiangyan Field Research Center
in this cage. 

The Dujiangyan Field Research Center is consisted of
three sections. The first stage is the experimental area
where the pandas get used to the new environment.
After they get used to the experimental area,
they will move on to the second stage which is the
semi-wild reintroduction area.
This is a picture of the experimental area, the first stage.

They also have their inside enclosures just like they do
in Chengdu Panda Base.

All the journalists were walking with Yao Ming.
I knew that he must be huge, but we can see how
tall he is with everyone around him!

QiQi seemed happy with the new environment.
She went high up in the tree where she could
fall asleep safely. YingYing, GongZai,
ZhiZhi and QiQi are in the same outside
playground together.

QiQi looked so peaceful.

ZhiZhi was enjoying her new enclosure as well.

 

GongZai walked around his
outside playground to explore the new environment.
He found some apples that the keepers hid
in their outside playground.
The pandas will be trained from now on
so that they could adapt to the new area.

 

The reintroduction project has just begun.
It will be a long way to go to release pandas
back to the wild where they belong.

Pambassador Yumiko Kajiwara