As you have probably guessed from reading this blog, PDXWildlife does most of our work at Bifengxia and not the Chengdu base. The relationship between specific giant panda bases and zoos/research organizations tends to be pretty tight. For example, San Diego Zoo has always had a strong tie to the CCRCGP and Wolong because their pandas originated at that base and, thus, does all their research at CCRCGP facilities. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Zoo Atlanta do their research mainly in Chengdu. PDXWildlife is most associated with the CCRCGP through our links with San Diego Zoo, which means we do work at Bifengxia, Dujiangyan, Hetaoping (Wolong), and Gengda.
Even though we don’t perform work at Chengdu, on his recent visit to China, Nate was able to visit the Chengdu base and get some pictures of the internationally born pandas that lived there. We figured everyone would enjoy seeing these because so many people were asking us for Bifengxia international pandas.
Xi Lan “Atlanta’s joy”- Born at Zoo Atlanta in 2008
Xi Lan’s sign explaining his origins and a little about him.
Xi Lan is the son and second offspring of Lun Lun and Yang Yang, Zoo Atlanta’s breeding pair.
Xi Lan eating happily in his enclosure.
Xiong Bang (Japanese name = Yu Hin) – Born at Japan Adventure World Wakayama in 2001
Xiong Bang was born on December 17, 2001 at Adventure World Shirahama, Japan. Yes you read that right – December!! He was the first captive panda born outside of the normal breeding season!
His mother is Mei Mei and his father is Yong Ming. He is a natural breeder like his father and entered the Chengdu Breeding program in 2008.
Qiu Bang (Japanese name = Shu Hin) – Born at Japan Adventure World Shirahama in 2003
Qiu Bang is also from Adventure World in Japan. Did you know that over the last decade 13 panda cubs have been born at Adventure World, and 11 of them survived. They are the most successful panda breeding facility outside of China.
Qiu Bang has a twin-brother, Long Bang (Ryu Hin).
The Wild and Elusive, Oregon, USA born- Nate c. 1981
You have to search long and hard for this one and travel through beautiful groves of bamboo to find him . . .
Goofball!!
– Meg
P.S. Interesting side note – my humble panda research beginnings hail from work done with the Smithsonian National Zoo at Chengdu in 2005)