People just won’t leave poor Gu Gu alone! Yet another idiot person entered Gu Gu’s cage uninvited. This time it was a father going after a toy his child carelessly tossed into the enclosure. This makes the third person that has been intimately acquainted with Gu Gu’s canines.
When will people learn to respect animals, not only in the zoo, but in general? I don’t feel a bit of sympathy for the man, who I refuse to call the ‘victim’.
The real victim is Gu Gu.
Wow, I definitely needed that break! It’s been great having less on my plate for awhile but it’s time to get back into the swing of things! Let’s start 2009 out right with an adorable video of Xi Lan at the Atlanta Zoo! (Click the picture below to go to the video!)
I noticed yesterday when I was checking the Atlanta Zoo’s Panda Cam that they have announced the end of the panda cam due to funding. You can read the press release here.
Giant panda devotees are encouraged to enjoy PandaCam peeks on weekdays from 10 to 5 through the end of the year. While PandaCam has been a favorite stop on zooatlanta.org for more than a decade, Zoo Atlanta has announced that this feature will soon come to an end. Due to limited resources, PandaCam will not be available after December 31, 2008.
I’m a bit bitter about this and I find it hard to believe that they don’t have the funding to continue. I am no where near a zoo with a panda and I don’t have the luxury (or the funding!) to jet off to D.C, Atlanta, or San Diego when I’m in the mood for panda viewing. Watching Tai Shan during his first months of life on the National Zoo’s Panda Cam helped get me through a very rough patch in my life. Something as simple as 10 minutes a day watching a little panda cub grow made such a difference in my life – and other’s I’ve been told. It seems silly that something that small and insignificant could mean so much to so many people, but it does, and it makes me extremely sad that the Atlanta Zoo is choosing to eliminate something that is such an important part of so many panda lover’s lives.
Not to mention I’m sure there are companies out there that would sponsor the panda cam…
Though we’ve already fallen in love with the little guy, we’ve finally got an official name for him! The Atlanta panda baby will now be known as Xi Lan (“Shee-Lahn”). It means Atlanta’s Joy, and it’s quite an appropriate name!
More about the naming ceremony at the Atlanta Zoo’s website.
Today the Atlanta Zoo panda baby will be officially named today! I’ll be sure to post the name as soon as possible, but if you don’t want to wait for me to post (which is SLOW lately!) head on over to the Atlanta Zoo website after 12:30pm EST. While you’re there, check out the ADORABLE videos they have up of the cute little cubbie!
Be sure to enter the sweepstakes over at Lee Kum Kee foods – you can win a trip to DC to visit the pandas at the National Zoo!
via:pandanews.org
Liu, a 20 year old student visiting the zoo in Guilin jumped a fence in an attempt to cuddle a panda named Yangyang. Liu was quoted from his hospital bed as saying “Yangyang was so cute and I just wanted to cuddle him.”
Note: I am filling in for Julie who is currently sick with the flu. Hopefully she’ll be back in no time. Get well soon, Julie.
It’s been awhile since we checked up on the Atlanta Panda cubbie, so you know what time it is….
Our little guy weighs a whopping 3.913kg (8.63lbs)! Remember, the panda cam will go back to regular hours (10am to 5pm EST) after December 7th. So, if you’re a night owl like me be sure to catch him happily snoozing on the panda cam tonight!
More cuteness after the cut!
To all US citizens 18 years of age or older and eligible to vote – get your bottoms in gear and head to the polls! Unless of course you’re like me and did a mail in ballot or voted early! Since it’s such a lovely day to cast your vote, how about more?!
Even if you’re not a US citizen, you can take part in this election – for a name for our Atlanta panda cubbie! Head on over to the Atlanta Zoo website and cast your vote for your favorite panda cub name. There are 12 choices:
| name | pronunciations | meaning | source of names |
| Xiao Laoxiong | (shao-laoshong) | “little buddy” | Giant panda keepers |
| Xiao Nan | (shao-nahn) | “little man” | Zoo Atlanta Staff |
| Hua Sheng | (wah-shung) | “peanut” | Zoo Atlanta Members |
| Xi Lan | (shee-lahn) | “Atlanta’s joy” | Zoo Atlanta Board of Directors |
| Wei Sheng | (way-shung) | “greatness is born” | Zoo Atlanta MySpace Community |
| Shu Shu | (shoo-shoo) | “kind and gentle” | B98.5 FM |
| Wei Li | (way-lee) | “large and strong” | 92.9 Dave FM |
| Ling Li | (ling-lee) | “alert and quick” | VIVA 105.7FM |
| Shen Shi Lan | (shen-shuh-lahn) | “Atlanta’s gentleman” | Star 94 FM |
| Li Lan | (lee-lahn) | “Atlanta’s strength” | V103 FM |
| Fu Mei | (foo-may) | “handsome and happy boy” | Chengdu, China |
| Mei Chuan | (may-shwan) | “handsome Sichuan boy” | Chengdu, China |
Polls are only open until 7:00pm for the US election, but this poll stays open until 4pm on December 3rd. Which name did you vote for? I like complicated, so I voted Xiao Laoxiong!
Whatever his name ends up being, it’ll be synonymous with cute!
It’s time for an update on the Atlanta panda cub! I have been super stressed lately (and super busy as I’m sure you can tell with the delay in updates!), but no matter what, if I look at this little guy I always feel instantly better! He can make my blood pressure drop in nanoseconds. The following are all photos from the Atlanta Zoo website. Be sure to check out this article, it’s too cute. It even warns you about the effects of the panda baby and releases them from liabilty for stolen hearts! AWWW!
Caution: Tons of cuteness after the cut!
