Guardians Arrive in Chengdu for Training, Adorable Panda Cubs Greet Visitors

By MOOK Travel Life Network, Li Xinyi, compiled and reported

 

Sixteen finalists from around the world flew to Chengdu last weekend to begin an intensive training program on panda conservation, including Hong Lei from Taiwan, who finally got up close with seven panda cubs born at the panda base in 2012. Among them is a three-month-old panda born on the day of the London Olympics opening ceremony. After an enthusiastic online naming vote, the cub was officially named “Oreo” today.

This fitting name, which describes the panda’s black-and-white, round cuteness, was proposed by Rebecca Revich, a young lawyer from California, USA, and also one of the finalists. She said, “The adorable black-and-white panda is just like an Oreo cookie, and ‘Oreo’ means beautiful in Greek. I think the giant panda is the most beautiful animal in the world.” The seven panda cubs born in 2012—including Oreo, Xiao Qiao, Si Yi, Yuan Run, Miao Miao, Shuang Sheng, and Shuang Dui—have just passed their health checkups and are all in very good health. They will grow up with their birth mothers and are also part of the “reintroduction plan,” with hopes of eventually returning these giant pandas to the wild. With these seven new additions, the Chengdu Panda Base now has a total of 113 pandas, making it the global hub for panda breeding and conservation.

Besides getting an early look at the new additions at the panda base, the 16 finalists, including Hong Lei, must learn a wealth of knowledge required for panda keepers, as well as venture into the wild habitat to explore wild pandas and gain firsthand understanding of their behavior and the damaged habitats they face. After two and a half weeks of intensive trials, the Chengdu Panda Base will announce the three final selected candidates on November 17.

 

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