Guardians Arrive in Chengdu for Training as Adorable Panda Cubs "Welcome" Guests

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 panda conservation training program, including Hong Lei from Taiwan, who finally got up close with seven panda cubs born at the Chengdu Panda Base in 2012. Among them is a three-month-old cub 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, chubby 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 the Oreo cookie, and ‘Oreo’ means beautiful in Greek. I believe the giant panda is the most beautiful animal in the world.” The seven panda cubs born in 2012, including Oreo, Xiaoqiao, Siyi, Yuanrun, Miaomiao, Shuangshuang, and Shuangdui, 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 the hope that these giant pandas can eventually return to the wild. With the addition of these seven new cubs, the total number of pandas at the Chengdu Panda Base has now reached 113, making it the global hub for the most successful panda breeding program.

In addition to getting an early look at the new arrivals at the panda base, the 16 finalists, including Hong Lei, must learn a wide range of knowledge required for panda keepers, as well as venture into the wild habitat to observe wild pandas and gain insight into their behavior and the damaged environment they face. After two and a half weeks of intensive training, the Chengdu Panda Base will announce the final three selected winners on November 17.

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