Panda-monium

This week, there was a bit of pandemonium around here. I mean panda-monium. In recent weeks, I’ve grown accustomed to being inundated with repeated media messages about which political candidate we can count on to save the day for all of us and which one will surely drive us down into the ground so that we can never recover. The same message over and over and over again. So, I was surprised when I started seeing a new unrelated message which came at me relentlessly from all angles. Day and night I heard the cry: Last call, y’all, the pandas are packing up! A message from the local zoo. Over and over, again and again.

My thoughts? Oh crap, I forgot. Is it that time already?

As many of you may not know, Zoo Atlanta is a well-regarded, highly rated zoo here in Metro Atlanta, Georgia. As of right now, it is the only zoo in the U.S. of A. that has Giant Pandas. And, they are leaving. Like, now.

First things first, though. I know that some people are anti-zoo, set the animals free, and all that. I get it. Prowling around in an enclosed carefully appointed habitat space is not the same as roaming free in a natural environment. I can’t argue with the fundamental truths about that. If I were an animal, I would much rather be out there in the world taking my chances than cooped up in someone’s enclosure. But, setting that aside, I do think there are many positives about modern zoos.

In zoos, there are conservation efforts that help to sustain endangered species, and there are medicines and procedures which help animals who might be vulnerable in the wild. For instance, according to zoo staff, if a Giant Panda mom births a set of twins, she will typically pick one of them to nurse and nurture, leaving the other one to fend for itself, basically a death sentence. Born in the zoo, both babies can be deftly cared for by zoo keepers, who rotate each one in with the mother so it can get both mama's love and expert behind-the-scenes nursery care. That sounds like a win-win situation.

Also, zoos provide educational opportunities so that regular people can interact with animals that they would never be able to see otherwise. There are chances for children and adults to come face-to-face with exotic animals and learn more about them. See their behaviors, hear their sounds, smell their smells. Which is more than one can get from a photo or a video experience. Zoos are full of wow moments. I am pro zoo.

Back to my story. I remembered that we had been warned a while ago that the Giant Pandas would be leaving Atlanta and returning to China. Now, it turns out, the going-away party at the zoo was set for the next weekend. Yikes! I’ve gotta get to the zoo!  Knowing that I did not want to get caught up in the weekend going-away party crowd, I did one of those ‘drop everything’ moves and headed down to Zoo Atlanta so that I could see the pandas properly before those cuties bid adieu. Or, more properly, zái jián. (OK, my keyboard won’t put the accents on correctly, but, at least I tried.)

According to my research, Giant Pandas are considered a national treasure in China. In the 1980s China began to allow long-term leases, so that zoos around the world could house and breed the pandas. Four zoos in the US received pandas with the stipulation that any cubs born here would be returned to China within a few years of their birth. Zoo Atlanta renewed the leasing agreement with China for 25 years, so Giant Pandas have been in Atlanta since 1999. In the last few years, China decided not to re-up any panda leases as they started to expire. All pandas in the US have been shipped back to China, with Atlanta’s Lun Lun, Yang Yang, and their two children set to take the voyage within a few days. Via Fedex Panda Express. After that, there will be no Giant Pandas in the US.

I had seen the Giant Pandas at Zoo Atlanta multiple times. Why did I feel compelled to see them one last time? I can’t really explain, except that I wanted to make the most of the opportunity that was before me. For a long time, I didn’t realize how special it was. Sometimes, if you are accustomed to having something at your fingertips, you fail to understand the rarity of the situation. But, when I did begin to understand how significant the situation was, I wanted to take advantage of it. Rather than say, “Oh, that’s such a cute animal; I said, “I am so glad I have a chance to see one of the world’s most endangered species in person, with my own eyes.”*  I think there is a big difference in attitude there. Recognizing the significance. Appreciating the unique nature of the situation. Being thankful that I was lucky enough to behold the creature in all of its cuddly glory. Not everyone gets to see a live Giant Panda. I wanted to pay attention. Savor the moment.

*According to World Wildlife Fund wwf.org, Giant Pandas have recently been upgraded from ‘endangered’ to ‘vulnerable’. That’s good news! Conservation efforts pay off!

I am a tried and true animal lover. At the zoo, I am always amazed to see such a variety of wildlife all in one place. I take about a million pictures of the animals as I try to catch their personalities and capture their essence. Here are a few favorite photos of animals from some of my zoo visits, past and present.

There's good news, too. Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute has announced that the National Zoo in Washington DC has been negotiating a new lease with China, and should hopefully be receiving a pair of Giant Pandas before too long.  That’s a relief for my panda-loving daughter who was disheartened when she heard that I was going to say farewell to the big bears** without her. But, it was a weekday, yall, and she’s still workin' for da man, so she couldn’t go with me. At least, it seems, the pandas will make it back to our country in the near future. Who knows, maybe we'll get lucky and the pandas will return to Atlanta one day. Fire up the FedEx Panda Express again!

**I've often heard that pandas are not really classified as bears, but a statement from National Geographic says: after DNA and molecular studies, Giant Pandas have been determined to be "firmly now in the family Ursidae (bears)."

So, I have to ask:

• Are you obsessed with animals?
• Have you ever seen a Giant Panda in person?
• Do you want to?
• Do you like zoos, or no?
• Do you attach significance to things such as this?