Panda, Inc. (Taken from National Geographic July Issue)

mahuaqing · 发表于 21-7-2006 15:30:00|来自：新加坡

<div>Before reading this post, read the article from National Geographic Magazine <a href="http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0607/feature1/index.html">here</a>.</div><div> </div><div>Here are some photos from National Geographic Society:</div><div> </div><img src="http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0607/feature1/images/gallery.1.1.jpg" alt=""/>Love on Loan Photograph by Michael Nichols Mei Xiang, at right, arrived in Washington, D.C., on a long-term loan from China in December 2000. Her first baby arrived at 3:41 a.m. on Saturday, July 9, 2005. Hugely popular with zoo visitors, Tai Shan, left, is the first giant panda cub born at the Smithsonian National Zoo to survive infancy.  <img src="http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0607/feature1/images/gallery.1.2.jpg" alt=""/>Playpen Photograph by Michael Nichols Tai Shan adopted this big, black rubber feed tub—part crib, part toy box—as a very small bear. "We knew he'd like it," says National Zoo curator Lisa Stevens. "It gives him a sense of security." Though he's fond of his cub-size recliner, Tai Shan's no scaredy-bear. His keepers have often had to coax him down from high tree branches and rocks he's scaled while exploring the indoor and outdoor habitats he shares with his mother.  <img alt=""/><img src="http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0607/feature1/images/gallery.1.3.jpg" alt=""/>Dinnertime Photograph by Fritz Hoffmann Young pandas munch on biscuits formulated just for them in the play yard they share at the giant panda research center in China's Wolong Nature Reserve. High in fiber and enriched with vitamins and minerals, the biscuits supplement the bears' mostly bamboo diet. <img alt=""/> <img src="http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0607/feature1/images/gallery.1.4.jpg" alt=""/>Bear Care Photograph by Fritz Hoffmann Li Guo delivers the afternoon meal to young bears at the Wolong Nature Reserve's giant panda research center. Ongoing research programs are helping create healthier diets and more effective medical care for captive pandas in China and at zoos around the world. <img alt=""/> <img src="http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0607/feature1/images/gallery.1.5.jpg" alt=""/>Rare Bears Photograph by Fritz Hoffmann Two young males enjoy their play yard at the Wolong Nature Reserve's giant panda research center. At the end of 2005 they were among the 188 pandas in captivity worldwide, almost all of which live in zoos and breeding centers in their native China. China's most recent national survey estimated that some 1,600 pandas survive in the wild.   <img src="http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0607/feature1/images/gallery.1.6.jpg" alt=""/>Destination Panda Photograph by Fritz Hoffmann Cuddly toys and other souvenirs line the wall of a small shop on the grounds of the Wolong Nature Reserve. One of China's flagship giant panda conservation centers, Wolong is a popular destination for panda fans from around the world. Field Notes From Photographer Fritz Hoffmann
 Best   The best thing was just being in the company of pandas at the Wolong Nature Reserve in China. I was there during the tourist off-season and was able to get pretty close to the animals. And there are a lot of pandas to see. People at U.S. zoos go crazy over seeing one or two pandas, but they're literally tripping over them at this reserve.     I'm usually not a softy for fuzzy creatures, but the cubs were cute. I watched them drink milk, and they would bury their heads in their bowls and make puppy dog noises. Then the cubs would pull their heads up and be dripping with a big milk moustache. I would recommend this place to anyone. Just bring a chair, sit down, and you'll be entertained.  Worst    The whole thing with good photography is access, and in China, you spend about 95 percent of your energy negotiating for it. Yet no matter what's said, nothing ever works out the way it was agreed upon     For example, I spent a couple weeks lining up access to the Wolong Nature Reserve, trying to do everything as professionally as possible. I followed their requirements by sending faxes and getting letters translated into Chinese. Finally, the officials there told me everything looked great and they welcomed me to come take pictures. But when I showed up everything had changed and the center started imposing unreasonable requirements on me like signing a contract that would give them joint copyright. They have become very savvy to the market value of the panda and they work to maintain control of images of them. Quirkiest    There's one yard in the reserve where four six-month-old cubs are kept. I got inside there with the idea of getting in close to them with a medium-wide-angle lens so I could capture a more intimate picture. I also wanted to get down and photograph from their level. But it was tough because the pandas were very playful, and I had to keep in constant motion to avoid being clobbered. I would run around in circles, and then I would dive down right in front of them to catch a low angle. Sometimes one would jump on me, thinking I wanted to play. It was almost like they were giving me a bear hug. So I'd try to spin around to get them off. But I soon realized that wasn't a good idea. At six months of age, the cubs were becoming a little aggressive, and they knew how to use their claws and teeth. Learn MoreDid You Know? For more than a century, scientists have debated a fundamental question: Are giant pandas really bears? Pandas look, walk, and climb like bears and have many similar skull features, but they also share characteristics with raccoons, such as a shortened snout. So should pandas be classified as bears, as raccoons, or in a group all their own? In recent years, sophisticated research techniques have allowed scientists to define relationships more precisely. Studies of the genetic code (DNA) of giant pandas indicate that they're most closely related to bears, placing them in the Ursidae family. Scientists speculate that pandas may have split from the main bear lineage millions of years ago, when they adapted to an ecosystem in which bamboo was the most plentiful resource. Why is it important to know what giant pandas are? The more we know about pandas, says Don Lindburg of the San Diego Zoo, the better we can help them reproduce and survive. —Kathy B. Maher  Related Links National Zoological Park: Panda Cam <a href="http://www.nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas">www.nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas</a> Meet the most famous baby in Washington, D.C.! National Zoo's panda cam lets you check in on Tai Shan and his mom, Mei Xiang, as they munch on bamboo, play, and—yes—sleep. Meet the panda keepers, get a free giant panda screen saver, and find out how you can support the Giant Panda Conservation Fund. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) <a href="http://www.worldwildlife.org/pandas">www.worldwildlife.org/pandas</a> A quarter century ago, the WWF was the first international organization to work on panda conservation in China. Panda surveys conducted by China's State Forestry Administration and WWF, groundbreaking fieldwork, and other measures have shed new light on the biology and ecology of pandas and led to increased protection of the species. Learn about WWF panda programs—and what you can do to help—at this site. Giant Panda Species Survival Plan <a href="http://www.giantpandaonline.org/">www.giantpandaonline.org</a> The American Zoo and Aquarium Association developed Species Survival Plans to coordinate the efforts of zoos in breeding, genetic management, husbandry, and scientific studies. Of interest to both professional researchers and avid panda fans, this site features articles on the natural history and ecology of the giant panda as well as an overview of its place in Chinese cultural history. San Diego Zoo <a href="http://www.sandiegozoo.org/zoo/ex_panda_station.html">www.sandiegozoo.org/zoo/ex_panda_station.html</a> The San Diego Zoo's Giant Panda Research Station features the largest collection of pandas in the U.S.: Four bears call it home. Visit this website to check out the panda cam, to read blogs from panda keepers and trainers, and to catch up on the zoo's innovative panda research. Zoo Atlanta <a href="http://www.zooatlanta.org/animals_giant_panda.htm">www.zooatlanta.org/animals_giant_panda.htm</a> Zoo Atlanta's giant pandas, Lun Lun and Yang Yang, captivate local residents and out-of-town visitors alike. Globally, the zoo's panda programs are opening doors by bringing conservation education to China. The zoo's new Academy for Conservation Training highlights the role of modern zoos and aquariums in developing empathy toward animals and nature. Memphis Zoo <a href="http://www.memphiszoo.org/">www.memphiszoo.org</a> Ya Ya and Le Le—residents of the Memphis Zoo since 2003—enjoy a 16-million-dollar exhibit area and the attentions of the zoo's "bamboo crew," which harvests more than 40 pounds (20 kilograms) of fresh bamboo daily to feed them. View the pair and check out the zoo's research plans at this site. Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding <a href="http://www.panda.org.cn/">www.panda.org.cn</a> One of the best known and most successful giant panda breeding facilities in China, the Chengdu Research Base—located in a beautifully landscaped park just outside the huge metropolis of Chengdu in Sichuan Province—strives to increase the survival rates of newborn pandas.  Bibliography Lindburg, Donald, and Karen Baragona, eds. Giant Pandas: Biology and Conservation. University of California Press, 2004. Lumpkin, Susan, and John Seidensticker. Smithsonian Book of Giant Pandas. Smithsonian Books, 2002. Lü, Zhi. Giant Pandas in the Wild. Aperture, 2002. Maple, Terry L. Saving the Giant Panda. Longstreet Press, 2000. Schaller, George B. The Last Panda. University of Chicago Press, 1994.

mahuaqing · 发表于 21-7-2006 15:31:00|来自：新加坡

NGS Resources Krautwurst, Terry. "Panda Baby Grows Up." National Geographic World (November 2000), 6-10. Sunquist, Fiona. "Endangered Wildlife." National Geographic World (June 1988), 28. Lü, Zhi. "Newborn Panda in the Wild: A First Look." National Geographic (February 1993), 60-5. Schaller, George B. "Secrets of the Wild Panda." National Geographic (March 1986), 284-309.  Map<img src="http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0607/feature1/images/mp_full.1.jpg" alt=""/><a href="http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0607/feature1/images/mp_download.1.pdf">Download the High-Resolution Printable Map Here.</a><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" height="24">Protecting Pandas in the Wild
</td></tr><tr><td valign="top">Investing in Habitat The Chinese are the world's biggest panda fans, according to Tom Dillon of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). But caring isn't enough: Pandas need intact habitat to support stable populations. WWF has worked to protect pandas for 25 years, and there's been progress, Dillon says. China has banned logging in natural forests, started a ten-billion-dollar reforestation project, and announced plans to invest a billion dollars a year over 30 years to expand protected areas. Multimillion-dollar contributions from U.S. zoos to China's reserves and breeding centers have produced valuable results, but they pay just a fraction of the total cost of panda conservation. And the bears' habitat remains at risk. China's hundred-billion-dollar Western Development Initiative promises economic growth in the country's poorest areas—and threatens to supercharge construction, industry, and tourism cutting into the heart of panda country. Shrunken Range China's human population doubled in the past half century, driving the growth of farms, highways, railroads, and industrial mining and logging operations that have eaten up forests and pushed giant pandas to the very edge of their once broad range. No Profits on Pandas Pandas have giant appeal, but for U.S. zoos their price tag is even bigger. Zoo Atlanta compiled budgets from each of the four host zoos. Financial details vary, but an average panda ledger in a year with a new cub shows far more expense than revenue. </td></tr></tbody></table><img alt=""/><a href="http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0607/feature1/multimedia.html">Video: </a><a href="http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0607/feature1/multimedia.html">Bringing Up Baby Sticking close by his mother, Mei Xiang, baby panda Tai Shan bounces into action at the natural enclosure he shares with her at Washington, D.C.'s, Smithsonian National Zoo. Born at 3:41 a.m. on Saturday, July 9, 2005, the giant panda is the first to survive infancy there. Today, he's the star attraction, drawing record crowds who—like doting parents—marvel at everything he does, whether it's watching him nibble a twig, nuzzle with mom, or tumble off a branch.</a>
*All Content Taken From National Geographic Society

天使貔貅 · 发表于 1-11-2006 02:16:00|来自：新加坡

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[狮城水库] Panda, Inc. (Taken from National Geographic July Issue)

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