THANK YOU all so much for taking the time to think of the sweetest names for this lickle baby panda, he wanted to let you know just how hard it was to decide. We had so many suggestions here on my blog and on the Pandas Unlimited forum on Flickr. Wo-Li Boo wanted to use all the names but I had to say that it would just take too long to call him in from playtime in the garden!!
In the end, being the kind hearted panda that he is, he wanted to honour all those pandas and staff at the Wolong Panda Reserve in China. Then his middle name was named after Tai Boo, the sweet panda at the National Zoo in Washington whose 3rd bearday it will be at the Gala Evening in July where this little chap will find his new mummy. There were so many lovely names I think I may have to make some more baby pandas to use some of them if anyone is interested :)
Wolong Panda Reserve was only 18 miles from the epicentre of the earthquake in china just over a week ago. The poor pandas were of course terrified, baby pandas had to be rescued over make shift bridges by the wonderful staff there. All the panda buildings are damaged, the babies were moved to the ticket booth! Sadly 5 members of staff lost their lives in the earthquake. Also 3 pandas were missing, one has just returned.They are in major need of medical and food supplies, if anyone wants to donate then Pandas International are the people to go to, http://www.pandasinternational.org/ My thoughts go out to all the thousands of people that have lost their lives and their loved ones left behind.
Here are some photos of the rescue at Wolong, thanks to Y.Heng and China News.
I am busy finishing a pretty pink bear as a commission right now and just starting work on a sweet sailor bear, then getting ready for a week's holiday next week. We are going to Provence in France, so I am hoping that the lavendar fields will be out in flower :) Hugs, Catherine xx
