Pandas!!

Just north of Chengdu, there is a breeding center strictly for pandas. As noted in the previous post, we got there a little late to see any activity from the Giant Pandas. They had already eaten and were pretty much sleeping. Some of them looked seriously drugged, but all we saw was sleeping pandas.


The red pandas on the other hand were pretty active. You can see from the photos that the red pandas are much smaller than the giant pandas. They look a bit like racoons. And, as the name implies, they are red. We paid a small fee to get to feed and pet the red pandas, and it was incredible. We had to wear plastic gloves, but their fur feels rough yet soft. They seemed tame, but the handlers were careful that we not put our hands directly in their mouths when we fed them some apple slices.

I was really impressed with how long their tails are. The giant panda has no tail to speak of, but the red panda has a long tail. Also, some of the red pandas don't have ears. From what we understand, this is a trait of specific breeds. You can see the ears on the one that I'm holding, but the one that Erin is holding doesn't have any. Hers had some markings where the ears should be, but no real ears to speak of.