Thanks, Will! As far as I know, this (the Giant Panda Research Center in Chengdu, China) is the only place in the world where people are allowed to touch pandas. You make a donation in order to spend time with a giant or red panda, which I felt good about - not many people in China seem to care about animal rights, but they sure do love pandas! So, making a donation to support research at this center was (hopefully) a way to support awareness of the environment and wildlife in China. Also, when people ask me about this photo, I have a chance to talk to them about my experience and beliefs. I have some major ethical concerns about animals in captivity, but in this particular setting it seems to be serving a very needed positive purpose. It IS dangerous to be this close to pandas, unless you distract them with lots of fruit snackies. The director at the center brought the panda out, gave her a few apples, and my tour guide snapped the photos! I felt some incredible energy from the pandas here, but also some major energetic confusion - they intuitively know that they should be out in the wild, not in a research center. Unfortunately, that just can’t happen with the current environmental situation in China.. they can no longer survive on their own in the wild.
This is so cool. I really appreciate your thoughts here along with the compassion you exhibit. It’s great that this is a tool that helps open people’s minds about animal rights and the environment. I love that.
If this is the only place I can get that close to a Giant Panda, then I know where I must go. I support all endagered animals but espacially the Giant Panda. I wish I could sleep 16 hours a day and eat the other 8, those pandas got it made.
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Wow thats an awesome photo! I thought they were to dangerous to get near …
Thanks, Will! As far as I know, this (the Giant Panda Research Center in Chengdu, China) is the only place in the world where people are allowed to touch pandas. You make a donation in order to spend time with a giant or red panda, which I felt good about - not many people in China seem to care about animal rights, but they sure do love pandas! So, making a donation to support research at this center was (hopefully) a way to support awareness of the environment and wildlife in China. Also, when people ask me about this photo, I have a chance to talk to them about my experience and beliefs. I have some major ethical concerns about animals in captivity, but in this particular setting it seems to be serving a very needed positive purpose. It IS dangerous to be this close to pandas, unless you distract them with lots of fruit snackies. The director at the center brought the panda out, gave her a few apples, and my tour guide snapped the photos! I felt some incredible energy from the pandas here, but also some major energetic confusion - they intuitively know that they should be out in the wild, not in a research center. Unfortunately, that just can’t happen with the current environmental situation in China.. they can no longer survive on their own in the wild.
This is so cool. I really appreciate your thoughts here along with the compassion you exhibit. It’s great that this is a tool that helps open people’s minds about animal rights and the environment. I love that.
If this is the only place I can get that close to a Giant Panda, then I know where I must go. I support all endagered animals but espacially the Giant Panda. I wish I could sleep 16 hours a day and eat the other 8, those pandas got it made.
I can't wait to go to China and see the Giant Pandas in person. Love this picture.=)
OMG !! Pandas are incredible !!