A Panda Post

Having driven from Perth to Adelaide

(just a short 2,692km and 29 hours later)

My husband Ray and I met beautiful giant pandas

Amazing to be so close, just meters away.

Funi. Born on 23/08/06

It was worth every minute of the drive to meet funi!

The other panda - Wang Wang (Born on 31/08/05 )

 was not as interested - staying in his room

 

But I'm afraid this is the only one I could cuddle! 

Other interesting information

• Wang Wang and Funi are the only Giant Pandas in the Southern Hemisphere and the first to live permanently in Australia.
• Funi is much more nimble than Wang Wang - in fact, she is actually quite elegant (for a Giant Panda!).
• On 12 May 2008, the Wenchuan earthquake devastated the Sichuanprovince in China. Official casualties were 69,197 deaths, withthousands more missing, injured or homeless. The quake destroyed theWolong Giant Panda Research Centre, which was home to around 280 GiantPandas including Wang Wang and Funi. Sadly, Wang Wang’s mum, Mao Mao,did not survive the quake.
• After the earthquake Wang Wang and Funi were transferred to theBaixiongpin Yaan Research Centre where they received intensive care fromkeepers to get them back to being happy and healthy Pandas.