Atlanta-born giant pandas sent to China only understand English, prefer American food
- 8 years ago
CHENGDU, CHINA — A couple of giant pandas born in the United States have been relocated to China, and they’re having a bit of a tough time assimilating.
The twin sisters, Mei Lun and Mei Huan, were born at Zoo Atlanta, the children of two pandas on loan from China in 2013. As part of the deal with the Chinese giant panda conservation program, any offspring born in America would have to be returned to China when they were deemed old enough.
On November 3, they made the journey back east, but their keepers at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding report the pandas are only responding to English commands. The pandas understand a significant amount of English terms, such as “come here.”
Not only that, the pandas also aren’t used to Chinese cuisine, and are stuck on American food. To get them to eat, their keepers have had to mix their meals of bamboo, apples, and even their water with crackers flown in from the U.S. It’s only been a few days, but the pandas are said to be adjusting, the crackers slowly being replaced by Chinese bread.
Giant pandas are listed as a vulnerable species, with fewer than 1900 remaining in the wild.
The twin sisters, Mei Lun and Mei Huan, were born at Zoo Atlanta, the children of two pandas on loan from China in 2013. As part of the deal with the Chinese giant panda conservation program, any offspring born in America would have to be returned to China when they were deemed old enough.
On November 3, they made the journey back east, but their keepers at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding report the pandas are only responding to English commands. The pandas understand a significant amount of English terms, such as “come here.”
Not only that, the pandas also aren’t used to Chinese cuisine, and are stuck on American food. To get them to eat, their keepers have had to mix their meals of bamboo, apples, and even their water with crackers flown in from the U.S. It’s only been a few days, but the pandas are said to be adjusting, the crackers slowly being replaced by Chinese bread.
Giant pandas are listed as a vulnerable species, with fewer than 1900 remaining in the wild.