February 2015 eNewsletter
IT'S A 3-PEAT FOR PANDAS INTERNATIONAL

We couldn't be more thrilled to have been awarded the Gold for the third year in a row!  Thanks to all of you, Pandas International was named the "Favorite Panda Charity" for the 3-peat in the Giant Panda Zoo awards.  As Suzanne says, "We are extremely honored to have won the Gold for Best Panda Charity - 3 years in a row. I feel like we have won an Oscar every year for 3 years. It's wonderful to know that people around the world recognize how hard we work every day at Pandas International to Save the Endangered Giant Pandas."


PANDA NEWS
PANDAS IN CHINA
Breeding Season is Around the Corner and Hong Kong's Le Le and Ying Ying are Joining In.

Hong Kong's black and white heartthrobs - giant pandas Ying Ying and Le Le - will join a national breeding scheme to increase the chances of having panda cubs.

The pair, who live in Ocean Park, will join the National Giant Panda Breeding Program after attempts to encourage mating and artificial insemination between the pair both failed.

Ying Ying, the nine-year-old female, may be temporarily relocated to a panda reserve in Sichuan so she can mate with different pandas. The relocation will take place one month before Ying Ying enters her fertile cycle, which usually occurs between March and May. Ying Ying would be returned to Ocean Park to give birth after mating.

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The Triplets Celebrate their 6-month Birthday

The world's only surviving giant panda triplets are six months old and had a little birthday party to celebrate. 

 

Panda breeders in their home of Guangzhou in southern China say that all the cubs are in good health. They have begun to eat some fresh bamboo by themselves, according to the breeding park.

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Yao Xin Moves to her New Home

Yao Xin's journey to her new home in Wenling giant panda house in Taizhou city, Zhejiang province as chronicled through a wonderful set of photos showing how much planning and care goes into transporting Pandas around the world.

 

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PANDA PROTECTORS AND ADOPTORS
Thank  You, Parkway Elementary Second Graders!

Thank you to the amazing second grade students at Parkway Elementary School.  These students wanted to do something to help the Pandas after reading and learning about their endangerment.  They came up with a great idea to launch a fundraiser at school. They made flyers and hung them around the school, wrote an announcement and read it over the loud speaker announcing their service project and they even made some cute containers and little thank you notes for people to take after they made their donations. The students collected pennies for one week and then took them to be counted at the local bank.  They were so excited when they found out that they had collected a little over $100 of the pandas!  Thank you to the caring students at Parkway for your dedication to the pandas and for truly making a difference!

 

Charlotte and Corine's Creative Panda Protecting

 

Charlotte (age 11) and Corinne (age 8) decided that they wanted to do something to help protect pandas.  They told their mom about the unbelievably small number of remaining pandas and decided that they would set up at coat check at their family's annual Holiday party.  The girls raised more than $100 to donate to saving Pandas!

Sealie is a Panda Protector Too!

Sealie is a proud member of the Panda Bear Kindergarten class at International School of Texas in Austin, Texas. Sealie decided that for her 6th birthday she would like to raise money to help save Pandas rather than getting birthday presents. Her party was held at Build A Bear on January 2 and she collected $309 to donate to Pandas International.  Thank you, Sealie, for your support.  We really appreciate you and all you do for the pandas! 

Fran's Adoption Story

 When Fran went to China in 2008, her group was one of the first groups of tourists who visited the Sichuan area after the earthquake. They spent a day in Bifenxgia where, as Fran says, one of the highlights was being able to spend time in the panda kindergarten". Fran decided to stay near one panda (although there were several to play with) and afterwards asked the keeper to write down her name. That panda was Xin Nier.  Fran adopted Xin Nier through PI when she returned to the states and has been renewing her adoption every year since then.

 

 

RoyalPanda.com improves the Panda's odds

"Helping the panda improve its odds:" with this catchy phrase, online casino Royal Panda announced the joyous news that it has adopted one of our giant pandas, the son of the beautiful Zhen Zhen. As an online casino, developed by people who truly care for the well being of our beloved bears, adopting a panda cub has been a long-standing ambition of the team at Royal Panda. And it was our absolute pleasure to be able to help Royal Panda realize that dream. The panda cub is now nicknamed "Royal Panda" and will serve as Royal Panda's living mascot to increase awareness of the giant panda's battle against extinction, across Royal Panda's website, social media channels and events. Thank you Royal Panda for helping to improve the panda's odds of survival!

PANDA PHOTOS AND VIDEOS
 
Researchers Stumble Upon a Sleepy Cub in the Wild
 
Xing Ya, Sen Sen, and Xin Xin at Gengda
       
We are so happy to see pandas back in Wolong!
It's a Panda Cub Wrestling Match!

NAUGHTY PANDAS PLAY GROUP-FIGHTS! CUTE TROUBLE-MAKERS! PART I
Cute Trouble Makers

OTHER NEWS
Spotlight Panda - You You's 2014 Cub

This darling little girl was born August 19, 2014 (at Bifengxia) to You You. We are a bit smitten with her beautiful smile!

 

 Want to help support this lovely little girl and all of the pandas?


Still Time to get your Panda Kisses and Valentines Wishes
The perfect gift for Valentines Day!  This gift comes with a 14 inch tall panda plush with red beads, a red snowflake carton with red and silver Hershey kisses, and Erica Vojnich's  brand new EXCLUSIVE watercolor print. The print is 5�7 and suitable for framing!

Another HUGE Thank You for Your Support

The Distemper outbreak in China has been heartbreaking.  Three pandas have already lost their lives to the deadly disease and another is still in a coma. Thanks to YOUR generosity, we have officially reached our $10,000 fundraising goal to purchase vaccines and transport them to China. We are still accepting donations to the fund since the distemper vaccination is ANNUAL. All donations that come through for the distemper fund will help us to purchase the vaccines for next 
year.