With heightened curiosity, I flew all the way from Hong Kong to Chengdu to join the International Internship Program at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Whenever I reminisce about this intensive giant panda journey, I am filled with gratitude for such an amazing, unforgettable, surreal, and exciting experience.
The giant pandas I met on this journey made a brand new impression on me. I used to believe that giant pandas were shy, mysterious, and distant species, but in truth they are kind and friendly. Though giant pandas spend most of their time resting and eating, sometimes they are quite energetic and nimble. I was truly amused to see some of them act clumsily and stumble over the wooden platforms in their enclosures, an adorable scene that touched me deeply.
I had many new experiences in the program: cleaning and feeding the young giant pandas, training their hind legs, and more. I found all these experiences fascinating. People say that I am a contradictory person for I define myself as a “dean freak”, but at that same time, I hate doing housework. Nevertheless, I enjoyed cleaning up the giant panda enclosure very much! Taking care of the giant pandas definitely filled me with joy. The happiness I gained from the encounter with giant pandas even helped me ignore the tiredness from all the work we did each day working at the Chengdu Panda Base.
When I returned to Hong Kong, I wrote a diary about this journey on my blog. Unexpectedly; my entries about the internship program drew the attention of many friends. This inspired me to write a book about the amusing stories and secrets of giant pandas from the perspective of an intern. The book helped me share with the public how precious and cute the giant pandas are as well as the proper attitudes and ways to help them. Gratefully I received kind support from Dr. Zhang Zhihe and strong support from the experts, educators, and keepers at the Chengdu Panda Base, and the book was finally published in Hong Kong.
Though my contributions are rather insignificant in the grand scheme of things, I believe if everyone did even just a small thing, giant panda conservation efforts would become more and more smooth and successful. All 1 giant pandas can have a happier and healthier lives.
