I am Margarita Lau from Hong Kong, China. Friends often refer to me as a “panda addict”, “panda queen”, “panda big sister”, “Ms. Panda”, or “Aunt Panda”.
Everyone, including acquaintances, all ask one question: “Why do you love giant pandas so much?” Everyone has a favorite animal and giant pandas are mine. Some have suggested that my feelings about giant pandas are stronger than most, as I genuinely care about the daily life and future of pandas, to the point of worry.
One evening in 2003, I watched a short, 5 or 8 minutes video that deeply impressed and inspired me while I was browsing between channels on television. I felt completely comfortable and relaxed while watching the video, which showed cute panda cubs playing in a serene environment of tall grasses, trees, and bamboo, while swans and cranes swam peacefully in a lake. This video has been broadcast many times over the last decade, yet I never tire of watching it.
Tian Tian and Mei Xiang’s cub was born in the National Zoo in Washington D.C., United States in the summer of 2005. The zoo held an international naming contest, and the name with the most votes was Tai Shan. The little cub was the focal point and attraction of everyone^ attention, and to my surprise, we share the same birthday.
Since Tai Shan’s birth, all my spare time has been spent learning giant panda information. As a result of all my reading, this black and white bear captivated and helped me realize the beauty and importance of the environment and how we are all connected through it. Human behaviors have had a devastating impact on wildlife across planet Earth and we must take steps to preserve our most valuable resource, the environment.
As my understanding about giant pandas has increased over time, I have also collected other materials about the giant pandas to support them and create awareness. In order to provide and share panda information with others, I prepare various resources, such as books, information, or other related items. I’m always ready to introduce this special species to the people around me, and give away the panda products I collect At the moment I can only do these small acts to help protect the panda by myself, but in the future I hope to make larger and more significant contributions.
I love all the giant pandas whether they are wild or captive, old or young, and hope that God will bless giant pandas and other species!
