Six giant pandas, aged two to four years old, are scheduled to leave captivity and enter the wild on January 11, 2012. The pandas - named Xingrong, Xingya, Gongzai, Yingying, Zhizhi and Qiq - were deemed the most fit for release by a test that evaluated the physical condition and genetic origins of 108 animals housed in the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. more ›

After several rounds of competition, the Pambassadors have finally been named . In what we think may be the best job opportunity in the world, these winning hardcore panda-lovers will stay at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding for one month in Chengdu as part of a project seeking to help the endangered species in partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature. more ›

On Friday we reported that Tai Shan's return to his Chinese roots might create a “normal” panda environment for the furry guy—one that would focus more on breeding and less on the panda cams and fan clubs of yesteryear. Well guess who just scored a corporate sponsorship, oodles of money and even more of a lifetime guarantee of fame and fortune? more ›

While China's busy being pissed off at the United States, maybe now's the best opportunity to talk about something, well, cuter and cuddlier between the two nations. See, the United States is about to change direction and make a rare export to China - namely, two giant pandas. Mei Lan, born in Atlanta in 2006 and Tai Shan, born in Washington, D.C. in 2005, are currently aboard a Boeing 777 freighter from Washington, D.C. to Beijing. more ›

In this video, a hapless zookeeper is outwitted by two mischievous panda cubs. One playfully distracts him long enough for the other to open the zoo gate. Both then make a dash for the real world. Oh pandas, if only you knew how ill-adapted to the real world you guys really were. more ›

So we stumbled upon one of the longer articles we've seen on China Daily lately and it's about... a BBC presenter that doesn't like pandas. Wildlife expert Chris Packham told Radio Times magazine that he reckoned they should “pull the plug... Here's a species that, of its own accord, has gone down an evolutionary cul-de-sac. Unfortunately, it's big and cute and a symbol of the World Wide Fund for Nature and we pour millions of pounds into panda conservation.” After controversy reared its ugly head, Packham apologized for his statements. Oh geez, if people could get Packham to retract his comments, maybe we've got to tone down on our panda hate too. more ›

• Hungry pandas a casualty of China’s quakes [Canada.com] "When the devastating earthquake struck Sichuan province last May, the natural disaster that befell the region’s best-known residents, the giant Pandas, paled next to the overwhelming scope of the human tragedy. Only one panda was confirmed dead and one lost, but great swathes of mountains crumbled, taking with them the bamboo forests that pandas feed on, leaving the fuzzy animals without their primary source of nourishment. Now, local Sichuan farmers are reporting pandas on their doorstep, begging for food."
• Green-Tech Space Race [The New Yorker] "After so many years of hearing about China’s horrendous environmental conditions and prodigious coal reserves, it might be startling to realize that China is far outpacing the U.S. on green-energy investment. But the details have now been laid out in unambiguous detail by Ben Furnas at the Center for American Progress."
• Name Not on Our List? Change It, China Says [NY Times] "For Ma Cheng and millions of others, Chinese parents’ desire to give their children a spark of individuality is colliding head-on with the Chinese bureaucracy’s desire for order. Seeking to modernize its vast database on China’s 1.3 billion citizens, the government’s Public Security Bureau has been replacing the handwritten identity card that every Chinese must carry with a computer-readable one, complete with color photos and embedded microchips. The new cards are harder to forge and can be scanned at places like airports where security is a priority."