Monday, 16 March 2009
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My Plan to Become a Panda Keeper for a Day in Beautiful Sichuan, China
I am going to China this summer for the first time. The highlight of my trip will be to become a Panda Keeper at Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center:
Here's what this International Internship entails:
To meet worldwide panda enthusiasts and students’study needs, we have developed an international internship program. If you are a panda lover, want to get closer to them, and care for them, then this is the program for you. During the experience, you will learn about giant pandas and conservation. You will also learn how to conduct behavioral scientific research on giant and red pandas. Not only will you work like a member of the Research Base staff, you may also go into the wild where giant pandas live if you like!
Eligibility：Adults 18 and up
Length: One day to three months
I contacted the research center directly and they quoted 600 RMB = $88 USD for a day. The itinerary includes entering the enclosures to feed pandas with fresh bamboo, apples and vegetables; clean up their living area; rinse your pandas and watch them play with cool water in the hot summer heat.
You can also sign up for a 3-day program for 2000 RMB = $293 USD, which includes working as a panda keeper, a nutritionist and a behavioral researcher.
A lot of travel agencies also offer this tour but with a higher price, if you are more comfortable dealing with them.
I find this to be more satisfying than just watching them from the other side of the fence.
Besides, Chengdu is in Sichuan where you get to dine on authentic Sichuan cuisine. This region is worth going nonetheless.
The area is also know for its natural beauty. I've seen some amazing wedding photography taken there.
Do you love animals? Which animal would you want to be up close and personal with?
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- From: janet@xanga
- Name: Janet
- About Me: Futurama is coming back! 2008!
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Comments (10)
hamsters!
i've been to sichuan, that place is great. you should visit jiu zhai gou in sichuan province, it has the most amazing lake and waterfall scenery.
omg i'm going to china in the fall and i definitely want to participate at the panda center! i ADORE pandas! i was looking for something like this. thanks for the link!
wow! i didn't know that we could even do something like this. it would be so awesome to be a panda keeper for a day. i'm going to look into this for a future trip.
I would love to be a Panda Keeper! BTW, those pictures are awesome!
awww...pandas are so adorable...from a distance. they can be moody and agitated, maybe hold the human in a headlock for fun or punch the human's eyesockets so that they can be twins and have the bruised eye look just like the pandaO_O I wanna babysit a baby koala<3 or a capuchin monkey:)
I LOVE pandas! I would kill to be in your shoes.
@black_lie@xanga -
Damn I went there as well and also at the place you did recommend, I went here for 7 days during easter!!! so amazing that area.
I went to the panda place, but i found it a bit unnatural that just all tourist can pay to hold a young panda, I guess these Panda's are never going back into the wild.
But the whole internship program looks cool to me, the money they gather this way goes back to these nice creatures! It is also important because the Sichuan area was hit by the earthquake big time!!
Gorgeous! I think the panda keeper sounds fun. I think if I could choose... I would give an elephant a bath. That has always sounded fun to me.