Ship of Fools: baby panda?

Thread: baby panda? Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

To visit this thread, use this URL:
http://forum.ship-of-fools.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=70;t=025726

Posted by would love to belong (# 16747) on :

According to the BBC, there are "strong indications" that Edinburgh zoo's female giant panda is pregnant following artificial insemination in April. We won't know for sure until just before the birth, which would happen between 24 August and 10 September. It could even be twins. If it happens, this will be the first ever birth of a baby giant panda in captivity in the UK. The baby(ies) will officially belong to China.

Posted by luvanddaisies (# 5761) on :

It would be nice, wouldn't it? A wee scottish panda.

I know it'll still belong to China, but maybe they could acknowledge the city of its birth and call it something like Jock or Tam or something. Hee - just had the image of a tiny ginger Irn-Bru drinking panda. How confused would that make panda mummy? [Big Grin]

Let's hope, eh?

Posted by Drifting Star (# 12799) on :

"Tam-Tam" would work well. [Big Grin]

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :

Whaur's yer Kate and Wullie noo? Baby pandas are waaay cuter than Royal sprogs - and more readily merchandisable. If she goes pop, I'm seeing a furry tsunami of black and white and tartan.

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :

Naw, it'd take more than two to get enough material.

Posted by luvanddaisies (# 5761) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Firenze:
Whaur's yer Kate and Wullie noo? Baby pandas are waaay cuter than Royal sprogs - and more readily merchandisable. If she goes pop, I'm seeing a furry tsunami of black and white and tartan.

Exactly. I foresee seeyoujimmy hats with panda ears popping out the top and black and white tufts around the sides.

Irn Bru already posted a thing on their facebook (what, I'm an ex-pat Scot, why shouldn't I 'like' Irn Bru on facebook) with a picture of a panda holding her baby and the caption "What's panda for 'we cannae call her fanny?'." (it's a pisstake of the Coke named bottles campaign, for those who've not seen the current, somewhat annoying, Bru ads.)

Posted by Chorister (# 473) on :

It will need to be called something part-Scottish and part-Chinese, as the baby panda will apparently have to go back to China after 2 years.

Either that, or she's not pregnant at all, and Edinburgh Zoo need to boost their tourist numbers....

Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :

How about Tam Lin? Or May for a female panda (I'm told it means "beautiful" in Chinese).

Posted by Chorister (# 473) on :

How about 'Tam Wei' then?

Posted by Firenze (# 619) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Ariel:
How about Tam Lin?

You think they ken the Border ballads in Bejing? Actually that would be a good name - Ye Ken Noo.

Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :

Don't get your hopes up. As every DC resident can tell ya from our own worthless pair of nonparent pandas, the bamboo eaters often have "pseudopregnancies" that, to us, look exactly like the real thing—same hormone fluctuations, same behaviors—but without an actual pregnancy taking place. Even if a cub is born, they're often not viable, or get crushed by the mother in her sleep, or just inexplicably die within the first 100 days (after which you can actually name the beast). There's a reason most of us have grown a preference for red pandas, especially since they occasionally escape and make a run for the Neighborhood of Debauchery near the National Zoo.

And, while the Chinese government is very strict about you giving traditional Chinese names to their pandas (we sent Tai Shan back to the panda preserve a year or two ago), even the zoo recognized that the local media's name of "Butterstick" couldn't ever be lived down; his going away party was sponsored by Land o' Lakes Dairy in recognition of his local nickname.

So best of luck with your lil' IRN-BRU and Timtam!

Posted by flags_fiend (# 12211) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Ariel:
How about Tam Lin? Or May for a female panda (I'm told it means "beautiful" in Chinese).

May (I think the pinyin and thus the spelling is Mei) means plum blossom, which is beautiful. Would only really work if the baby panda is a girl, if you double up the name it is cuter so it could be called Mei Mei. My acquired Chinese name is Wen Mei (cultured/elegant) plum blossom, acquired as I am not Chinese, and haven't actually been to China, but one of my Chinese friends had an English name and thus said I needed a Chinese one so she helped me choose one [Smile]

Posted by would love to belong (# 16747) on :

Update

There was a report yesterday in the Glasgow Herald suggesting that twins may be on the way. Something to do with the hormone levels in Tian Tian's urine. But we're being warned that there may be room for error, and there may not even be one panda cub on the way. I am getting so excited, I will be SO disappointed if it comes to nothing [Smile]

Posted by would love to belong (# 16747) on :

No news yet, but tomorrow we enter the period of approx 2 weeks during which the panda cub(s) will be born if it is to happen. Fingers and toes crossed [Smile]

Posted by nickel (# 8363) on :

Apparently we have a cub in DC!

Posted by Ariston (# 10894) on :

quote:
Originally posted by nickel:
Apparently we have a cub in DC!

WHAT. WHAT.
Just checked the WaPo. Well well, born on the second anniversary of the Great Washington Earthquake, no less! If this one makes it out alive, I say we name it Shaky.

UBB.classic^TM 6.5.0