2008 may be the Year of the Rat, but so far it’s seems more like the Year of the Panda as China’s most famous furry icon dominates headlines and the silver screen.
Unfortunately, it’s been tough going: Last month’s earthquake reportedly damaged an estimated “80 percent” of Sichuan’s panda reserves, including the world-famous Woolong Nature Reserve where sadly one panda, Mao Mao, was killed. Although eight pandas from the region were recently relocated to the Beijing Zoo , many of those who remain in Sichuan’s reserves have reportedly been so traumatized by the catastrophe they’ve had to undergo “touch therapy” by their human caretakers.
The bigger question, however, is what has become of the estimated 2,000 (or less) pandas thought to live in the wilds of Sichuan in the area that was essentially the hardest hit. However—there is one silver lining— maybe there will be a renewed focus on panda conservation (and wildlife conservation in general) in the aftermath of this catastrophe.
Incidentally, DreamWorks Animation’s new feature Kung Fu Panda, starring Jack Black as a panda who dreams of becoming a martial arts master, had its debut in Shanghai last week at an invitation-only screening. The rest of the country saw the debut on Friday in theaters across the country despite calls for a boycott of Kung Fu Panda (on rather myopic grounds) by attention-mongering conceptual artist Zhao Bandi.
Meanwhile, another panda film, Touch of the Panda (a Chinese-Disney co-production), is also proceeding with post-production, despite having part of its shoot affected by the earthquake. The film is slated for release in 2009, when things, hopefully, will take a turn for the better for our fine furry friends.
