Chiang Mai Giant Panda Cub - Naming Competition Update

Three million postcards have been submitted in voting on a name for the Chiang Mai Zoo panda cub - a response so enthusiastic the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology will consider publishing more postcards for an even wider distribution, ICT Minister Ranongruk Suwanchawee said yesterday.

With the voting deadline on August 5, and the lucky draw scheduled for August 10, it was expected many more people would buy cards to send in early August.

Down South, the post office in Narathiwat's Muang district had sold nearly 70 per cent of its 24,000-postcard quota while the rest would be sent to other district post offices.

One buyer, Wannaita Jaemu, said she wanted to be part of the name competition for the panda born in Thailand - and also because there were so many attractive awards.

The zoo's name contest for the panda cub will reward the most voted for name with Bt1 million cash, one car, and a Bangkok- Chengdu package tour for two persons.

Second prize would be given to two winners, each with a car and the Bangkok- Chengdu package tour for two, while there would be 12 third-place awards, each of the Bangkok-Chengdu package tour for two. Some money from postcard selling would go to funding the panda family's care by the Zoological Park Organisation.

Yesterday morning, Chiang Mai Zoo staff brought food to distract mother panda Lin Hui and grab the cub for a regular check-up. They took only 20 minutes before returning the cub to Lin Hui as the female panda began looking for her baby.

Veterinarian Kanikar Nimtrakul reported the cub was chubbier and currently weighed 1,270 grams, a daily increase of 60 gms. Though its body length remained at 30 centimetres, its feet had grown by 0.5 cm to the current 4.5 cm, she added.

The cub can now stay in an incubator without crying or showing it felt the cold, she said. Zoo staff would take the cub from Lin Hui again later in the day, to get the panda used to separations.

Prasertsak Boontrakulpoonthawee, chief of the panda research project, said that since the cub would soon be too large to be pulled through the cage's bars, the staff would try lifting it from Lin Hui's arms while she was eating food.

They would stay inside the cage to gain Lin Hui's trust until they could eventually separate the cub from her. This was to prepare for the July 4-6 display period when the public could see the panda cub.

If Lin Hui insisted on keeping hold of the cub, they would enlarge the cage's bars to take the cub out and put it in the incubator, leaving Lin Hui in the panda display section, he said.

Source: The Nation 24th June 2009