One can be shocked by the sending of giant pandas “morphologically well protected from the cold” towards the furnaces of a Qatari desert. But let us remember that in the 8th century Empress Wu Zeitan offered 70 giant panda skins to the Emperor of Japan as a token of friendship. This diplomatic gift, in fact, entered into the imperial mores and even survived modern China! Until 1984 when the Chinese governement saw fit to introduce the “panda loan” against remuneration and return to the sender after 10 or 15 years. Offspring including, of course!
Bye Si Mai, bye Jin Jin!
In May 2020, China and Qatar signed a cooperation agreement on the protection of giant pandas and biodiversity. The year 2022, with its World Football Championship, has proven to be ideal for concretizing this agreement by sending a pair of ursids.
At the Giant Panda Breeding and Research Center in Chengdu (Sichuan province), the teams prepared, not without sadness, to say goodbye to two of their treasures: Si Mai, a 3-year-old female, 70 kg, and Jin Jin, 4-year-old male, 120 kg. Both born and raised here in this haven of peace.
It was on board a special plane and surrounded by certified experts that the pandas landed on October 19 in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Causing a stir at the height of the event: they were the first pandas to set foot on the soil of the Middle East.
Panda House Garden
Like at home… or almost! Everything has been done, indeed, so that Si Mai and Jin Jin can pursue the lifestyle that suits them. Let’s see the frame. The site of their domain is inspired, in its form, by the Minchen Mountains covered with impressive bamboo forests. 2814 feet were taken on site and cultivated here with care in order to be consumed by the couple as soon as they arrive.
It is well known that giant pandas only eat one or two species of bamboo. Those that grow in abundance in the habitat areas where they live in the wild. Just under 2,000 specimens have been counted over the 22,000 km2 spread over three provinces of the Giant Panda National Park. Their habitat areas must be protected at all costs. Because the giant panda is a so-called umbrella species and therefore essential to the conservation of other species living in its environment. To protect it is to ensure the survival of rare, threatened species, perhaps on the verge of extinction.
And what about the heat in the Middle East? It is clear that in Qatar, it is no longer part of the problems in terms of construction when it comes to protecting oneself from it. Outdoors, everything is possible with, of course, heavy energy expenditure. But when there is some to resell, why would we deprive ourselves of it? However, it leaves you dreaming. At the breeding center in Chengdu, it happens that the enclosures of the little pandas remain desperately empty because… more than 28 degrees C.
Hey Thyraya, hey Suhai!
The names of Si Mai and Jin Jin have been arabized and we can only wish the two pandas to get used to these new sounds as well as to the Qatari teams who take care of them now. The Chinese scientists who formed these teams will stay on site to perfect the skills and follow the evolution of the pandas during their quarantine. Then, if all goes well, they will be delivered to the admiration of visitors who will flock to the Panda House in Al Khor Park, 35 km from Doha. Next step, waiting for happy news, but without impatience: pandas tend to thwart design predictions!
