Things are hopping in Pandyland, AKA the National Zoo in Washington DC. On Saturday, August 22nd, Mama Mei Xiang gave birth to not one, but TWO cubs. We are still on pins and needles, because panda cubs are really, really, really little, not to mention fragile. So, they are a little too small to appear in cartoons often, but I couldn’t resist letting one of them make a brief appearance with her big sister, Princess Pinky Bao Bao.
Huzzah!
PP: um, dis is not going to interrupt my presidential campaign, is it?
How will having twin siblings affect the ever more attitudinal Princess Pinky, as she vies for the Cake Party nomination in next years presidential race?
Well, we just don’t know, Dude.
Huzzah!
Be the bear…
Bob T Panda
And welcome to the new twins!
We are still sitting quietly with paws anxiously crossed. How can something so small and fragile turn into a PANDA????
Perfection. I am weeping, overwhelmed with emotion, tears flowing. ??????. Bob T. Panda: Artist ?✒, True Blue Hero ? ?, and Founding Partner as Well as Card-Carrying Member of the Cake Party ??? !!! Blessings Cubby Blessings. Princess Pinky knows it too, ?? ???Poof?????????
PS. Now that my Android phone has a pink poodle emoticon or emoji or whatever, I think the Pinkster needs a Pink Poodle. Not that it’s any of my business; because it’s not. Ever. Not ever my business. #justthinking. ?Always a bad idea when Candy thinks.
Glad you liked it. and never stop thinking. It’s not good for you. Maybe Pinky’s Daddee will get her a pink poodle. Do they still do that thing of buying an older sibling a present, so that they don’t…um…put the baby in the washing machine?
ROFLMYBACKSIDEOFF. Which is a pleasant change. My friend E. Luke’s panda satire. We may have a covert. I will let you know. It could be California and recovery from surgery support. #justsaying. #I’mNotExperiencedFYI Do they still dye poodles?
I didn’t know they dyed poodles. I thought that was just easter chicks, and hopefully they don’t do that any more either.
In all honesty animals sometimes get dyed accidentally. We had a pure white cat called Valerie who was an indoor/outdoor cat that loved to hunt. She got sprayed by a skunk one night and the stench was intolerable. I called the vet for suggestions and although she said there were some expensive treatments , the most effective was to wash the cat in tomato juice. So I went to the store and got a case of those 48 ounce tins, and emptied them into a big bucket. I got a bunch of old towels ready and I set the bucket in the shower. I got hold of the cat with long leather gloves and placed her tail first into the bucket of tomato juice. She struggled and howled but then gave up and went floppy I rubbed her down well , including her head, then turned on the shower and rinsed her and I off. I toweled her down well and let her go free. The treatment went excellently and the smell was gone. Unfortunately, the tomato juice dyed her a bright pink. The pink color lingered for almost a month before fading. In the meantime Valerie decided to make it her daily routine to sit on our front step in the sun and greet every neighbor that passed by. It was embarrassing as i believe as you do that dying animals for our benefit is unethical. I pondered making a sign declaring that all natural dyes were used. Ha!
I would have loved to see your pink kitty. She must have been so embarrassed, or at least trying to embarrass you for dying her pink. I have never heard of a cat who has tangled with a skunk. Fortunately we don’t have them here.
Can’t she just carry Larry the Mouse around in one of those little dog bags?
Pinky will consider that.
Bob this one is so sweet it brought a tear to my eyes and a chuckle that she blamed Tai
Glad you liked it. Yes, Pinky can be sweet, but she still is willing to shift the blame when necessary. Definitely the sign of a born politician.
Oh, that’s so cute! I hope you have lots of happy videos for inspiration soon!
We are still in the anxiously watching and waiting phase. I will feel so much better when the cubbies can regularly be switched. Pinky can be sweet too.
Oh my, my. I don’t think we[‘re in Kansas anymore, Pinky!
Ha ha! Indeed!
This is so sweet of Pinky to give her tiny sibling a present (a beanie-copter no less)! Thank you for this cartoon – it made me laugh in the midst of my worrying about the new cubs.
We know that Pinky deeply regrets the passing of one of her young siblings. I am guessing that she will be both fiercely protective of the remaining cub, but not above exploiting the situation for political gain.
Rest assured that the outstanding panda team is working day and night to assure this cubs survival, and if it is within their power, it will thrive.
Awww, so sweet, Pinky couldn’t wait any longer to meet one of her little cub-ette sibs. And he/she is so adorable and alert…already knows gifts are “good things”. Does anyone else think Pinky would prefer liddle brudders?
Um, was the “Vote for Pinky” logo on the other side or under the propeller? ?
Constantly sending good thoughts and vibes to Mommee & especially the cub-ettes!
I am pretty sure that the “vote pinky” logo was on the other side of the cap.
Totawwy adorable!
🙂
So sweet, chief! Fabulous intro of wee one to the indomitable Pinky!
I think Pinky will prove to be a good big sister, if not always one sharing the best influences. Hey, she is Pinky after all.
So very very sad over the loss of the littlest panda cubbie today. My prayers go out to the panda staff at the National Zoo. I am sure they are devastated. May all go well with Pinkie’s remaining sibling. . .
We have an outstanding team at the NZ, including Mama Mei. We are reminded that panda cubs are incredibly fragile in their first weeks of life. I know that the panda team is doing everything in their power to help this cub survive.
Thanks for writing.
When I saw this earlier today I kind of got a lump in my throat in a good way, but now I’m feeling devastated over the loss of the first twin cub. I hope sometime you can have Tai Shan and Pinky honor their siblings whose arrival brought us great joy, but are no longer with us.
Yes, I am inking about that. I don’t want to rush into it, as I want the time to do it right. Nature is often not kind, and we are blessed by the pandas that survive. It is a reminder of what a special species they are, and why they are worth trying to save.
The world would be a much sadder, meaner place without pandas.
I am glad Pinky had the chance to talk with the little panda baby….sadly, she is the only one who could. Thanks so much, BTP for creating this.
Me too. Pinky spoke for all of us.
This is so beautiful and sweet. Pinky is so gentle and will be a lovely elder sibling – even though she tried to blame big brother Tai Shan for her transgressions.
Sadly I’ve just heard the news about the passing of one of the twins. One of the many things I love about the Panda Chronicles is that it brings us together to share our happiness but also our grief. I know I’m not the only one crying their eyes out.
No, you definitely are not the only one shedding tears over this departed cubby. Nature is often not kind. But Pinky started life as a twin as well, and perhaps the loss of her sibling led us to spoil her just a liddle bit…um…too much.
I am so sad that I won’t get to see Mei with twins, at least not yet.
We rejoice for the surviving cub, and hope it makes it through this delicate first stage of it’s existence.
No Vicky and Panda-In-Chief. I thought maybe I might be caught with a butterfly net yesterday, like a rerun of a 60s sitcom. I looked down at my cell to send a text and burst into tears. It’s amazing how many people who will ask if they can help you after you’ve replied no thank you to someone else, twice I might add, and then I had to resist assistance with please leave me alone. (So you don’t have to wonder, 6 in maybe 10 seconds, I knew none of them. I was polite)
All while taking a stuffed Panda dressed in her new Sequined Balerina Tutu and Pointe Slippers out of your backpack I might add. BSL came along for companionship.At least my true sanity at Physical Therapy is no longer in doubt.
Well we have, unfortunately, another Little Angel Panda, and news of a pudgy and fur-sprouting sibling. And I have a broken heart. Which is Beany Chief, and which is Cecil?
This might just make The Pinkster a bit less selfish. I am hoping the sister born in 2012 was in Heaven on task for the meet-n-greet and introductions.
Forgive the mistakes. Still crying, you know. ??????
We are all sad for the loss of this cub. Thank you for writing. I know we will get through this. I think the 2012 panda angel, along with Pinky’s twin(remember that?) were on hand to greet this new arrival, with laughter and cuppycakes.
Cruel nature! The true miracle is that any of us survive. We will not let the sadness of losing one cub lessen the joy we feel for the other. Pinky will be a good big sister. i am sure of it. (Um…that does not mean she won’t exploit her liddle sibling for her own purposes, but I think she will fiercely protect it as well.
Be well.
I found out at work. My students knew something was “off” because I was no longer going on and on and ON about the panda twins. They were like “Why aren’t you telling us anything about the twins? You haven’t mentioned them all evening!”. I couldn’t even speak- I just showed them the link with the sad news. I explained Bao Bao was also a twin but her twin died, too.
I am still planning to go to the zoo in January for the debut of our littlest new cubby to love.
If only magical wands could have helped…
Wouldn’t it have been nice if magical wands could help. I am sure Pinky would have volunteered to use hers. We are sad now, but soon the memory will fade, and we can rejoice in our newest cubby. For any number of selfish reasons I wish that both had survived. Imagine Pinky having to cope with twin brothers. Not to mention the pure joy of getting to see panda twins playing together.
Life can be so unfair sometimes.