Tag Archives: National Zoo

Salute! To the Year of the Sheep

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Once again, the panda kindergarten stages their annual Chinese New Year’s pageant, this year we salute the Year of the Sheep! I know! I know! Are you already picturing little chubby panda kindergarteners dressed up as fluffy little sheep? I know I am.

Of course, in some interpretations, it is The Year of the Ram or the Year of the Goat.

Just saying.

Look out!!!! Oh, those triplets!

Look out!!!! Oh, those triplets!

Really, there is nothing cuter than an upside down panda. Except maybe an upside down panda in a sheep costume.

Be the Bear
Bob T. Panda

Bao Bao Responds to Her Defeat…

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Today, our nation’s number one panda, Bao Bao responds to her stunning defeat in this years Giant Panda Zoo Awards. The GPZA is a little like the Acadamy Awards, for pandas, so it’s easy to see why little miss Pinky would be so um…shall we say agitated? by her disappointing showing in this year’s voting.

But first, we have a story of sordid deception, tragedy, sugar overload, unfair advantage and death by chocolate, brought to our attention by one of our alert readers, Ms Jayelle of Brooklyn NY, about  some hunting practices that IMHO are just the tiniest bit unfair, not to mention not very sporting. Now before anyone gets their panties in a knot, let me say I am an unashamed carnivore, or I suppose more accurately, omnivore. I have friends and neighbors who hunt deer and elk and stock their freezers to feed their family for the winter.

I say bravo, and that they are more honest eaters than I am, as the only hunting I do is for what’s on sale at our local grocery store.  But this tale, from the bear centric area of New Hampshire smacks of unfairness to me. I mean, who doesn’t know that bears love sweets, and that chocolate can kill your dog if he eats enough of it.  So, in the spirit of the Panda Chronicles, (meaning that we make fun of stuff, no matter how serious it actually is) here is our response to this story.

If I have but one life to live, let me give it for a cuppycake.

If I have but one life to live, let me give it for a cuppycake.

And now, as promised, Princess Pinky’s first response to the news that she did not win the gold medal in the Giant Panda Zoo Awards, (despite her…um…best efforts)

You might want to cover your ears.

Don't tell me you're surprised.

Don’t tell me you’re surprised.

We’ll have more from our recorded coverage of the actual Giant Panda Awards ceremony, coming to you on The Panda Channel, host of Zoonooz, in the weeks to come. Stay tuned so you don’t miss it, or better yet, sign up to get new posts three times a week in your inbox. You can also sign up for our monthly (I swear I am going to get to this really soon) Newsletter. Both sign-ups are at the top of the right hand column on all pages, except for the home page.

Be the bear!
Bob T. Panda

 

Pinky’s Snow Day, Part the Second

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After the events of last week in the rest of the world, is it any wonder that we sensitive types retreat to something a little kinder, a little gentler, and a little furrier? I am of course referring to Pinky’s first snow day. The joy of seeing this round, furry panda cub rolling down hills and romping with her mom is just what we needed to keep from crawling under the covers and never coming out. You can watch her on youtube here.

I hope that the violence and unrest that is happening in Paris settles down. The world seems to be going mad around us. We need more….

pandas.

Meihem, not Mayhem.

Meihem, not Mayhem.

What could be cuter than pandas in snow suits? Yes, I know I need help.

Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda

Pinky’s Snow Day, Part the First

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Oh my, our most favorite panda princess has been all over the news, both in the US, but also in Canada, via a youtube video from The Smithsonian. A columnist in the Washingtonian dared to dis the snow covered panda, to the wrath of panda fans everywhere.  How dare he say those things about Pinky!

I would never make fun of pandas like that.

I would do it like this:

And it was ever thus....

And it was ever thus….

Stay tuned for more snowy-day fun on Wednesday!

Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda

On the 6th Day of Crisp-Moss…

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On the 6th Day of Crisp-Moss, my panda cam did see…

HOW many more days are there?

HOW many more days are there?

whew!

whew!

On the sixth day of Crisp-Moss, my panda cam did see:

Six pandas driving,
F-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-IVE Cuppy-Cakes!
Four pandas sneaking,
three triplets napping,
two Meihems plotting

and

A Pinky in a Hemlock tree.

Is everybody singing? Has your spouse/significant other/roommate/threatened you yet, if you don’t stop singing that silly song?

Just checking.

Be the (singing) Bear,
Bob T. Panda

PS: just a reminder that there are only 3 more days to have your Panda Chronicles Books purchases (and Pandamorphosis) result in a donation for Pandas International! We love all the work that PI does for pandas! Remember, without real pandas, panda satire wouldn’t be funny!

On the 4th Day of Crisp-Moss…

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..my panda cam did see…

The 12 Days of Crisp-Moss presents: On the 4th Day of Crisp-Moss!

four pandas sneaking...

four pandas sneaking…

...and a Pinky in a Hemlock tree!

…and a Pinky in a Hemlock tree! ( In case you enjoyed #OccupyHemlock)

Okay, everybody sing with me…
On the fourth day of Crisp-Moss, my panda cam did see:

Four Pandas sneaking,
Three Triplets napping,
Two Meihems plotting,
and
A Pinky in a hemlock tree!

Isn’t this fun?

Be the holiday bear and don’t drink too much eggnog!
Bob T. Panda

On the 3rd Day of Crisp-moss…

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I am completely innocent, I tell you. I spent much of the day working on the next couple installments of The 12 Days of Crisp-Moss, with absolutely no knowledge that Princess Pinky Bao Bao (the actual Princess Pinky Bao Bao) was staging a sit in at the top of her beloved hemlock tree.

Unlike the San Diego Zoo, which is a closed area, the National Zoo is open to a large park (which name escapes me at the moment) and so the animals must be secured in their private behind the scenes enclosures before their attendants can call it a day, and go home and put their very tired feet up.

So, when Princess Pinky decides she does not want to come down….

I think she is trying to beat Tai Shan’s record.

Meanwhile, on with the 12 Days of Crisp-moss:

On the 3rd day of Crisp-moss, my panda cam did see…

I swear, I had nothing to do with Pinky's let night sit in.

I swear, I had nothing to do with Pinky’s late night sit in.

Be the Bear (and come down from there, OK?)
Bob T. Panda

31 Days of Pandas Returns!

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Here we go with days 12, 13, and 14, delayed by the windstorm and power outage (which was finally over at about 1 AM this morning) that commenced Thursday evening, of December 11th. All is well here at headquarters of The Institute for Contemporary Panda Satire. Well, now it is, anyway. The sun is shining and it was a lovely day to go out and move fallen branches from the yard and driveway to spots that are less inconvenient for them to exist in.

But enough about you and your problems, I hear coming from the cheap seats. Where are all these panda cartoons that you were allegedly working on by candle light while you had nothing better to do, since you couldn’t check your twitter feed ad infinitum?

OK, OK, already. Here’s the next episode of The Case of the Picturesque Panda:

Oh, Inspector Panda! What a surprise!

Oh, Inspector Panda! What a surprise!

And for those of you who follow the antics of Bob T. Panda and his Junior Panda Friends on Facebook, you may have seen a notice that Princess Pinky has something dastardly in mind, to perhaps skew the voting in the Giant Zoo Panda Awards.

Pinky, I thought we agreed you wouldn't do anything naughty.

Pinky, I thought we agreed you wouldn’t do anything naughty.

This will not stand!

This will not stand!

A big pandy thank you to all of you who have ordered books this month. Remember, I will make a donation to Pandas International for each copy of Pandamorphosis or any of the Panda Chronicles series books that you buy this month, so now’s the time to buy, buy buy!

We’ll be back sometime tomorrow with the next episode of Inspector Panda and then I have a special Holidays with Pandas surprise (that just popped into my head a few days ago!) Huzzah!

See you tomorrow!
Be the Bear<
Bob T. Panda

 

What Does a Panda Wear for Halloween?

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I mean, do they dress up as a red panda? or maybe a tiger?  This is serious, people! Pandas need to know what might be the best costume so that people give them the most stuff.  Halloween is important to panda culture. who knew?

Princess Pinky really needs to know!

Darn those Meihems!!!!

Darn those Meihems!!!!

I do want to mention that I drew this cartoon before I read the Cub Confidential post from Zoo Atlanta suggested that the twins were going to dress up as the other twin.  Just saying. The Institute of Contemporary Panda Satire has their finger…er…paw on the pulse of the panda community.

And Pinky has asked me to mention that her book is out, and you could just flip really fast through all the cartoons about the Meihems, so that you could just read the ones about Pinky. Hey, I just do what Pinky tells me to. Word to the wise, and all, Pinky must be obeyed.

It's Pink, but still kinda, um...dangerous!

It’s Pink, but still kinda, um…dangerous!

Be the Bear
Bob T. Panda

 

Friday already?

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Fabulous Furry Friday seems to roll around faster and faster, doesn’t it? Hmmmm. we seem to be in a Pinky and Meihem twins mode this week, so lets just continue with that line of thought.

This cartoon was inspired by one of my friends (now in real life) Judy Young, of the infamous Pinky fan club, who gather sometimes daily at the National Zoo to observe the actual Bao Bao Princess Pinky panda, mostly climbing up the dreaded hemlock, but sometimes frolicking for the pandarazzi.  The photo that inspired this was not of Pinky, playing with bubbles, but a group of children having a blast blowing gigantic bubbles and chasing them over the grass. I though Pinky would enjoy this activity.

Oh dear....are you going to leave her there?

Oh dear….are you going to leave her there?

The next cartoon was inspired by an internet quiz, “What Kind of Cuppycake are You?” That’s easy.  One that’s got lots of …um…frosting.

I have extra frosting!

I have extra frosting!

Pinky will be back on Sunday! Don’t keep her waiting!

Be the Bear
Bob T. Panda