The last few times that I have been to the zoo in Chapultepec Park, the zoo's giant pandas have not been out for visitors to see. Last Thursday, however, one of them was in its compound. It was not really cooperating with the visitors who wanted to take photos. Most of the time it had its back to us while hungrily munching on bamboo. Occasionally we got a glimpse in profile.
Chapultepec has a long tradition of being the most successful zoo outside of China in breeding giant pandas.
It all started in 1975 when China gave Mexico a pair of pandas, Pe Pe and Ying Ying. Their first offspring, born in 1980, died after only eight days when the mother rolled over on the infant. But the following year, Ying Ying gave birth to a female panda that was to be the first panda to survive to adulthood in captivity outside of China. The birth was international news, and Mexico went "panda crazy". A contest was held to name the panda, and the winning entry was "Tohui", which in the language of the Tarahuamara tribe means "child". There was even a hit song, "El Pequeño Panda de Chapultepec" recorded by the Mexican singer Yuri. (I actually found a music video of it HERE on YouTube.)
A male panda was brought from London Zoo to mate with Tohui, and in 1990 they gave birth to a daughter, Xin Xin. Pe Pe and Ying Ying had five more babies, three of which lived to adulthood. One of them, the male Shaun Shaun is still alive, as is Xin Xin. I don't know which one I saw munching on bamboo.
If you would like to practice your Spanish, here are the lyrics from that hit song inspired by Tohui...
Pequeño panda, aún no andas
Y ya queremos verte jugar
Con tu mamita que está orgullosa
Porque naciste en nuestra ciudad
Donde yo gozo y soy muy feliz
Viendo a los niños y mucha gente
Que van de fiesta a Chapultepec
Lo que hay de cosas en este lugar
Tenemos juegos, árboles, flores
Y animalitos que viven en paz
Todos queremos verte crecer
Y saludarte, también desearte
Seas muy dichoso con tus papitos
Pequeño panda en Chapultepec
Y ya queremos verte jugar
Con tu mamita que está orgullosa
Porque naciste en nuestra ciudad
Donde yo gozo y soy muy feliz
Viendo a los niños y mucha gente
Que van de fiesta a Chapultepec
Lo que hay de cosas en este lugar
Tenemos juegos, árboles, flores
Y animalitos que viven en paz
Todos queremos verte crecer
Y saludarte, también desearte
Seas muy dichoso con tus papitos
Pequeño panda en Chapultepec
That was a very cute video! Hard to believe it's 41 years old! Those kids are my kids' ages now. I see that Yuri is still singing at age 50.
ReplyDeleteI had never heard the song before, but Alejandro remembers it very well from his youth.
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