Headline 1: Hollywood’s Panda Party - DreamWorks Animation and Paramount launched “Kung Fu Panda” Sunday at the Chinese Theater. A block of Hollywood Boulevard was roped off for the pre-screening street party, with nearly a thousand kids at face-painting booths; learning choreographed dance routines; getting removable tattoos; and having their picture taken with an enormous walk-around Po the Panda character… Bill Higgins, Variety, June 2 2008

Headline 2: Zoos Reach Out To Panda Facility - The National Zoo in Washington D.C. is joining zoos in Atlanta, Memphis and San Diego to raise money to assist Chinese colleagues at the Wolong National Nature Reserve, in Sichuan province, a short distance from the epicenter of the earthquake that struck May 12. There was extensive damage in the region, and staff members are living in tents, the zoo’s Web site said. An appeal for donations is posted on the Web site at http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas. - Michael Ruane, Washington Post Staff Writer, May 31 2008. Photo credit - Chengdu Panda Base

Not to put too fine a point on it, but sometimes I give in to the temptation to think that the rest of the country is right about Hollywood’s disconnect. The Pandas are in the middle of a food crisis with no bamboo supplies due to the roads being closed by landslides and the Chief of the Reserve, Zhang Hemin, planning to relocate the entire Reserve. And Hollywood is celebrating a Kung fu Panda premiere at Grauman’s Chinese Theater. While Zoo Officials around the nation struggle to collect money to wire their Chinese colleagues, one Panda is still missing at Chengdu and the rest are in danger of starvation.

Maybe if Dustin Hoffman and Jack Black and her Royal Highness Angelina Jolie put aside all the things to do in Los Angeles like parties and premieres for Panda animations and put their combined celeb wattage to good use, the Zoo officials wouldn’t have to struggle to raise money to send over to save some real Pandas. Speaking of saving real Pandas, check out this video of panda cubs being rescued after the earthquake (hat tip to Julia Ross from Worldhum).

Posted on June 3rd, 2008 by PLing
Filed under: Travel News