Update on the pandas in Chengdu and Wolong following quake

FLASH..ADDED 9:13 AM PST….MORE GOOD NEWS FROM CHENGDU PANDA BASE

CLICK HERE TO READ ARTICLE FROM CHINESE NEWS WEBSITE

Hello my friends!! I cannot thank you enough for all your emails and heartfelt concern regarding the people and pandas affected by the China earthquake yesterday. I have been frantically trying to contact a number of people in Chengdu and keeping in touch with Panda’s Unlimited who has a super network of caring and very concerned members…some who live in China.

Last night after returning from my birthday dinner I had one of the greatest presents of all. Both Lichunlin from the Panda Base as well as Mickal our guide in Chengdu, BOTH wrote back to me!!! I was overjoyed to hear they were safe and the Chengdu pandas were doing well, but so sad to hear Mickal lost his home. Here are their letters below.

FROM MICKAL

Hello Sandra Miller
Thank you very much.
It is so horrible to experience earthquake here.My another driver’s ankle just be break when he down the stairs but not bad can still walk.
We are all ok and thanks for your concern.But my house damaged unable to use,I consider how to solve it,our family stayed in car all night…..
Another the road to Wolong is off by rocks,on the northern Sichuan,more than 10000 people dead….
Thanks again
Mickal

FROM LICHUNLIN

Hi Sandra Miller:
we are all fine, but we dont sleep last night, because we still can feel the small moveing, so most of chengdu people stay outside, some of then stay inside but dont go to bed the watch tv or stay with family,or some go to sleep but left one wath.
it is my first time so my wife and me are very warry about it, but the goverment tell us it is fine, and the premier arrive chengdu last night, this make us fell much better.
any way thank you for your care.
lichunlin

The Wolong panda center up in the mountains where the quake epicenter was has been the main focus for the panda folks now. FINALLY some word has come through that the pandas are fine but they have moved a number of babies for safety reasons. A reliable source from Pandas Unlimited reports that the Panda Base in Chengdu has already made provisions for getting their daily bamboo supply from the mountains …most of the bamboo the pandas eat grows at a much higher elevation and is farmed up in the mountains in the Wolong region which is not accessible right now.

So anyway , that is the news I have so far. I want to go to China so bad to help out but know it’s impossible right now. Some funds are starting to be set up for the people and pandas so I will post those organizations here soon in case anyone is interested in donating money, time, air miles etc.

THANK YOU ALL FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART