China Allows Extension Of Panda’s Stay In Thailand 2 More Years

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China allows extension of panda’s stay in Thailand 2 more years

BANGKOK, April 6 - The Chinese government has extended the period of stay in Thailand for celebrity panda Lin Ping for another two years, for the first time, as China has never extended a panda’s stay in any other country before.

Meeting with Thailand’s visiting HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Chinese Parliament chief Wu Bangguo said that China appreciated the kindness of the princess and her dedication to supporting the good relations between the two countries, so the Chinese government decided to extend the stay of panda Lin Ping for two years to 2013.

Popular Lin Ping was born to Lin Hui and Xuang Xuang on May 27, 2009 at Chiang Mai Zoo in the north of Thailand through artificial insemination. Her name which means ‘Forest of Ice’ in Chinese was chosen after a nationwide name selection contest that attracted about 22 million votes. “Ping” also sounds similar to the Thai pronunciation of the name of the Ping River which flows through northern Thailand near the zoo.

The two pandas, Lin Hui and Xuang Xuang, on loan from China are seen as ambassadors of friendship between the two countries. Thailand must return the popular pandas to China in 2013.

The Thai government sought to extend Lin Ping’s stay here, as under the initial agreement, any panda cub born in the kingdom must be returned to China within two years, which would be this year as it was born in 2009. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2011-04-06

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Lin Ping may stay for two more years

By The Nation

Chiang Mai Zoo director Thanapat Pongpamorn said yesterday that panda cub Lin Ping would stay in the zoo for another two years, but admitted that they had yet to receive a confirmation letter from Chinese authorities.

Talks between Chinese officials and members of the zoo's Panda Research Project had ended on a positive note as it had been decided that Lin Ping's time in Thailand would be extended, Thanapat said. He added that the zoo would throw a big party as soon as it gets the confirmation letter, and hoped the celebrations would coincide with the cub's second birthday in May. He also confirmed that the zoo had all the facilities and personnel to take care of Lin Ping.

Thanapat said reports claiming that Thailand would be the first country to be allowed to keep a panda for a longer period were incorrect, because China had extended a panda's stay in the United States earlier.

-- The Nation 2011-04-07

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Thailand says China extends panda cub loan

BANGKOK, April 7, 2011 (AFP) - China will allow Thailand to keep for two more years a giant panda cub with millions of fans and her own reality television show in the kingdom, a Thai official said Thursday.

Linping, who is one year and 10 months old, was the first giant panda cub to be born in Thailand, following years of artificial insemination and efforts to encourage her parents to mate at Chiang Mai zoo in the country's north.

China provided Linping's parents on a 10-year loan in 2003. Linping also officially belongs to China and was on an initial two-year loan that was due to expire on her second birthday in May.

Chinese parliamentary leader Wu Bangguo told visiting Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn that Linping would be allowed to stay until 2013, Prasertsak Boontrakulpoontawee, head of Thailand's panda project, told AFP.

Linping is a national star in Thailand. A live 24-hour "Panda Channel" follows her every move, while a competition to name her in 2009 attracted 22 million entries.

Her name means "forest of ice" in Chinese and is based on her mother's name Linhui (beautiful forest) and the name of the Ping River in Chiang Mai.

Giant pandas, notorious for their low sex drive in captivity, are considered endangered -- about 1,600 pandas are believed to survive in the wild in China.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-04-07