The Bear Facts

This is just so wonderfully weird that I couldn't leave it uncommented, and thereby also miss the opportunity to use a really lame pun as a headline. These are two researchers at the Hetaoping Research and Conservation Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong National Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province, China. They're performing an examination on a panda cub that is to be reintroduced to the wild. According to the story I saw about this, they're wearing panda costumes while working with the animal in order to "ensure that the cub's environment is devoid of human influence".

Relax, I'm a doctor.

Yeah, right. I have never been a panda, but I'm sure that if the shoe were on the other foot, and a panda walked up to me wearing, say, an overcoat and a Hulk Hogan mask, I'd figure out pretty quickly that someone or something was trying to put one over on me, even if it was a really lifelike mask. So I'd guess that even a young and inexperienced panda might notice something amiss in this scenario. Or maybe it will spend its adult life maladjusted and unable to fit into panda society, having grown up with the belief that all other pandas are supposed to walk upright, smell funny and carry scientific instruments around with them.

On the other hand, it's so crazy, it just might work!

In related scientific news, here are some penguins in Korea who are running a research project in which they are planning to reintroduce Santa Claus to the wild.



All in the Name of Science