The dragon has given way to the snake this year in Chinese astrology. Chinese New Year was celebrated yesterday on Sunday the 10th of February with a change of animal sign! The snake is seen as being a philosopher and also as being cultivated and refined in China, and is therefore considered to be a sage. Happy Year of the Snake to all our Chinese friends!
The results of the ‘Giant Panda Zoo Awards 2012’ are in and we are very happy to announce that the ZooParc de Beauval won an award for the best panda exhibit! A huge thanks to everyone who voted!
About a thousand visitors came to the zoo on Saturday to celebrate the first anniversary of the arrival of the giant pandas! These visitors enjoyed a special panda quiz, the screening of a film recounting the pandas’ arrival on the 15th of January, panda anniversary cake, and treats for both the pandas and the visitors! Coming soon: photos of the most memorable parts of this special event…
The website giantpandazoo.com is hosting the ‘Giant Panda Zoo Awards 2012’! You can vote for your favourite panda, favourite panda cub, the best enclosure and the panda personality of the year! What a great way to raise awareness about giant pandas… the voting closes tomorrow so make sure you vote now!
On Sunday the 20th of January a blanket of snow descended on the ZooParc. Whereas some animals retreat into their indoor enclosures or tropical greenhouses when it’s cold, others simply love it. Many of the animals in the Highlands of China part of the zoo are really in their element at this time of year; the giant pandas for example are having a great time in the snow!
Why not come and celebrate the first anniversary of the arrival of our giant pandas with us at 16:00 in the Chinese zone on the 26th of January.
16:00: Special presentation on the ‘Panda saga’
16:20: Screening of the pandas incredible journey on the 15th of January 2012
16:30: Welcome speech and nibblies for the visitors and… the pandas!
Practical information
The entrance fee for this special day is €10 per person* (for the 26th January 2013 only)
The zoo opens at 9:00 am
The self-service café, ‘Le Tropical’ is also open for lunch service on this day
A year ago, on January 15th, 2012, “Panda mania” swept over Beauval! One year ago to the day, Huan Huan and Yuan Zi made their grand entrance to the ZooParc and we are pleased to celebrate the first anniversary of their arrival!
A party is currently being planned so stay tuned!
The official ceremony to welcome the giant pandas, attended by Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Ambassador M. Kong Quan, and Maurice Leroy
The giant pandas exhibit at Beauval ZooParc was officially inaugurated on Friday, 23rd of November. Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former Prime Minister and Vice-President of the Senate, and Kong Quan, the Chinese Ambassador to France, were present for this exceptional event, which took place rather fittingly ‘in the heights of China’… The official ceremony to welcome the giant pandas, attended by Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Ambassador M. Kong Quan, and Maurice Leroy.
And that is the end of the examination! The three successful candidates for the Chengdu Pambassador contest were formally announced on Saturday, the 17th of November.
And who was amongst these winners? None other than our fellow French national, Jérôme Pouille!
We would like to congratulate Jérôme, who came out on top after 2 months of challenges and tests.
Jérôme was here at Beauval last January to welcome the giant pandas Huan Huan and Yuan Zi and reports any news related to pandas on his website www.pandas.fr.
Congratulations also to the Chinese winner Erica YinRong Chen and the American winner Melissa Katz!
The 16 candidates selected to participate in the final of the Chengdu Pambassador competition are now in the final stages of a great adventure that began on the 10th of September.
The final tasks are taking place team by team right this instant! Jerome Apulia’s team (the only remaining French contestant), produced a short video showing where four giant pandas are exhibited, including Beauval of course!
The more views that this video receives, the more points the team will win for this event!… So quick, watch the video…
The three candidates who are victorious in this final test will be appointed Pambassadeurs and participate in the 2013 ‘Global Panda Conservation Tour’ around the world to raise awareness for the protection of pandas.
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