Panda presentation at YMCA
- Paul Pei
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Much of what I have recounted in my Blog articles come from experiences during my hotel and Ocean Park career. Particularly in the area of Wildlife and conservation, Ocean Park was a great opportunity for me to learn. Prior to joining the park, my knowledge of wildlife and conservation was minimal at best. While I am in no way an expert on giant pandas and conservation, what I learned at the Park made me a believer in the need to support and promote conservation of wildlife species.
In one of my earlier articles, I mentioned an invitation to speak at a YMCA on the Giant Pandas of China. During my 15 years at Ocean Park, I became fascinated by these animals and their plight as an “endangered species” threatened with extinction. There are many causes for possible extinction of a species and the giant panda faced every one of these. Most obvious were,
1. Loss of habitat
2. Loss of Food source
3. Reproduction issues
This was my first ever presentation on wildlife and conservation and it was delivered with much success. The audience was genuinely interested, captivated, inspired and motivated about the giant pandas from China and the ensuing conservation message. My presentation provided fun facts about the Giant panda, where they come from, how they lived, their endangered status, and the desperate need for conservation to help the specie survive.
My exposure to these animals at Ocean Park was my inspiration to speak and share some of those valuable experiences. Reviews from those who attended were extremely positive and it was a delightful experience for me.
I would also like to take this opportunity to praise the zoological team at Ocean Park who look after the giant pandas and all the other animals at the Park. Additionally, the Veterinary team has been at the top of the game in the excellent care they provide to all the animals. The first two pandas at Ocean Park, An An and Jia Jia lived to be 35 and 38 years respectively. In the wild, the average life expectancy of these animals is 28 years. Finally, we must recognize the people of Hong Kong who have provided and continue to provide their steadfast support for the giant pandas.