Taiwan-bound pandas learn the dialect, songs of island
20/1/2006 7:36
The "bethrothed" panda bears offered to Taiwan are learning to understand
the Minnan tongue, the southern Fujian dialect spoken on the island, as well as
their native Sichuanese.
Panda keepers Li Guo and Xu Yalin sing a song to the
pandas in Minnan dialect to begin their language training.
The couple is
still at their new house in the Wolong China Giant Panda Research Center, in
Sichuan Province.
Taiwan cities and zoos are vying to host the panda cubs,
but there has been no official word yet about the gift from authorities in
Taipei.
"We began our language training with songs because music is a
language with no boundaries," said Li, 25, who has taken care of No. 19 since he
was born.
Female panda No. 16 listens to the song while eating bamboo and the
future bridegroom, No. 19, watches her attentively.
"Girls are more gifted
than boys in learning languages," said Xu, No. 16's keeper, adding that the
female cub began to react when they translated her nickname huangmao yatou -
meaning a little girl in Chinese - into Minnan dialect.
"No. 19, however, is
too naughty to study," said Li.
The chinese mainland announced on January 6
that No. 19 and No. 16, both 1 year old, had been selected as a gift for Taiwan
compatriots.
The panda couple were selected from among 23 candidates raised
in Wolong.
"We immediately started our training program because the two cubs
not only need to adapt themselves to the climate and geography of the tropical
island, but also to understand the language of their new keepers and visitors,"
said Li Desheng, assistant director of the center.
"It's not an easy task for
the pandas, as they are already familiar with the Sichuan dialect of their
keepers. They need time to improve," said Li Desheng.
To make the two cubs
more affectionate, No. 19 and No. 16 began cohabiting on January 7 even before
they get "married."
Their extravagant new house measures about 600 square
meters. The bedroom is directly connected to a playground equipped with wooden
shelves, rock formations and a pond.
To care for the couple, the Wolong
center has set up a special team including a nutritionist, a veterinarian and
two keepers. In addition to fresh bamboo, milk, specially prepared biscuits and
apples are on their menu.
Xinhua
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