I Don't Know if This Makes Me Feel Better or Worse (Panda Dept - UPDATED)

[See surprising UPDATE below!!] Chinese panda-caretakers at the reserve in Wolong (which I wrote about, just before it was heavily damaged in the Sichuan earthquake of 2008) are wearing panda suits to handle baby pandas without getting them too accustomed to the human form.

So says GoChengdoo.com.  I am not sure I really believe this. Actually, I am pretty sure I don't. Have I ever seen a real panda walking around like that? But the picture is too weird to resist. Another slightly more plausible pic at GoChengdoo. This is in the tradition of "the kind of thing I miss about China."

UPDATE: Hmmm. It appears that this could be true. GoChengdoo links to the Chinese site QQ, which was down when I tried it earlier. Right at the moment it is up, with some semi-plausible shots of Chinese people in panda suits. One thing I learned, with admiration, while in China: anything is possible. Perhaps even this.  QQ shot of researcher: