[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:
We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.
/media/None/JFallowsHeadshotAtlanticSmall_grey/original.png)
/media/None/JFallowsHeadshotAtlanticSmall_grey/original.png)
James Fallows is a staff writer at The Atlantic and has written for the magazine since the late 1970s. He has reported extensively from outside the United States and once worked as President Jimmy Carter's chief speechwriter. He and his wife, Deborah Fallows, are the authors of the 2018 book Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey Into the Heart of America, which was a national best seller and is the basis of a forthcoming HBO documentary.