The Giant Panda

This animal always draws the crowds at the National Zoo in Washinton, D. C... I try to get there early so I can see them feeding on bamboo. They are interesting in that in the wild they are loners. When the staff puts the male and female in the same enclosure it can get interesting.

One winter day they were wrestling. Actually it looked like they were beating the heck out of each other. Some observers were saying how cute they were.

Two weeks ago I went to the zoo and was totally surprised that there wasn't a parking spot in the whole place. I turned around and drove the 25 miles home. Found out later that it was Tai Shan's 4th birthday. The public loves these animals. Kids in particular are fascinated by them.

Sometimes the kids ask to see my drawings and we talk a bit. The parents usually just want to move on to another exhibit. Drawing the Panda is fun. Basically round shapes with definite color separations on the body. The mouth and eyes have to be done properly or everything is off. The ears have to be placed properly also.


Fred R. Crowley