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So many people were saddened to see Taishan leave Washington D.C. and fly away to his new home in the Bifengxia Panda Preserve. But with every new change in life comes opportunity. Taishan's leaving D.C. has opened an opportunity that NEVER would have been available to the public in America. We can provide you with the opportunity
to work alongside Taishan's Keeper and Handler. Our volunteer
program affords our clients the chance to clean panda cages,
carry new bamboo to the pandas, feed them and rub elbows with
the men and women who have dedicated their lives to caring for
these
pandas. |
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This
Taishan opportunity may not be available in 2011. Why? The panda
preserves are scattered across China. To spread the gene pool and
to help to maintain a healthy Panda breeding population the pandas
are frequently moved from one facility to another. Taishan could
be
moved without
notice if the administrators in charge of this part of the panda
breeding program decide he is needed elsewhere. Click here to email us 2010 trip dates remaining:
Click
here to view our main China Website page & for more information
about our tour.
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About Taishan: Taishan was born July 9, 2005 at the Washington D.C. Zoo. Taishan was relocated to Bifengxia when he left Washington D.C. on February 4, 2010. The original agreement between the Chinese Government and the D.C. Zoo was that Taishan was to be relocated to China following his second birthday. Because of the overwhelming public outcry China agreed to allow his time in the USA to be extended for an additional 2 1/2 years. Are you a Taishan Fan? Then join us in July, August or September and you can meet Taishan and his keeper. For an intimate and close encounter such as never was possible when he lived in Washington D.C. send us an email to get all the details. |
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Can
I really pet a panda? Yes, our trip includes several days working behind the scenes at a Chinese Panda breeding facility. We don't know exactly what chores we'll be assigned. It could be carrying bamboo to the enclosures. Or maybe we'll be cleaning up panda poop. One thing we can count on is that we will be right in there with the Giant Panda bears...and if you don't want to work inside the enclosures, you can still come along and be guaranteed the opportunity to pet a panda! No volunteer work required if you don't want to do it. The only place in the world to get this close to Giant Pandas. |
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Giant Panda Bear Quick Facts - - Life span about 25 years - - Grow to 3 1/2 feet tall & 300 pounds - - In the wild normally only 1 baby is raised to maturity although 2 or 3 may be born. (High success rate of raising twins in captivity) - -Food is mainly 4 bamboo species - - They have the digestive system of a carnivore, so they must eat 12 to 16 hours a day to consume adequate nutrition. - - DNA studies place them in the bear family, not the racoon family. Currently classified in a separate taxonimic family. - -Do not hibernate. Move up and down the mountainside to regulate thermally. Click here for detailed panda info |
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IMPORTANT: |
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7 day Panda Only tour Itinerary: Day 0: Depart USA, cross the international date line to arrive in Beijing on Day #1. Day 2: We leave Beijing in the morning, arriving in Chengdu around noontime. From there we drive about 4 to 5 hours into the mountains to the Bifengxia Panda Preserve. Day 3: Click here to see the full itinerary for the Panda Only trip. |
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Our
Big Chinese Panda Encounter trip itinerary.
Day #0: Depart from the USA. We cross the international dateline thus arriving in Beijing on Day #1 Day #1: Arrival in Beijing. Check into the 4 star Peixin Hotel which is located close to the heart of the City. Dinner will be an adventure all its own as we join ...Click here to see the full itinerary. |
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to email us click here to telephone us in the USA: 562-889-4016
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At Jones Adventures, our vacation tours are all about helping people achieve their dreams of getting close to a particular animal while simultaneously enjoying a great vacation trip. Keith has successfully led people on animal encounter trips since 1994. He takes the worry out of the equation. You don't need to waste hours, days and weeks of time planning and preparing for a trip, only to finally get there and be disappointed. That's what our all inclusive tours are all about. There are other tour operators who offer Pandas as part of their tour. We get you really close to these wonderful animals. Don't be mislead by trips that take you to Beijing or Chengdu to see the Pandas there. Those locations DO NOT COMPARE to the Bifengxia Panda Preserve. There are no other tour operators with our experience and our success at putting clients together with wild animals in close encounters. We believe that we have the best record in the world for successfully placing clients in close encounter situations with wild animals. To read more about us click here. | ||||||||||||
| Hotels may change due to availability or local conditions.
We always book into a 3 star or better and normally our hotels
are 4 star. ** We reserve the right to change side trip and tour destinations to meet local conditions such as weather, renovation or overcrowding. *** The work experience may vary considerably from month to month. Work duties change with the seasons and with the individual health of each panda. You will work with a panda keeper and your experience will be significantly related to the duties of that particular animal keeper. Safety and health concerns for the pandas may alter the tour volunteer program in part, at any time. Frequent changes to the pattern of work and to what is allowed and is not allowed is normal and customary. The type of close encounters available as options or offered as part of the program change from time to time. Individual pandas, such as Taishan, may be relocated to other locations without notice. |
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Links to all of our
China trip website pages: Main China entry page photos taken at Bifengxia Panda Preserve photos of volunteers working at Panda Preserve 11 day China & Pandas trip itinerary 7 day Pandas no sightseeing trip itinerary Taishan & Meisheng photos & information Photos from a trip when Keith's granddaughter Chelsea was along. trip diary from Keith's first ever tour to the Panda Preserve in 2005 Bifengxia Panda Preserve - photos & notes Great Wall photos & information from our tours Chinese food and what you might expect to eat Chengdu information page and what you might expect Beijing information page and what you might expect Xian information page and what you might expect Guilin info. & pics about the prettiest place in china Various side trips we can help you add to your tour |
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Gray whales, Tigers, Elephants, Giant Panda Bears, Blue whales,
Whale sharks, Narwhals |
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| Main gray whale watching page More whale shark info Blue whales of Loreto Gray whales of Baja Humpbacks of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Narwhals of Baffin Island, Canada about Baja Jones contact info for Baja Jones whale sharks worldwide Holbox Island Sea of Cortez, Bahia de Los Angeles whale sharks Donsol, the Phillippine Islands whale sharks whale shark trip photos 2005 whale watching in Baja, snorkeling with whale sharks, The Gray whale advocate homepage, Giant panda information, The Great Wall of China facts and information, Trip hotels, Beijing, Tourist attractions and sights, Chinese food, Xian segment of our trip, Chengdu segment of trip, | |||||||||||||
Entrance
to Taishan's new home
Bifengxia Panda Preserve