Who knew that watching a panda cub romp around his zoo enclosure could be so incredibly addictive???
Well, the Wonkette knew. She posted numerous entries on her blog about the miraculous recent birth of a giant panda cub at the National Zoo in D.C.. In fact, the Wonkette rejects the cub’s official name, Tai Shan, because she feels it’s not cute enough to do the little “roly-poly-holiness” justice. She dubbed him Butterstick and the name stuck. If you visit her blog and search on “Butterstick” or “panda”, you’ll be amazed at how many amusing entries appear.
I blame Wonkette for getting me hooked on Butterstick. I constantly visit the panda cams that the zoo set up to track his every move (links below). He’s come a long way since I first started checking in on him in November - he could barely sit up. He would prop himself up on his haunches and ungracefully roll over because he couldn’t balance himself very well (he REALLY is roly-poly!). He slept for most of the day and stuck around a small area of the interior panda enclosure. His only toy was his feet, which he seemed to enjoy shoving in his mouth for some easy toe munching. His mother, Mei Xiang, would sit on her haunches, pick him up and cradle him – just like a human mother – to nurse him. It was A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E!!!
