Chiang Mai Zoo organizes, probably, last-time birthday party for "Lin Ping"

CHIANG MAI, April 27 (TNA) - Authorities of Chiang Mai Zoo in the Thai North, as well as tourists and fan club jointly organized a three-year-and-eleven-month birthday party for Thailand’s first giant female panda "Lin Ping" Saturday and it could be her last birthday party in the Kingdom, as the panda is to be returned to China, scheduled for May 27, 2013 if negotiations between the Thai and Chinese authorities for her extended stay in Thailand failed. Lin Ping received a lot of birthday presents, including "Khaolam", or sticky rice baked inside bamboo cylinders, and sweet ice from those who admire her, while the zoo officials also gave away ice cream to children and tourists visiting the panda family. Lin Ping is now weighed more than 100 kilogrammes and is healthy. Popular Lin Ping was born to Lin Hui and Xuang Xuang, a panda couple lent from China as Beijing's animal ambassadors of friendship to Thailand, on May 27, 2009 at the Chiang Mai Zoo through artificial insemination. Her name, meaning ‘Forest of Ice’ in Chinese, was chosen through a nationwide name selection contest which attracted about 22 million votes. “Ping” also sounds similar to the Thai pronunciation of the name of the Ping River, which flows through northern Thailand near the zoo. Under the initial agreement, any panda cub born in Thailand is to be returned to China within two years. The Chinese government earlier extended the period of stay in Thailand for celebrity panda Lin Ping for another two years, for the first time, as China has never extended a panda’s stay in any other country before. Nipon Vichairutna, Assistant Director of the Chiang Mai zoo, told reporters whether Lin Ping could stay longer in Thailand would depend entirely on government negotiations. Meanwhile, Australia's endangered albino wallaby is now on show to welcome visitors at Bangkok's Dusit Zoo until the end of June 2013. Wallabies are among species of the Macropodidae family, usually smaller than a kangaroo, found across Australia. They can grow up to one metre in length from head to tail, weigh up to 11-26 kilograms and have an average lifespan of three years. Wallabies have a powerful tail that is used mostly for balance and support when jumping. Baby wallabies usually stay in their mother's pouches up to one year and a half. The endangered animal is now protected by Australian laws. Recently, five wallabies have been taken from Khon Kaen-Udon Thani wild life sanctuary in the Thai Northeast to be on show at Dusit Zoo until the end of June. (TNA)