I will be in Bifengxia Panda Base from next Monday for two weeks. I hope I’ll be allowed a short visit with Feng Yi and her baby. Rest of the time, I will be walking between the “neighbourhoods”, visiting and photographing Fu Wa and all the other black and white residents, including the newborns.

September is the best time to visit Bifengxia. It’s the later part of the birthing season and many of the cubs born early in the season will be more than a month old. So far, 20 cubs have been born in Bifengxia (16), Hetaoping/Old Wolong (3) and Panyu Safari Park (1).

There will be two tour groups of Pandas International members in Bifengxia while I’m there; founder-director Suzanne Braden will be there, too.

I’ll also be visiting Zoo Negara tomorrow morning to see the progress of the giant panda habitat’s construction, and to meet with the Deputy Director.