The Bifengxia panda base is currently entertaining a film crew that is producing a movie called: The Lady and the Panda. Which is based on the book with the same title. The book and movie are set to follow the romantic adventure of Ruth Harkness and her trek to Tibet and back to America with a baby panda named Su Lin. To my enjoyment, I was asked by the set director to play one of the Veterinarians alongside the co-directors wife. After spending several hours in a 1930’s outfit, they ended up using only one vet and I was not it. I did have fun though.

So, back to why this post is curiously titled as a “Coincidence”. Su Lin was the name of the cub that Ruth Harkness brought back to America where she is helped by a team of vets.  Which was the part that I was supposed to play- I digress. Fast forward from the setting of the film (1936) to 2005 and place yourself at the San Diego Zoo. Here we have another Su Lin born. After a few years the 2005 Su Lin is transferred back to China where she will hopefully enter the breeding program. And, once more, place yourself in my shoes as of today (Dec. 13th 2016) and up pulls a large car to the breeding center with a bear who has for some unknown reason gone into estrus. The bears name is Su Lin. The same San Diego Su Lin to be precise.

As pandas normally go into estrus in the late winter to early spring, a December breeding can be considered special. Without jumping the gun too soon, I hope our current interns get to see the breeding event. It’s can be intense and cause your heart to beat a little harder while you silently cheer on the two bears to have a successful intromission. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed for the 2005 Su Lin and for more of these exciting coincidences to occur.