Giant panda cubs born at Berlin zoo last September had their first public appearance during a naming ceremony on Monday, 100 days after they were born.

Berlin panda cubs make long awaited first public appearance

Gravitas: China's Panda Diplomacy: 'Bei Bei' Says Bye Bye to U.S.

A pet cafe in China has raked up controversy after its owner put on dye on his dogs for them to resemble giant pandas.

Animal cafes have been coming up across the world where pet lovers can enjoy a meal alongside the company of their furry friends.

The pet games cafe which opened last month in Chengdu, South-Western China went a step ahead to retain its popularity. The cafe is home to six Chow Chow dogs that have been painted black and white to look like pandas.

The move was initiated to invite more visitors to the cafe but has triggered a heated debate online over the improper treatment of animals.

The hashtag "dye a dog into a panda for 1500 yuan" had gone viral with more than 170 million views on China's Twitter-like Weibo platform.

Animal rights activists argue that artificial dyes pose damage to the skin and fur of these animals.

However, the owner of the cafe maintains that the dye used on the dogs is harmless and only adds to the fun of the visitors. &nbsp;

Dyeing pets became a full-blown craze in China in the early 2010s, initially for competitions but thereafter amidst a domestic wave of "extreme dog pampering".

A pet cafe in China has raked up controversy after its owner put on dye on his dogs for them to resemble giant pandas. Animal cafes have been coming up across the world where pet lovers can enjoy a meal alongside the company of their furry friends.

A pet cafe in China has raked up controversy after its owner put on dye on his dogs for them to resemble giant pandas. Animal cafes have been coming up across the world where pet lovers can enjoy a meal alongside the company of their furry friends. The pet games cafe which opened last month in Chengdu, South-Western China went a step ahead to retain its popularity. The cafe is home to six Chow Chow dogs that have been painted black and white to look like pandas. The move was initiated to invite more visitors to the cafe but has triggered a heated debate online over the improper treatment of animals. The hashtag "dye a dog into a panda for 1500 yuan" had gone viral with more than 170 million views on China's Twitter-like Weibo platform. Animal rights activists argue that artificial dyes pose damage to the skin and fur of these animals. However, the owner of the cafe maintains that the dye used on the dogs is harmless and only adds to the fun of the visitors. Dyeing pets became a full-blown craze in China in the early 2010s, initially for competitions but thereafter amidst a domestic wave of "extreme dog pampering".

Chinese pet cafe owner dyes dogs to resemble pandas, sparks controversy

The Moscow Zoo's panda pavilion opened to the public Thursday after Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin unveiled it one day ago.

Moscow Zoo's panda pavilion opens after unveiling by Xi, Putin

The Chinese giant salamander, the largest amphibian in the world, is not cute.&nbsp;

Weighing as much as an adult human, it has slimy brown skin, a giant mouth curled to a gormless grin, and puny, mistrustful eyes. &nbsp;

It is also one of the world's most endangered species.&nbsp;

And yet, unlike its compatriot the giant panda, the giant salamander rarely makes the news. &nbsp;

Why do some animals strike a chord with humans, prompting them to donate millions towards their conservation, while others draw little more than disgust?&nbsp;

And is a sad-eyed panda really worth saving more than a slimy salamander?&nbsp;

Size, intelligence, behaviour, rarity, how closely an animal resembles the human form -- all play a part in our reaction to various endangered creatures.&nbsp;

"One of the biggest factors is 'cuteness',&nbsp;physical characteristics such as big eyes and soft features that elicit our parental instincts because they remind us of human infants," Hal Herzog, emeritus professor at West Carolina University's Department of Psychology, told AFP.

An expert in human-animal relationships, Herzog said the dark rings around pandas' eyes triggered humans nurturing instincts.&nbsp;

"Compare that to the Chinese giant salamander," he said. "Google it. It looks like a six-foot-long, 150-pound bag of brown slime with beady little eyes."&nbsp;

The salamanders are a vital part of their ecosystem, just as worms are essential to soil health around the steams and lakes they live in -- which is just about everywhere.&nbsp;

Yet, like maggots, rats and snakes, the main instinct they inspire in humans is revulsion. &nbsp;&nbsp;

'Learned' disgust

According to Graham Davey, a specialist in phobias from the University of Sussex's School of Psychology, we learn to revile certain creatures at a young age.&nbsp;

"Disgust is a learned emotion. Babies are not born with it... it's probably transmitted socially, culturally and within families," he said.&nbsp;

Some animals are reviled due to their resemblance to "primary disgusting things" such as mucus or faeces, Davey said, while others are perceived -- rightly or wrongly -- to pose a direct danger to the beholder. &nbsp;

"In terms of threat to humankind, disease and illness are bigger than being attacked by an animal," he said. &nbsp;

This might explain why most of us don't find lions and bears repellant -- they are covered with the same type of soft fur that coat cuddly toys for children, even if it might be better to avoid one in real life.&nbsp;

An orca by any other name

As with most things, popular culture has a huge effect on how society perceives animals. &nbsp;

Whereas the movie "Free Willy" prompted a wave of sympathy for the protection of endangered orcas, "Arachnophobia" hardly helped spiders' cause.&nbsp;

See also,&nbsp;"Jaws" for sharks.&nbsp;

Even the depiction of fictional creatures can have a knock-on effect on public perception towards certain animals.&nbsp;

Take the main being in "Alien", for example.

"Seeing the one from the first film that had that mucus-y drawl dripping from the alien's mouth... sensitises people to disgusting things," Davey said.&nbsp;

Nor is it just the public at large who are liable to "speciesism", or discrimination against other species in favour of our own. &nbsp;

A study in 2017 found a strong correlation between society's preferred animals and those most studied in scientific research.&nbsp;

"Maybe that's because it's easier to get money" to study well-known animals, said Frederic Legendre, a researcher at France's National History Museum.&nbsp;

And popular species make money in return, according to Christo Fabricius from WWF -- a conservation group indelibly linked to its panda logo. &nbsp;

"Reptiles, for example, are not very marketable," he said.&nbsp;

'Protect species, protect habitat'

Not that favouring certain cute or charismatic species is necessarily a bad thing for conservation.&nbsp;

"When we protect an iconic species, we protect their habitat and therefore all the organisms within it also benefit," said Legendre.&nbsp;

But such species can become a victim of their own popularity. &nbsp;

One recent study suggested that a "virtual" presence of wild animals such as elephants and tigers -- be that on computer screens, T-shirts or in children's books -- can fool people into thinking they are more common in the wild than they really are.&nbsp;

The populations of most megafauna -- from hippos to giraffes and gorillas -- remain in peril. &nbsp;

Then there's the risk of poaching. &nbsp;

The rarer the species "the more value they provide for traditional medicine, for trophy hunting, and therefore they are poached more often," said Franck Courchamp, an ecologist at France's National Centre for Scientific Research.&nbsp;

So the next time you see a picture of a Giant Chinese Salamander, remember that there's more to saving Earth's wild species than looks.&nbsp;

The Chinese giant salamander, the largest amphibian in the world, is not cute. Weighing as much as an adult human, it has slimy brown skin, a giant mouth curled to a gormless grin, and puny, mistrustful eyes.

The Chinese giant salamander, the largest amphibian in the world, is not cute. Weighing as much as an adult human, it has slimy brown skin, a giant mouth curled to a gormless grin, and puny, mistrustful eyes. It is also one of the world's most endangered species. And yet, unlike its compatriot the giant panda, the giant salamander rarely makes the news. Why do some animals strike a chord with humans, prompting them to donate millions towards their conservation, while others draw little more than disgust? And is a sad-eyed panda really worth saving more than a slimy salamander? Size, intelligence, behaviour, rarity, how closely an animal resembles the human form -- all play a part in our reaction to various endangered creatures. "One of the biggest factors is 'cuteness', physical characteristics such as big eyes and soft features that elicit our parental instincts because they remind us of human infants," Hal Herzog, emeritus professor at West Carolina University's Department of Psychology, told AFP. An expert in human-animal relationships, Herzog said the dark rings around pandas' eyes triggered humans nurturing instincts. "Compare that to the Chinese giant salamander," he said. "Google it. It looks like a six-foot-long, 150-pound bag of brown slime with beady little eyes." The salamanders are a vital part of their ecosystem, just as worms are essential to soil health around the steams and lakes they live in -- which is just about everywhere. Yet, like maggots, rats and snakes, the main instinct they inspire in humans is revulsion. 'Learned' disgust According to Graham Davey, a specialist in phobias from the University of Sussex's School of Psychology, we learn to revile certain creatures at a young age. "Disgust is a learned emotion. Babies are not born with it... it's probably transmitted socially, culturally and within families," he said. Some animals are reviled due to their resemblance to "primary disgusting things" such as mucus or faeces, Davey said, while others are perceived -- rightly or wrongly -- to pose a direct danger to the beholder. "In terms of threat to humankind, disease and illness are bigger than being attacked by an animal," he said. This might explain why most of us don't find lions and bears repellant -- they are covered with the same type of soft fur that coat cuddly toys for children, even if it might be better to avoid one in real life. An orca by any other name As with most things, popular culture has a huge effect on how society perceives animals. Whereas the movie "Free Willy" prompted a wave of sympathy for the protection of endangered orcas, "Arachnophobia" hardly helped spiders' cause. See also, "Jaws" for sharks. Even the depiction of fictional creatures can have a knock-on effect on public perception towards certain animals. Take the main being in "Alien", for example. "Seeing the one from the first film that had that mucus-y drawl dripping from the alien's mouth... sensitises people to disgusting things," Davey said. Nor is it just the public at large who are liable to "speciesism", or discrimination against other species in favour of our own. A study in 2017 found a strong correlation between society's preferred animals and those most studied in scientific research. "Maybe that's because it's easier to get money" to study well-known animals, said Frederic Legendre, a researcher at France's National History Museum. And popular species make money in return, according to Christo Fabricius from WWF -- a conservation group indelibly linked to its panda logo. "Reptiles, for example, are not very marketable," he said. 'Protect species, protect habitat' Not that favouring certain cute or charismatic species is necessarily a bad thing for conservation. "When we protect an iconic species, we protect their habitat and therefore all the organisms within it also benefit," said Legendre. But such species can become a victim of their own popularity. One recent study suggested that a "virtual" presence of wild animals such as elephants and tigers -- be that on computer screens, T-shirts or in children's books -- can fool people into thinking they are more common in the wild than they really are. The populations of most megafauna -- from hippos to giraffes and gorillas -- remain in peril. Then there's the risk of poaching. The rarer the species "the more value they provide for traditional medicine, for trophy hunting, and therefore they are poached more often," said Franck Courchamp, an ecologist at France's National Centre for Scientific Research. So the next time you see a picture of a Giant Chinese Salamander, remember that there's more to saving Earth's wild species than looks.

Cute or creepy: Why humans love some species, loathe others

Margaret Thatcher refused a request to fly a panda in the back of her Concorde when she visited Washington for her first summit with Ronald Reagan, according to papers released on Friday.

The then prime minister was drawn into the scheme in January 1981, the same month that Reagan was inaugurated, when the Smithsonian Institution in Washington appealed to London Zoo for the loan of its male panda.

The president of the London Zoological Society, Solly Zuckerman, seized on the opportunity to create a publicity stunt with the help of the prime minister.

&quot;Lord Zuckerman sees this as a signal demonstration of the special relationship and would be very happy to time the announcement of the loan or the delivery of the panda in any way that the prime minister thought would be most likely to benefit Anglo-American relations,&quot; cabinet secretary Robert Armstrong wrote.

&quot;He even suggested that the prime minister might like to take the panda in the back of her Concorde, when she goes to Washington next month,&quot; he added, according to papers released by the National Archives in Kew, London.

The &quot;Iron Lady&quot; was not convinced, however, that she should be involved in promoting London Zoo&#39;s efforts to bring a new mate to a female panda.

&quot;Lord Z knows more about pandas than I do -- I am sure he can arrange these things,&quot; she said in a handwritten note.

Her private secretary, Clive Whitmore, replied to Zuckerman: &quot;She has commented that she is not taking a panda with her -- &#39;Pandas and politicians are not happy omens!&#39;&quot;

Margaret Thatcher refused a request to fly a panda in the back of her Concorde when she visited Washington for her first summit with Ronald Reagan, according to papers released on Friday

Margaret Thatcher refused a request to fly a panda in the back of her Concorde when she visited Washington for her first summit with Ronald Reagan, according to papers released on Friday. The then prime minister was drawn into the scheme in January 1981, the same month that Reagan was inaugurated, when the Smithsonian Institution in Washington appealed to London Zoo for the loan of its male panda. The president of the London Zoological Society, Solly Zuckerman, seized on the opportunity to create a publicity stunt with the help of the prime minister. "Lord Zuckerman sees this as a signal demonstration of the special relationship and would be very happy to time the announcement of the loan or the delivery of the panda in any way that the prime minister thought would be most likely to benefit Anglo-American relations," cabinet secretary Robert Armstrong wrote. "He even suggested that the prime minister might like to take the panda in the back of her Concorde, when she goes to Washington next month," he added, according to papers released by the National Archives in Kew, London. The "Iron Lady" was not convinced, however, that she should be involved in promoting London Zoo's efforts to bring a new mate to a female panda. "Lord Z knows more about pandas than I do -- I am sure he can arrange these things," she said in a handwritten note. Her private secretary, Clive Whitmore, replied to Zuckerman: "She has commented that she is not taking a panda with her -- 'Pandas and politicians are not happy omens!'"

Thatcher refused to take panda to Washington in Concorde, papers show

With more and more people moving toward sustainable practices to curb global wastage, a Chinese firm has devised a way to use panda excreta and turn it into paper.&nbsp;

The Qianwei Fengsheng Paper Company in southwest Sichuan province and the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda have teamed up to recycle panda faeces and food debris.

Panda excreta and food debris account&nbsp;for massive waste.

According to Huang Yan, Researcher at the giant panda centre, close to 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of panda excreta is procured every day.

Nearly 50 kilograms of food waste is also generated as the animals spit out husks after chewing bamboo shoots.

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Turning close to 60 kilograms of waste into toilet paper, napkins and other household products would help minimise wastage and facilitate revenue generation.&nbsp;

The products will soon be made available to the Chinese market under &#39;Panda Poo&#39; product line.

A box of &#39;Panda Poo&#39; tissues is likely to be sold at 43 yuan ($6.5) in Chinese markets.

&quot;The process of turning bamboo into paper generally involves the breaking down of fructose to extract fibre, a step that naturally occurs in the pandas&#39; digestive tract,&quot; the paper company&#39;s president, Yang Chaolin, told Xinhua.

Panda faeces will be collected from three panda bases in Sichuan twice a week.

The waste material will be boiled, pasteurised and turned into paper after which it will be tested for bacteria before going on sale.

(With inputs from AFP)

Panda excreta and food debris account for close to 60 kilograms of waste matter every day

With more and more people moving toward sustainable practices to curb global wastage, a Chinese firm has devised a way to use panda excreta and turn it into paper. The Qianwei Fengsheng Paper Company in southwest Sichuan province and the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda have teamed up to recycle panda faeces and food debris. Panda excreta and food debris account for massive waste. According to Huang Yan, Researcher at the giant panda centre, close to 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of panda excreta is procured every day. Nearly 50 kilograms of food waste is also generated as the animals spit out husks after chewing bamboo shoots. × Turning close to 60 kilograms of waste into toilet paper, napkins and other household products would help minimise wastage and facilitate revenue generation. The products will soon be made available to the Chinese market under 'Panda Poo' product line. A box of 'Panda Poo' tissues is likely to be sold at 43 yuan ($6.5) in Chinese markets. "The process of turning bamboo into paper generally involves the breaking down of fructose to extract fibre, a step that naturally occurs in the pandas' digestive tract," the paper company's president, Yang Chaolin, told Xinhua. Panda faeces will be collected from three panda bases in Sichuan twice a week. The waste material will be boiled, pasteurised and turned into paper after which it will be tested for bacteria before going on sale. (With inputs from AFP)

Chinese firm all set to make tissues out of panda poop

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