Panda Lovers Visit Tai Shan in China
It started five years ago, when a panda was born at Washington's National Zoo.
A small group of women regularly visited the cub, named Tai Shan, and formed a friendship over their passion for the preservation of giant pandas.
When Tai Shan was taken to China earlier this year, they decided to pay him a visit.
Two members of Tai Shan's entourage who recently returned from China -- they all call themselves his "pandarazzi" -- appeared on "The Early Show" to discuss their fascination with Tai Shan and the panda species.
Karen Wille and Christie Harper spent $5,000 each for their China visit.
What's the panda's draw?
Said Wille, "When I saw him born on the panda-cam, he came out and hit the wall and I thought, 'This panda will be somebody incredibly special,' and he is. He just has this sparkle in his eyes."
Harper said the "panda-cam" was also where she became fascinated with the bear.
She said, "I fell in love with him and, for five years, I have fallen in love with him and all other giant pandas."
Wille said she went to the zoo every weekend Tai Shan was in Washington.
"I went, the first time, by myself to see him when they first started letting him outside, and after that I met the founder of our website and joined the group and then made friends and, after that, more and more friends, photographer friends. So, I took up photography, learned lots about pandas."
Harper said they were heartbroken when they learned he would be returning to China.
"It was devastating," she said. "When they made the announcements in December, we knew we were going to see him."
As for the bear's life in China, Harper said, "He looks fabulous. He has a great enclosure and a bunch of keepers who love him dearly and we are very happy. He looks fabulous."
"Early Show" co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez said to Wille and Harper, "I understand you guys were almost a bigger attraction for the Chinese than the bear. They were taking pictures of these crazy Americans who had flown halfway around the world to see the bear. How would you answer critics who say this is kind of a strange obsession?"
Wille said, "I would say people have their own passions. You know, people love football, people love cooking, whatever it is. We happen to love giant pandas. And the fact that it goes beyond that, because they're one of the most endangered species on the planet. So, besides the fact that we love them, we also are committed to trying to keep them around for a long time."
The two women got very close to the 240-pound bear during their visit. But they say they have no fear of the animal.
Wille said, "When he knows that he's going to get a treat, they've trained him and the staff at the Washington National zoo did such a good job of bringing him and teaching him, he knows to put his hand out through the bars onto this metal tray and they do that for blood draws and blood pressure and he holds on the ring on the end. We were able to touch his arm, hold his paw tickle his feet."
The two women are already planning the next trip.
Visit these websites to help with the preservation and conservation of giant panda bears:
Pandas International:
A non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the Giant Panda.
The Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC:
Learn about their efforts towards conservation and preservation of the Giant Pandas as well as to view an on line web cam of their two Giant Pandas, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian (Tai Shan's parents)
Pandas Unlimited:
Promoting the conservation and welfare of the Giant Panda by raising awareness of their plight and funds to support the work of scientists and conservationists seeking to save this endangered and beautiful animal.