A Norwegian man has adopted a giant panda named after the 2008 Olympic mascot Jing Jing at a cost of one million yuan (around US$131,000).
Ertzeid, his wife, and their two sons with Panda Jing Jing
At a ceremony at a panda breeding base in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province on Friday, Stein Frode Ertzeid, owner of an audio equipment store, said: "I appreciate China's endeavors to save endangered animals, and I want to be part of it.
the adoption ceremony
For his money, Ertzeid can visit Jing Jing any time he likes and staff at the zoo are required to provide him with regular updates on Jing Jing's condition, according to Zhang Zhihe, director of the China Committee of Breeding Technique for Giant Pandas.
Born on August 30, 2005, the adopted panda was named after Jing Jing, one of the five mascots for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and soon shot to stardom. An online channel and a weblog were set up to record Jing Jing's growth and the weblog has attracted more than one million people worldwide.
Zhang said other individuals and institutions had asked to adopt Jing Jing before Ertzeid, but were refused due to their "commercial motives".
"Mr. Ertzeid talked with us many times and moved us with his sincerity and love for giant pandas," said Zhang.
Ertzeid explained that he chose Jing Jing because she and her family represented the Olympic spirit.
"When we see athletes endeavoring to win in the Olympics, I want you to remember how Jing Jing and other endangered animals are struggling to survive. It also requires a lot of strength and courage," said Ertzeid.
German rock star Peter Maffay adopted a giant panda in Sichuan last June and named her Lily.
Known as "living fossils", giant pandas are one of the most endangered species in the world. There are only 1,590 giant pandas living in the wild, most of them in southwest China's mountainous regions.
By the end of 2006, there were about 210 giant pandas living in captivity in China.
(Xinhua News Agency October 13, 2007)
