After a month of online voting, the results of Giant Panda Zoo Awards 2014 were unveiled. In the year, there are a total of 10 giant panda awards, including “Panda Cub of the Year”, “Favorite Panda in China”, “Favorite ‘Returned’ Panda”, “Favorite Panda Outside of China”, “Panda Personality of 2014”, “Human Panda Personality of 2014”, “Panda Keeper of the Year”, “Favorite Panda Enclosure Outside of China”, “Favorite Panda Charity” and “Panda Moment of the Year”. The winners of these awards were determined through online voting by global giant panda lovers.

The award ceremony at Pairi Daiza

According to the statistics of Giant Panda Zoo website (www.giantpandazoo.com), 258,490 netizens participated in the voting this month. Most of these netizens come from the U.S., China, England, Belgium, Thailand, Malaysia, Canada, France, Australia, Spain, Germany, Japan, and Singapore. It’s really an annual happy get-together of giant panda lovers.

Pairi Daiza founder Eric Domb welcomes Jeroen Jacobs, the initiator of Giant Panda Zoo Awards.

During the competition for ten awards, giant pandas from Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding were quite popular. For example, the twins born to “Rau Hin” in the winter and “Xi Lan” returning from the U.S. were winners in the year. As for Gold Award of “Human Panda Personality of 2014”, Shen Fujun, a well-known panda expert from Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding was the winner. Mr. Shen has a Ph.D in Zoology from Sichuan University, and is an Associate Researcher of Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, and Director of Research Center there. He is mainly engaged in researching endangered animals conservation genetics. Mr. Shen himself gives answers to questions asked by giant panda lovers on The Giant Panda, therefore, Mr. Shen deserves this award.

Shen Fujun, a panda expert from Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Foundation was nominated as one of candidates of “Favorite Panda Charity” in this year. After the voting by foreign and domestic giant panda lovers, it won the Silver Award.

Favorite Panda Charity—Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Foundation