Yesterday I mentioned what I thought was an amusing but crude hoax: a story out of Chengdu about panda-handlers who dressed up as pandas to avoid spooking little cubs. Eg:

>>I can promise you that the researchers really have Panda suits- I have seen them as we share space with these dedicated folks in Wolong. Matthew Chapa Panda Mountain Ecotourism Director www.pandamountain.org <<



Turns out, it's real. I have received several confirmations, of which the most categorical is this:I should have had more faith in the realm of the possible in China. Thanks to all for clarifications. And, here's a slide show of what Wolong looked like before the earthquake. Plus, some use of pandas as political artwork in the Beijing Metro, here