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Baby panda's death in Tokyo sparks grief

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what's with the photo caption? "baby Giant Panda", surely?

1 ( +6 / -5 )

144-gram male infant had died of pneumonia

HMMMMMMMMMM is it to early to say this BUT i got to do it anyway. Did some body set the thermostat alittle to cold that day ? Usually pandas are born in the wild, probably in the spring WEATHER or hot weather.

Was the female panda in a hotel or facility with the thermostat turned the way up ?

Just a guess ?

Anyways, Pandas are very fragile and delicate creatures for them to have intercourse in captivity is AMAZING !!!!

In california they tried to introduce everything for the pandas at San Diego to have sex with each other. EVEN INTERCOURSE MUSIC !!!!! (If THERE IS SUCH A THING) Nothing happened !!!!!

-7 ( +2 / -9 )

I will have 1 beer tonight dedicated for the panda.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

I think most people have much more important things to worry about in their lives here than frickin' pandas. I understand the zoo workers being upset - this is their livelihood. Sorry, none of my friends or co-workers will give more than a passing comment to this event. When an animal is notoriously fickle about breeding and only has one or two tiny offspring at a go, why would anyone be surprised when it doesn't work out. Keep calm and carry on.

-3 ( +8 / -12 )

Ultradork: it's clear you don't care about other living creatures. But the vast majority of us do, which is why this made the news. Keep doing your usual business if this is not relevant to you.

-1 ( +10 / -10 )

it's clear you don't care about other living creatures.

That's rather presumptuous of you. Being critical of news organizations dedicating so much time to the death of one baby panda does not necessarily equate with being callous to the suffering and deaths of billions of intelligent creatures every day.

It's a news item that's inflated to make people cry and feel good about their concern for baby animals. It's sad, but keep it in perspective.

11 ( +11 / -2 )

I'm with tmarie here. Priorities all wrong.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Readers, please do not be impolite.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Mixed feelings about his.

Logical: Any form of life of life, force to breed, born into captivity, is already at a disadvantage. This animal was born into a life of servitude. Simply to be used for profit. It does not surprise me that the Panda died.

Personal: I don't care much for Pandas. Cute? Yes they are. All they do is eat mostly. If you ever need a bamboo field cleared in a week just bring a couple of Pandas over.

Humor: Born in Japan? With all this radiation and corporate scandals, yeah, I'd probably die too.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

How amazingly pathetic.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Yeah, this is sad but let's not drag it out. Why on earth Noda has to be asked for a comment on it, I don't know.

3 ( +5 / -3 )

The Panda's death is very sad and all but is it really such important news that they need to interrupt regular programming? At a time when the country should be having a very serious debate about it's own future and government in the wake of the Fukushina committee report instead we treated to tear jerking images of a baby panda. It's really quite frightening.

On the plus side the image of some opportunistic entrepreneur sitting on a pile of now unsellable panda merchandise gives me a grim sense of satisfaction.

3 ( +6 / -4 )

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda described the death as “very disappointing”.

So this is a priority for the PM? No wonder this country is a mess.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Noda and the rest of the media and its ilk better get a grip on priorities seriously....

Japan is its worst shape economically, there are huge rallies against the current government that might go violent soon, and they stop programming for a panda ?

Its deeply absurd.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

on other hand.. its is not like normal ,intelligent people watch Japanese television or listen to Noda anyway....

5 ( +6 / -1 )

How pathetic. Carrying on like this over a baby Panda. Maybe if they put as much effort into other more important topics then the country wouldnt be circling the drain. And maybe if they really cared as much about all animals as they do about the "cute" ones they wouldnt seem so hypocritical!

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

retailers unveiling a host of panda-themed products in celebration.

Matsuzakaya, a major Japanese department store, had planned a “Happy Panda Week” celebration, offering special discounts following the birth, but the event was canceled on Wednesday

Don't you think this ad planning is a little optimistic? Panda cubs have a very tenacious grip on life for weeks, if not months after birth. Wouldn't it have made more sense to wait until the first public viewing in the zoo before releasing ad campaigns?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

As an animal lover, I would have to agree with most posters here - there has been an abnormally high coverage on the news. I'm sad (I have no idea why the word 'disappointed' is used here), but there are so many other things going on in this world. And there seems to be so much bias towards 'ugly' animals - just go to the zoos and see how they're treated in comparison with, say, koala bears.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

lol really?

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

I love animals as much as the next person, but I am in accord with the other posters stating that this country has a helluva lot of other things to worry about. Zoos in Japan are nothing more that animal prisons.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Y'all have got to remember, Japan is the land of "kawaii" and youth so naturally the death of Shin Shin's cub was important enough to stop regular programming and the prime minister was expected to comment.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

birth had been embraced as happy news for a country still struggling to recover from last year’s quake-tsunami disaster.

How long are they gonna be riding this boat?

2 ( +6 / -4 )

thumbs up @Disillusioned... I thought of the same thing! hee, hee...

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

HMMMMMMMMMM is it to early to say this BUT i got to do it anyway. Did some body set the thermostat alittle to cold that day ? Usually pandas are born in the wild, probably in the spring WEATHER or hot weather.

The baby panda did not die due to a cold environment; my understanding is that it choked while feeding from its mother and became unable to breathe.

So this is a priority for the PM? No wonder this country is a mess.

It's not a priority for the PM. He responded to the prompt by the press while he was walking to the Diet and barely broke stride.

How long are they gonna be riding this boat?

Become bored of it all have we?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Death of baby panda stops programming? REALLY? God rest its sole but really. The media really does work for the government. Enough said.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

It interrupted programming probably because pandas have some cultural impact for the japanese one way or another.

Also, regardless of your solipsism, this is an endangered species - endangered by us. So i'd be interested and delighted in knowing they managed to breed, especially since they have a hard time keeping their numbers, even in the wild.

That one of them died is sad, more sad to me than if they interrupted regular tv to announce some corrupt politician's death (actually that wouldn't be sad at all).

0 ( +4 / -4 )

I too noticed the Quake & Tsunami note, seriously what relevance does this have to the panda baby passing on?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Poor panda died from a broken heart cuz his mom had her post partum issues.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

No one has said RIP yet. Poor show, JT'ers.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

sad news. that tiny cleature would reduce japan's gloomy mood. RIP

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Wasnt that was enough there existed 16 Japan borns Panda?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

When I first came in Japan more that 10 years ago I was stunt by the main news one evening. It started with 30 minutes dedicated to a famous horse that died. I was so shocked!!! In my country people are interested in politics, local or world news of importance and such type of thing is left for the end.

Now I don't get surprised from anything here... And it made news for my family too - especially my wife was sad, not so much my kids - their comment was - "zannen nee"!

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

The Panda diplomacy of Chinese government was definately a waste of efforts, the people of Japan were just cold steel that never understand peace and co-existences! The only things that may promote people-to-people sentiment ....probably the 'New Yory Stock index' !

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

...happy news for a country still struggling to recover from last year’s quake-tsunami disaster.

That is not only a stupid statement but an offensive one. How does the birth of a panda help people affected by the tsunami...? This country sometimes. Cute cute cute, all the time, every day and all troubles are out of the way.

It's an animal we're talking about here, not the next reincarnation of Jesus.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Why was this seen as news urgent enough to disrupt regular programming ?

Do the networks pander to the lowest common denominator ?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Ewan - yes..specially the national ones... real news are typically hidden too.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Saved from a two year life of growing up in a concrete prison. Ueno Zoo is the harshest.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

To LostInNagoya... to a zoo, have a panda birth is a great success. I still remember the big joy that happened when in Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico a panda was born and grown there, that Panda became very famous and several teddy pandas were sold around the country, a mexican singer sang a song dedicated to it and became a big hit in mexican stores and I still remember as a kid that I had a teddy panda as one of my most preciated toys... so.. to learn that the japanese zoo has lost its panda is very griefing... yes, they make a success to have the panda in natural ways but somehow they were not able to keep it alive... and also is sad to hear that good news can turn bad in a blink of an eye... :(

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The unnamed cub was initially hailed as a rare success for Japan’s captive breeding program as it was the zoo’s first panda born in 24 years and the only one conceived from natural sexual intercourse.

Panda babies are rare so this is what makes this news a sad news. If you've been in Japan long enough, you know that Japan loves pandas. And since pandas are becoming extinct, a loss of a baby panda is a big loss.

End of story.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Frankly, I think the adult pandas should be sent home to China because they failed in their diplomatic mission to promote China/Japan friendship.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

It interrupted programming probably because pandas have some cultural impact for the japanese one way or another.

No because media take the audience for dumber and more futile than they are. Yes, it's a conversation topic for many and baby whatever are endearing... but I don't think you'll find one person in Japan, not even a 3 yr old kid that would have not waited till next day's news to learn about that.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Panda is a Chinese animal primarily, is there a hidden private sentiment in the heart of old Japan ?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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