Panda Toy Maker Vivien Bao Wei-wei
Vivien Bao Wei-wei from the University of Hong Kong Department of Ecology and Biodiversity is one-half of the design team that created toys to interest and stimulate giant pandas in order to keep them healthy.
HK Magazine: Ever think of making sex toys for pandas?
Vivien Bao: The toys we made can actually help raise the libidos of the pandas as they help make the animals happy and more energetic, and a happier, more energetic panda is a more sexual panda.
HK: How did you decide to go into conservation?
VB: I loved biology when I was in middle school. That’s why I chose biology as a major for my undergraduate study. What you discover can also make a contribution to society. With my research, results can be used to set the guidelines for certain pollutants and that can help protect our marine environment and marine life. I would also like to do more conservation if I have the chance.
HK: How would you describe your experiences with the twin pandas in Sichuan?
VB: The twins were very cute and I felt quite happy and excited to see them. They were not scared of people at all – they would come and hug your foot. But this is only after they had finished drinking their milk. You would be surprised to know that instead of being all fluffy and soft, panda hair is actually very hard and tough. Perhaps the worst thing about the experience was that the time we spent with them was too short. I could stare at the pandas all day and not be bored.
HK: Being a conservationist, what annoys you the most about people’s habits?
VB: I think it would be better if people in Hong Kong used fewer plastic bags when shopping. We could bring reusable bags made of cloth, or reuse the plastic bags that we have instead of throwing them away. It would also be better if people who have computers use electronic versions or online newspapers instead of paper ones. That could save a lot of trees.
HK: If you were to come back as an animal, what would it be?
VB: Well, I don’t believe that people have another life after they pass. I think even if people were to come back as animals, I think they can’t control what they would be. But if I were to come back as an animal, there would be a lot of choices. I’d like to be a bird or a butterfly because they can fly; I’d like to be a panda, a penguin or a dolphin, as they are so lovely and cute. I’d like to be a fish that can swim in the beautiful ocean. I think it would also be good to be a plant, like a flower or a tree. There are so many lovely creatures in the world, and it would be OK to be any of them as long as I could have a healthy environment.