In early 1939, a number of Giant Pandas were smuggled out of China, and offered for sale.  London's Regent's Park Zoo obtained, three of them - Ming, Sung and Tang.  With the threat of bombing at the outset of WW2, the black and white stars were among the animals "evacuated" to Whipsnade Zoo, the Zoological Society of London's (rather larger) zoo/animal park in Bedfordshire.  However, when the danger seemed to have receded somewhat, the black and white superstars were returned to Regent's Park.  Their return was accompanied with great propaganda fanfare, aimed at bolstering civilian morale.  This photo is one taken in connection with that propaganda campaign.

The little boy looks less than happy with his "photographer" - but I am sure he was in no danger.  As to whether that "photographer is Ming, Sung or Tang ... don't ask me !  Yours from the Bamboo Patch, JR.

Panda-monium.

Denise Austin with a neighbor, conversing with her wartime "stepdaughter", Belfast Zoo's baby elephant "Sheila".  

Ms Austin was a Keeper, (the first woman Keeper, I think) at Belfast Zoo.  During the Blitz period, she became aware of a plan on the part of the Air Raid Protection service (a particularly chaotic, ill-organized bunch in the case of Belfast) to shoot the Zoo's larger, more "dangerous" animals, for fear they might escape in the event of bomb strikes on the Zoo. Determined to ensure that Sheila, at least, would not fall victim to this plan, Ms Austin took to waiting at the Zoo after hours, smuggling Sheila out (how the Gods only know), and hiding her in the high-walled back yard of her North Belfast home during periods in which shootings might have occurred (mainly during the night).  That nobody seemed to notice this (!), even though it went on for a considerable period of time, is really a bit Irish - but then, North or South, we are a bit like that.  I would suspect that Sheila's colleagues were less than enthusiastic about the shooting plan, anyway.  Whether it was ever implemented, I do not know.  In any case, "little" Sheila was not affected.  Best regards, JR.



Baby (elephant) Love in Belfast.

Senior residents of Dresden, Germany pitch in to help clear the rubble after the allied bombing raid on February 13-15, 1945.