An Appreciation Of Bats

April 17th is Bat Appreciation Day. It is one of a number of days dedicated to highlighting the importance of bats in our ecosystem and to challenge the negative attitudes some have towards bats. There are other bat days during the year such as International Bat Night which takes place on the last weekend of August. Not surprisingly, October is Bat Appreciation Month and the last week of October is designated as Bat Appreciation Week!

Having a Bat Appreciation Day in April is great for those of us who live in the southern hemisphere and celebrate Halloween at the end of April. While Halloween bats are usually depicted as black, I’ve chosen to focus on a white bat called the Honduran white bat also called the Caribbean white tent-making bat.

image from wikipedia

Honduran white bat facts:
– They have bright white fur and look like little balls of fluff
– Their ears, nose and lips are bright yellow
– They build tents in leaves which they shape into upside down boats and roost in them
– The tents protect them from the weather, are climate controlled and offer some protection from predators
– They are frugivores (fruit eaters) that only eat figs and almost exclusively one species of fig

image from wikipedia

Not long after I fell in love with the Honduran white bat, Beserk, (my favourite Goth store) featured a Honduran white bat plush for sale. It was one of those synchronistic moments that really makes you think. Happily Figgy is now part of my family and is thoroughly enjoying her Figgy Upside Down Cupcakes. She thinks they look like her because they are cute, cuddly, and upside down!

Figgy Upside Down Cupcakes 

Ingredients
6 tablespoons coconut flakes
6 tablespoons fig jam
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of sea salt
60g unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons milk

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.
Line a muffin pan with 6 cupcake cases.
Place a tablespoon of coconut flakes followed by a tablespoon of jam in each paper case.
Carefully spread the jam so that it covers the coconut. 
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy and combined.
Whisk in the egg until combined.
Whisk in the vanilla until combined.
Fold in the flour mix until just combined.
Add the milk and stir until just combined.
Spoon the batter evenly between the cupcake cases.
Bake for 15 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing the paper cases.
Place on a wire rack (jam side up!) to cool completely.

*some of the jam will stick to the bottom of the paper case. If you can’t bear to waste it you can just eat it with a spoon or lick it up like a fruit bat!

Honey Panda Cotta?

March 16th is Panda Day. It’s a day to celebrate giant pandas and to raise awareness about the important part pandas play in the ecosystem and in our lives. For those of us who love pandas, every day is Panda Day!

One of my greatest panda experiences was seeing pandas at the Bifengxia Panda Base and the Chengdu Panda Base. At the Bifengxia Base we were treated to panda cubbies doing activities we had previously seen only in panda cams – pandas riding toy horses, pandas playing on swings, pandas climbing trees, pandas sleeping in a kindergarten and pandas drinking milk from bowls! At the Chengdu base we actually got to hold a baby panda named Miao Miao. She accepted our rapt adoration and happily munched on bamboo dipped in honey!

When I started to think of what recipe I wanted to make for Panda Day, I put honey and milk together and got Panda Cotta!

Honey Panda Cotta

Ingredients
2 titanium gelatine leaves (or your choice of gelatine to set 1 + 3/4 cups liquid)
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup thickened cream
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes to soften. 
Put the milk, cream, honey and vanilla extract into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring to make sure the honey has melted.
Remove from heat.
Squeeze the gelatine leaves to remove any excess water then stir into the cream mixture until dissolved.
Pour into serving bowls or glasses.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Panna cotta is often unmolded onto a serving plate but you can just dig in with a spoon!
If you’d like to unmold, here are a few tips that can help do it neatly:
* Slide a knife down the side of the set panda cotta to break the air seal.
* Rest the bottom of the mold (about half way up the side) in hot tap water for about 5 seconds. Dry the outside and then invert onto a serving plate. 
* If the panda cotta doesn’t slide out on its own, a couple of vigorous downward shakes (making sure to hold both plate and mold) should convince it to unmold. 

Happy Panda Day!

Meeting Shifu

International Red Panda Day is celebrated every year on the third Saturday in September. This year it’s on September 16. The theme of the day is to stop panda poaching and the illegal wildlife trade.

Poaching of Red Pandas has been a problem for many years, but escalated during covid, possibly because of the hardship covid created, but also possibly because the world’s resources were distracted dealing with the pandemic.

Pandas have been poached for meat, the illegal pet trade and for their fur. Conservation organisations such as the Red Panda Network have worked with local communities to educate them to protect these precious and rare creatures and the Red Panda’s international popularity helps this work progress.

There are now anti-poaching networks which patrol at-risk areas, removing snares and reporting poaching activities to local authorities. The current focus is to expose the downstream networks driving the demand for pandas and their pelts and to increase international efforts to expose this trade.

Zoos and nature parks support conservation efforts and help educate people worldwide on the plight and need to defend these cute ambassador animals. Captive breeding programs help maintain numbers so that there is protection against extinction and a path to return animals to the wild once their numbers stabilise and the illegal poaching is curtailed.

Combining the desire to support Red Panda conservation and also my personal desire to learn more about and meet ambassadors for the species, I do encounters with Red Pandas when they are available, noting that encounters are always on the Panda’s terms. I recently met Shifu, a Red Panda at Symbio Wildlife Park. Young master Shifu was very enthusiastic for the encounter, walking over me as if I was just another branch to get at his treats. He particularly liked the pear pieces (as many Red Pandas do) and was incredibly messy eating them, dribbling pear juice in quantities that seemed impossible!

Check your local zoo to see if they have something special on for the day.
Have a great International Red Panda Day!

Batty About Bats

April 17th is International Bat Appreciation Day. It is a day to celebrate how awesome bats are! It’s the first of three yearly “Bat” celebrations. The next in line is International Bat Night which takes place on the last weekend in August. Last but definitely not least is Bat Appreciation Week which takes place from 24th – 31st October – the week leading up to Halloween.

Bats are famous for hanging upside down, so to honour these spectacular flying mammals, I’ve made two mini apricot upside cakes. I’m sure fruit-eating bats will appreciate this tribute for International Bat Appreciation Day!

Mini Apricot Upside Down Cakes

Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
2 canned apricot halves, drained
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
60g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
Double cream for dolloping (optional)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F.
Line a Texas muffin pan with two jumbo sized cupcake cases.
Sprinkle a 1/4 teaspoon of brown sugar into each cupcake case.
Top with an apricot halve (cut side down) and set aside.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy and combined.
Whisk in the egg until combined.
Whisk in the vanilla until combined.
Fold in the flour mix until just combined.
Add the milk and stir until just combined.
Pour the batter evenly over the apricots.
Bake for 15 – 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes before transferring upside down to a wire rack. Remove the paper cases.
Serve cakes warm or at room temperature with a dollop of cream if desired.

Equinoxes For Pandas

Tuesday 21st of March is the Autumn Equinox. The Equinox is a time of balance, a time when the hours of day and night are relatively equal. The March Equinox heralds the southern hemisphere’s fall into Autumn and reminds us that Winter is on its way. After the Equinox, long warm days will slowly be overtaken by longer cooler nights.

In the shadow of the March Equinox is a very special day – National Panda Day! National Panda Day is celebrated on March 16th. It is interesting that a day that celebrates giant pandas falls near the March Equinox. The black and white colouring of the giant panda is a peaceful blend of dark and light and perfectly reflects the symbology of the Equinox. Like the Equinox, the giant panda is a symbol of harmony.

In a surprising coincidence, the giant panda is not the only panda with a connection to the Equinox. The red panda also has its own special day which is celebrated near (or sometimes on) the September Equinox. International Red Panda Day (IRPD) is celebrated on the third Saturday in September. The black, white, brown and red colouring of the red panda make it a great symbol for the southern hemisphere Spring Equinox as the warm colours remind us of the hot Summer coming our way. These same colours are also appropriate for the Autumn Equinox taking place in the northern hemisphere as they are reminiscent of Fall colours. There is even a meme that calls red pandas pumpkin spice racoons which does the rounds during pumpkin spice season.

So whether you’re falling into Fall or springing into Spring – there’s a panda nearby to guide you!

Happy March Equinox!

An Encounter With Red Pandas

International Red Panda Day (IRPD) is celebrated on the third Saturday in September which this year falls on Saturday the 17th. IRPD was created by the Red Panda Network (RPN) to highlight the issues endangered red pandas face in the wild such as habitat loss and illegal poaching. IRPD is observed around the world with special events and red panda themed events. Some zoos celebrate on different days, so check with your local zoo to see if they are doing anything and on what day. If you’re lucky enough to have a zoo that does red panda encounters, IRPD would be a perfect day to treat yourself to one of these special experiences.

In preparation for IRPD, I visited Billabong Zoo to have an encounter with not one, but two red pandas! Rato and Tito, two elderly red panda sisters, were very keen to have breakfast, so when they saw me enter their enclosure with a bowl, they didn’t waste any time and quickly climbed down the tree for treats. They were very polite as they waited while I fed each of them tasty bits of fruit in turn.

During the encounter I made eye contact with the beautiful elder girls and my heart swelled at how gentle they were. As I looked into their stunning red panda faces millimetres from my from own, I felt a connection with these very special creatures. They seemed to know that I needed healing as it has been a very difficult couple of years. I was feeling rubbed raw emotionally and spiritually.

Being in the presence of two seemingly old and wise red panda ladies, I felt a huge burden lift from my shoulders. As I stared into their happy little faces, an overwhelming sense of calm and balance coursed through me. For the first time in a long time I felt happy, positive and ready to face the challenges ahead of me. The road forward is uncertain, but with the promise of more red panda encounters in the future, I’m ready to start journeying again.

(from the world animal dreaming oracle by Scott Alexander King)

The Power Of A Panda

March 16th is Panda Day. It’s a day to celebrate giant pandas and to raise awareness about the struggles pandas face in the wild. Giant pandas are an “umbrella species” which means that the protections we place around wild pandas and their habitats, also protect other animals that share those vulnerable habitats with them. Drawing attention to the struggles of one species can also prompt us to look at other vulnerable animals and hopefully will inspire us to do something to protect the many species around the world that need our help.

Giant pandas are not only important for the planet, but for some of us they nourish our souls. In A Personality Of Pandas, I wrote about my personal connection to pandas and how they helped me through a very difficult time. After a horror couple of years that included a global pandemic, I recently needed to draw on the healing power of pandas again. The best way to do that was to visit the quirky black and white bears at Adelaide Zoo.

Adelaide Zoo is the only zoo in Australia that has giant pandas. Fu Ni (Lucky Girl) and Wang Wang (Net Net) arrived in November 2009. Adelaide is only a short flight, or an eight hour drive, from Melbourne so luckily I’ve been able to visit our resident pandas a few times. I was planning to visit them again two years ago, but the pandemic put our travel plans on hold. I didn’t think it would take so long to see them again but the wait was worth it.

Unfortunately Fu Ni didn’t make an appearance on the day we visited, but Wang Wang did. As soon as I saw his adorable face, and those black ears that look like they’ve been stuck on his head with a glue gun, I felt some some of my anger, pain and grief melt away. I happily watched Wang Wang sitting there eating his bamboo. He was so close I could hear him tearing the strips which he then shoved into his mouth. He seemed oblivious to the crowd until the woman next to me asked if she was blocking my view. Wang Wang stopped eating and stared at us, seeming eager to hear the answer himself. I was happy to let him know that no-one was blocking my view. Wang Wang gave me a long, hard stare and then went back to his feasting, Ieaving me with a lighter soul and a smile on my face.

Happy Panda Day!

A Day For Red Pandas And Bamboo

International Red Panda Day was created by the Red Panda Network to promote the red panda and to find ways to fight for its survival. It is celebrated on the third Saturday in September. This year it falls on the 18th of September which is also World Bamboo Day. What a happy coincidence as bamboo is something red pandas love!

World Bamboo Day was created in the hopes it would increase global awareness about the importance of bamboo. The World Bamboo Organization encourages the use of bamboo in a sustainable fashion. They hope to introduce bamboo to new industries across the world and also protect traditional uses within local communities. The World Bamboo Organization is passionate about growing more bamboo around the world and have created the hashtag #PlantBamboo for this year’s celebrations.

Red pandas are all for planting more bamboo because they can’t survive without it. About 95% of their diet consists of bamboo. While the giant panda eats nearly every part of the bamboo, like the woody stem, the red panda is very selective and only eats the more nutritious leaf tips. They also eat tender bamboo shoots when they are available.

Thinking of red pandas enjoying nutritious bamboo tips reminded me of the bamboo leaf tea I bought a while ago. Bamboo tea is becoming popular as it is supposed to boost the immune system. It is good for the skin and can improve bone density. Bamboo tea also promotes healthy nail and hair growth, which may explain why red pandas have such beautiful, thick fur!

Bamboo tea has a subtle flavour, so you may need to experiment to find the right brew for you. I decided to pump up the flavour by using bamboo tea to make a spiced apple tea. This tasty tea can be served hot or enjoyed chilled as an iced tea. You can also make ice cubes with it and pop them into a gin or vodka cocktail. I mean why should pandas be the only ones having fun with bamboo! 🙂

Bamboo and Apple Tea

Ingredients
2 cups bamboo tea brewed to your liking
1 apple
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
1 teaspoon brown sugar

Instructions
Strain the tea into a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
Cut the apple into thick slices crosswise so you can see the star shaped core.
Add the apple slices, cinnamon, cloves and sugar to the boiling water.
Simmer for 15 minutes.
Strain and serve with a slice of apple if desired.

A Game For Snakes

July 16th is World Snake Day! To celebrate this serpentine day, I want to explore one of my favourite childhood games – Snakes and Ladders.

Snakes and Ladders is a board game which features squares numbered 1 to100. Played by two or more players, each player rolls a dice in turn and travels along the numbered squares. Some of the squares have the bottom of ladders which help you move up (to the top of the ladder), while other squares feature the heads of snakes which send you back down (to the tail of the snake). The snakes and ladders vary in length, so you can rise and fall vast or small amounts depending on where you land. The first player to reach the final square is the winner!

Snakes and Ladders is the English version of an ancient Indian game. There are a number of names and variations of the Indian game such as Gyan Chauper, Leela, Mokshapat and Moksha Patam. The games were originally used to impart moral and karmic lessons to children. The ladders represent a virtue which allows you to rise while the snakes represent a vice which causes you to fall. In the Indian version there are more snakes than ladders, probably because it’s easier to fall victim to vice than to be virtuous. 🙂

When the game came to England, a few changes were made. The number of snakes was reduced so there were equal numbers of snakes and ladders. The karmic lessons of the original were also replaced with moral lessons relevant to the Victorian era of the time. Eventually the moral lessons were left out or replaced by cartoon pictures that had no real link to virtues or vices.

The American version is called Chutes and Ladders. In a move that would make Saint Patrick proud, Chutes and Ladders has driven all the snakes off the board and replaced them with chutes. Interestingly, most of these versions still retain the moral lessons of the original games.

When I think of playing Snakes and Ladders as a child, I can’t remember any moral lessons being imparted. All I remember is my desperate desire to win and to avoid the snake boldly waiting at the top, ready to turn my impending victory into defeat! I actually loved the drawings of the snakes, with their cute tongues poking out, but I was annoyed that it was a punishment to land on them.

Snakes are one of the oldest, richest and most widespread mythological symbols. While they are seen as symbols of negativity in some cultures, they are more often associated with positive traits such as creativity, fertility, healing, rebirth, sexuality and wisdom. I’m glad Snakes and Ladders didn’t teach me to see snakes solely as a symbol of negativity.

Happy World Snake Day!

A Protection Of Pandas

March 16 is Panda Day. It is a day to celebrate our beloved giant pandas, though for some of us that’s everyday! 🙂 Panda Day is also a day to reflect on the important work being done to save these precious creatures from extinction.

To celebrate Panda Day, I thought I would explore the giant panda card in the World Animal Dreaming Oracle by Scott Alexander King. I bought this deck as I knew it had a red panda card which I’m hoping to explore on International Red Panda Day. I was pleasantly surprised to discover the deck also had a giant panda card. I was a little disturbed to discover this card was called Sorrow. However, to understand this card, you have to know the legend of how the giant panda came to have black and white fur. 

There are a few variations of the legend, but my favourite version tells the story of a young shepherdess who protects a giant panda cub being attacked by a leopard. The brave shepherdess saves the panda, but during the struggle she is killed by the leopard. The cub returns safely to the other giant pandas, who in this legend are as white as snow. When they hear about the death of the shepherdess they are heartbroken. As a sign of respect for her sacrifice, the pandas attend her funeral. As was the custom, the pandas cover their arms in black ash. As they weep, they rub their eyes with their paws, wiping away their tears and staining their fur with black ash. To block out the sound of crying, they cover their ears with their paws, staining their ears with black ash. To deal with their grief, they hug each other, spreading the ash from their arms to their legs. To remember the shepherdess and her sacrifice, the pandas decide to never wash the ash from their fur. They have kept their black and white markings to this day.

So now you know why Sorrow is a fitting theme for the giant panda in the World Animal Dreaming Oracle. Thankfully the giant panda card has a lovely meaning. According to Scott, the giant panda reminds us of our compassion, empathy and sensitivity to the suffering of others. The giant panda also teaches us to be careful of not burning ourselves out with the weight of our concerns and responsibilities. We can care for the world, but not at the expense of our own emotional state. The giant panda is here to support us, especially when we value ourselves as much as we value others. I think this is a beautiful interpretation of our beloved pandas. 

For this Panda Day, I’ll be celebrating the legend of how the panda became the black and white beauty of the bear world, by enjoying a nice slice of white cheese rolled in black ash. In true panda style I’ll also be enjoying a cup of bamboo leaf tea.

Happy Panda Day!