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Thursday, May 3, 2007
The cutest thief of all
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mei Lan has developed a case of sticky paws. She’s a purloining panda, a sneak, a thief.
In recent days, Zoo Atlanta’s baby giant panda has been swiping the biscuits zookeepers give her mother, Lun Lun. If mom turns her back, zoo employees say, her 8-month-old daughter comes sneaking like a fat little shadow. Zip! The biscuits, made of leafy material, are gone.
Mei Lan isn’t ready to eat the biscuits yet — she likes to hide them — but she is growing steadily. As of last week, the cub weighed 32 pounds. From little nose to wiggly tail, she measured almost 40 inches. She’s doing great, said Susan Elliott, a spokeswoman for the zoo.
Of course, there is that problem with the sticky paws.
“She’s turning into a little thief,” Elliott said.
The thief — er, the cub is on display, and the zoo urges people who want to see her to get tickets online. Log on to www.zooatlanta.org to get yours.
But keep the tickets close if you go see Mei Lan. According to reports, a thief is at large at the panda den.
