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DEL.ICIO.USFans embrace their inner panda
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark Strozier of Fairburn wore his heart on his sleeve this morning — as well as his t-shirt and hat.
Mei Lan mania does that to a guy, said Strozier.
Today, the Zoo Atlanta panda cub’s first birthday, Strozier took the day off and embraced his inner panda as he joined a crowd at the zoo for the festivities.
“She’s my baby,” said Strozier, 47, watching Mei Lan wrestle with her mama, Lun Lun, inside the zoo’s panda exhibit.
“But I suppose for anybody who lives in Atlanta, she’s their baby too.”
A baby no longer. The cub, born Sept. 6, 2006, has grown from a shaky little mound of fuzz into a 57-pound dynamo.
In the process, Mei Lan has developed a following that exceeds Atlanta’s boundaries. Ask Barbara Kelley. She has a panda mailbox outside her home in Concord, N.C.
“I just love pandas,” said Kelley, 69, visiting the zoo for Mei Lan’s birthday.
“She’s got, I’ll bet, two thousand or three thousand (panda figurines) in her home,” daughter Amy Montgomery volunteered.
That many? How does Kelley vacuum her house? Kelley smiled.
“I don’t dust very often,” she admitted.
And as she watched, more people entered the panda’s den. Children squealed. Mamas told them to hush. And everyone waited to wish Mei Lan a happy birthday.
The wait ends at 11 a.m., when the cub’s party begins.
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By Awwww
September 6, 2007 11:05 AM | Link to this
Happy Birthday Mei Lan!!!! Truly an Atlanta beauty……..
By JC
September 6, 2007 11:33 AM | Link to this
She’s definitely an Atlanta Beauty but she will always be our “Little Peach”!
By FM
September 6, 2007 11:42 AM | Link to this
Our little girl is growing up! We will miss her when she returns “Home”.
By rub
September 6, 2007 11:45 AM | Link to this
Happy Birthday Mei Lan!!! May your years prosper with all that a Panda cub can be.
By Veda Babb
September 6, 2007 12:14 PM | Link to this
I traveled from Texas in Feb. to visit this “Atlanta Beauty”. I have watched almost daily on the panda cam so like every one else I feel like she is my baby. I am not looking forward to when she has to leave us but hopefully we will still be able to keep up with her progress. I hope Mei Lan’s birthday is everything she deserves it to be. The Atlanta Zoo is wonderful, I’m jealous. Oh, by the way, I still miss Willie B.
By jane
September 6, 2007 12:24 PM | Link to this
Of all days you don’t have the panda cam up and running….
By Tameka
September 6, 2007 12:54 PM | Link to this
Happy 1st birthday Mei Lan!!!!! We hope you enjoy your special day!!
By Most people
September 6, 2007 1:56 PM | Link to this
Happy Birthday but who really gives a crap?
By Judy
September 6, 2007 4:31 PM | Link to this
To the post by ‘Most People’: Lots of people give a crap. Like many, I have checked Panda Cam daily(well, now, Mon-Fri), I have the updates daily(now Mon, Wed, Fri). And daily I have been awed by the miracle of Mei Lan, and the care she receives from the keepers and Dr. Snyder and staff. Mei Lan is a bright spot for the city of Atlanta and for Pandas everywhere. She and Lun Lun and Yang Yang make me smile, sometimes laugh. Thank you Zoo Atlanta! And our friends from China!