Q: How many people are involved in the care of the National Zoo giant panda twins?
—Janet Peterson, Rome
A: There are 82 people — 10 keepers, five veterinarians, three scientists, two curators, two nutritionists and 60 trained volunteers — on the team that is providing non-stop care for the two cubs born to giant panda Mei Xiang on Saturday.
The volunteers operate the panda cam 24 hours a day, which allows the keepers and medical staff to “monitor the mom and cubs,” a zoo spokeswoman told Q&A on the News.
“They’re essential to the whole process,” she said.
The smaller cub was 3 ounces at birth, compared to 4.8 ounces for its twin, and has been rejected by its mother. It was also having trouble keeping down food.
It’s normal for panda moms to care only for one cub when they give birth to twins, leaving the other to die, the Washington Post reported.
Q: I recently was watching a rerun of “That ’70s Show” where the bouncer at a club looked a lot like a younger, longer-haired Neil Flynn from “The Middle.” Is that a possibility?
—Donald Varn, Conyers
A: Flynn, who plays Mike Heck in "The Middle," played "The Bouncer" in the 1999 episode of "That '70s Show," titled "The Velvet Rope."
Flynn has appeared in many shows and movies in a career that dates to the early 1980s
He was a Cleveland Indians fan in the movie “Major League” and a policeman in “The Fugitive.” Flynn also has appeared in “Seinfeld,” “The Drew Carey Show,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” and “NYPD Blue,” among other TV shows, including playing “The Janitor” in “Scrubs.”
Andy Johnston with Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
About the Author
