The Playful Panda Read online

  “Come in, Rescue Zoo,” he announced cheerily. “Horace speaking! I’m back, and I’m at the panda enclosure with Zoe and Meep. Come quickly, everyone. I’ve brought two panda cubs with me!”

  There was a crackle, then all the zoo staff started replying. “Mr Higgins! That’s fantastic news!” Zoe heard Jess say from the otter enclosure.

  “I’ll be there in a minute!” added the penguin keeper, Will.

  The most excited reply was from Stephanie, the keeper who had looked after Su Lin. “Pandas?” she gasped. “Two of them? I can’t believe it! Wait there – I’m coming straight over.”

  There was another crackle, and Zoe heard a familiar, happy voice. “Uncle Horace, I’m so pleased you’re home,” cried her mum, Lucy. “I’m on my way now. Don’t run off on another adventure before I get there!”

  Great-Uncle Horace chuckled. “Ah, there’s my favourite niece. Don’t worry, my dear. This time I’ll be staying at the zoo for a few days, to help our new arrivals settle in.”

  Great-Uncle Horace turned back to Zoe. “Let’s take the twins into their new home,” he said. “They must be hungry. Did you know that pandas spend more than half of every day eating? And do you know what they love to eat more than anything else?”

  “Bamboo!” Zoe said. Su Lin had munched through dozens of pieces of hard, green bamboo every day.

  “That’s right!” said Great-Uncle Horace. “Bamboo’s a fascinating plant, Zoe. It grows very quickly indeed and there are more than three hundred different types. Here at the Rescue Zoo, we have just three kinds: umbrella, arrow and golden bamboo. Our new arrivals are still a little too young for bamboo though. For now, we’ll feed them lots of nice, warm milk.”

  Carefully Great-Uncle Horace lifted the crate out of the sidecar and carried it over to the enclosure. Zoe opened the gate with her paw-print charm and they all went inside. Most of the Rescue Zoo’s enclosures were kept neat and tidy, but this one had become very overgrown since Su Lin died. Chinese wild flowers had sprung up among the trees, and with no one there to nibble the bamboo plants they’d grown right up to the top of the fence.

  “Goodness!” exclaimed Great-Uncle Horace. “It feels very wild indeed, as if we really are in the Chinese mountains. How lovely! Now, let’s see what our new arrivals think.”

  He put the crate down and opened the door all the way, so it rested on the ground. Then he stepped back and waited. Zoe watched the crate and tried not to fidget. When an animal was seeing its new home for the first time, the Rescue Zoo staff were always as quiet and still as possible. That way, the animal wouldn’t be frightened. Zoe didn’t move, even though she was so excited, but naughty Meep couldn’t be still for a second and hopped up and down, desperate to see what the pandas did.

  Everything was quiet. Then there was a curious squeak from inside the crate. The cubs had noticed the open door!

  Suddenly a little face appeared in the doorway. Zoe gasped as she saw the first cub, now wide awake. Her face and body were as white and fluffy as a cloud. Her ears, arms and legs were black, and there was a ring of black fur around each of her bright, curious eyes. Her black nose twitched, and she scampered out of the crate excitedly.

  “I think she likes it, don’t you?” whispered Great-Uncle Horace, beaming. Zoe nodded, unable to tear her eyes away from the beautiful animal.

  Then the second cub peeped out shyly. She was a bit smaller than her sister, with a black splodge on her tummy. She gazed at the lush trees, the glittering waterfall and the tall bamboo plants. Then she put her little head to one side and curiously squeaked a question.

  “Yes, that’s right!” Zoe burst out excitedly. “This is your new home – the Rescue Zoo.”

  Both cubs stared at her in surprise. By her feet, Meep squealed in horror. “Zoe, shhhh!” the little lemur hissed. “Goo’s here!”

  Zoe clapped her hand tightly over her mouth, as if she could somehow make the words disappear. Suddenly her heart was racing. She couldn’t believe she’d made such a silly mistake. She had talked to the pandas in front of Great-Uncle Horace!

  Chapter Four

  A Lucky Escape

  Zoe looked quickly at Great-Uncle Horace. She had never spoken to an animal in front of another person before, but she’d been so excited about the pandas, she’d forgotten Great-Uncle Horace was there! She thought desperately, trying not to panic. What could she say to explain? Maybe she could pretend she’d muddled up her words?

  But Great-Uncle Horace didn’t seem to have heard her. There was a funny smile on his face, but he was still watching the cubs look round their new home. Zoe let out a deep, shaky breath. That was a lucky escape! she thought. I need to be more careful.

  “Gosh, Zoe, you look very serious,” cried a voice from behind her. “Cheer up, sweetheart! This is the best day we’ve had at Rescue Zoo in ages. I can’t believe we’ve got panda twins!”

  It was Stephanie, Su Lin’s old keeper, her freckled face pink from rushing along the path. Her chestnut-brown hair was tied up in a bun and she was wearing the blue Rescue Zoo uniform with a golden hot-air balloon sewn on the pocket. She grinned in delight, crouching down to stroke the smaller cub’s soft fur. “Aren’t they gorgeous! I don’t think I’ve ever seen such small pandas before.”

  Will, Jess and Frankie all rushed down the path together. Then Lucy arrived with some of the other zookeepers, looking very out of breath. “The zoo visitors must be wondering what’s going on!” she laughed, hugging Great-Uncle Horace. “The animals are making such a lot of noise, and all the zoo staff are dashing along the path as if they’re running a race!”

  “This is impossible,” spluttered a voice from behind them. “Two new pandas? That’s twice the money. And twice the mess!”

  Zoe turned, her heart sinking. Mr Pinch, the zoo manager, was standing by the gate, his skinny arms folded tightly. His uniform was crisply ironed and his shoes perfectly polished, but his thin face was as sour as vinegar.

  Only horrid Mr Pinch could be grumpy about such gorgeous creatures arriving at the zoo! thought Zoe.

  “Ah, Mr Pinch! A pleasure as always,” Great-Uncle Horace called, his eyes twinkling. “I see you’ve come to meet our new arrivals.”

  “Mr Higgins, delightful to have you back, of course,” Mr Pinch added quickly, his cheeks flushing pink. “But perhaps we should discuss this before we do anything hasty. I really do not see how the pandas can stay here. One cub would be very expensive, but two—”

  “Yes, two!” Great-Uncle Horace interrupted cheerfully. “Two pandas, who both need a home. Remember, the Rescue Zoo never turns an animal away – no matter what.”

  Mr Pinch went the colour of a ripe tomato. “Well, no,” he snapped. “But the cost—”

  “We’ll think of something!” Great-Uncle Horace told him, walking over to the flustered zoo manager and patting his shoulder. “Let’s go to my office for a chat. I know you must have some excellent ideas up your sleeve! Besides, it’s time I had a cup of tea and a custard cream. Come along, Kiki. See you later, everyone.” He marched away down the path, with Kiki soaring above him. Mr Pinch shot the pandas a final cross look and then followed, grumbling under his breath.

  Stephanie jumped to her feet. “Right, everyone! Let’s get this enclosure fixed up for the cubs.”

  The zookeepers set to work. Frankie fetched some fresh wood chippings for the ground, while Jess found a pile of warm, fleecy blankets for the cubs to sleep on. Everyone else swept away the piles of autumn leaves and cut the sprawling ivy off the wooden platforms.

  Meanwhile, Zoe’s mum checked the cubs to make sure they were both healthy. As Zoe held each cub carefully in her lap, Lucy used the stethoscope around her neck to listen to their heartbeats.

  Then she opened the special vet bag she always carried and shone a small torch into their eyes and ears. “They’re both perfect,” she told Zoe, smiling. “This one here is a little bit bigger than her sister, but that happens quite often when two babies are born at the same
time.”

  Soon there was only one job left. “We need to mend the wooden fence around the enclosure,” said Stephanie. “Some of the wood has rotted away, and the bamboo has grown so much that it’s pushed holes right through it!”

  Will and Jess fetched some new pieces of wood and some nails from the zoo storehouse, and used them to patch up the holes in the fence.

  Finally all the work was done, and the twins’ enclosure looked as good as new. “Thanks for your help, everyone!” called Stephanie as the keepers left in small groups, chatting about the adorable cubs.

  Lucy gave Zoe a kiss before heading back to the zoo hospital. “I’ve got to check on a poorly raccoon, and give some medicine to an aardvark with a sore snout,” she said. “I expect you and Meep will be here all day! Just be home in time for tea.”

  As Lucy set off down the path, Stephanie grinned at Zoe. “I think it’s lunchtime for hungry panda cubs!” she announced. “I’ll fetch some milk. Will you watch them until I’m back?”

  “Of course!” said Zoe quickly. She caught Meep’s eye and the little lemur chirped excitedly. Being alone with the cubs meant she’d be able to talk to them – with no one else around this time! As soon as Stephanie left the enclosure, she knelt down. The bigger cub was playing happily with a piece of twig while her sister was quietly watching a worm wriggle along the ground.

  “Hello!” she said softly. “I’m Zoe and this is my best friend, Meep. What are your names?”

  The bigger cub looked up and squeaked in surprise. Zoe giggled. “Yes, that’s right – I can talk to animals. You weren’t imagining it! I wasn’t supposed to do it before though. I forgot my great-uncle was there.”

  The cub squeaked again, eagerly. “Chi Chi,” Zoe said, nodding. “That’s such a pretty name. What about you, little one?”

  The smaller cub blinked at her, then squealed shyly. “Mei Mei,” repeated Zoe, smiling gently at her. “We’re so pleased you’ve come to the Rescue Zoo. We’re going to look after you here, I promise.”

  Meep chattered a warning as Stephanie came back into the enclosure. “Zoe, do you want to feed one of the cubs?” she asked, holding up two bottles of warm milk. “I know you’re an expert!”

  Zoe grinned happily. “Yes, please!” she said, taking a bottle from Stephanie. She loved feeding baby animals!

  Carefully she picked up Mei Mei and held the little panda against her chest. With a tiny squeak, Mei Mei cuddled up against Zoe. Her fur was so soft and fluffy, and she felt very warm. Zoe offered her the bottle and Mei Mei started drinking the milk happily.

  Stephanie smiled as she fed Chi Chi. “We’re so lucky to have them here, you know,” she told Zoe. “Pandas are some of the most endangered animals in the world. There are fewer than two thousand living in the wild now.”

  Zoe frowned. She knew that sounded like a big number but it was actually very low. There were almost a thousand people in her school, and that was the same as half all the pandas living wild in the whole wide world. “Why aren’t there more?” she asked.

  “There are lots of reasons,” Stephanie explained. “Poachers hunt pandas because they can sell their fur for lots of money. Pandas need to eat so much bamboo that it’s really hard for them to find homes with enough plants growing nearby. Plus, pandas don’t have babies very often – and twins are especially unusual.”

  Chi Chi finished her milk and gave a little hiccup. Stephanie laughed. “They certainly enjoyed that!” she said, tickling the cub’s fluffy belly.

  “I’ve thought of some names, Stephanie,” said Zoe. “What about Chi Chi for that cub, and Mei Mei for this one?”

  “Those are perfect!” Stephanie exclaimed. “In Chinese, ‘Mei Mei’ means ‘little sister’. How did you know that?”

  Zoe thought quickly. “I...I learned it at school,” she explained, hoping she wasn’t blushing. Zoe didn’t like making up stories but sometimes it was the only way to cover up her secret. She couldn’t tell Stephanie that the baby pandas had told her their names!

  When Mei Mei had finished her bottle, Zoe and Stephanie put both pandas down. Straightaway, Chi Chi was ready to explore. She scampered over to the nearest wooden platform and clambered up the ramp, with a little help from Stephanie. At the top, she squeaked happily, excited to see her new home from high up. Then she padded back down the ramp and dashed over to the waterfall. “You’re going to be a little handful, Chi Chi. I can tell already!” Stephanie laughed, chasing after her.

  Zoe glanced down curiously at Mei Mei, who had crept on to her lap. The smaller panda watched her sister quietly but didn’t seem to want to join in. “Don’t you want to explore, Mei Mei?” Zoe whispered, but the cub shook her head.

  A moment later Chi Chi came charging back through the enclosure and nudged her little sister with her front paws, squeaking bossily. Mei Mei cuddled closer to Zoe and whimpered. Stephanie scratched her head. “It’s funny that they’re not playing together,” she said, puzzled. “They must have been cooped up together for too long. They just need a little bit of space and they’ll be rolling around together soon enough.”

  But Zoe and Meep looked at each other in alarm. They had understood Chi Chi and Mei Mei’s panda noises, and knew what was wrong. Chi Chi thought her sister was a baby because she didn’t want to explore and play. Mei Mei didn’t want to do the scary things Chi Chi did, and thought her sister was a show-off.

  Oh no! The panda twins didn’t seem to like each other at all!

  Chapter Five

  Squabbling Sisters

  As Zoe got ready for bed that evening she couldn’t stop worrying about the little pandas. All afternoon the sisters had squabbled. Zoe had encouraged them to play together but energetic Chi Chi had just squeaked crossly at quiet Mei Mei, who was still feeling nervous in her new home. Stephanie had been disappointed, and even Great-Uncle Horace had looked concerned when he popped over to the cottage to say goodnight. “We’ll try again tomorrow,” he’d said reassuringly. “Perhaps the twins are tired after travelling such a long way.”

  Zoe brushed her teeth, put on her orange tiger-striped pyjamas and climbed into bed. Meep was already curled up on her pillow. The little lemur looked worried too. Zoe switched off the dolphin lamp next to her bed and sighed. “What are we going to do, Meep? Great-Uncle Horace brought the sisters to the Rescue Zoo so they could stay together but they just don’t get along.”

  “But why, Zoe?” Meep asked, his little nose wrinkled up anxiously. “I don’t understand.”

  “I think it’s because they’re so different,” Zoe said thoughtfully. “Chi Chi is playful and adventurous, while Mei Mei’s timid and quiet. They’re so lucky though,” she added. “I’d love to have a sister or a brother, even if we were really different! Someone I could always play with, and tell all my problems and secrets.”

  “But you have me, Zoe!” Meep chattered happily, snuggling up against her. “We play together lots. And I already know your biggest secret!”

  Zoe laughed and pulled Meep close for a cuddle. “That’s true, Meep. I don’t need anyone else when I’ve got you!” She rubbed her cheek against his furry head. “But the pandas do need each other. Tomorrow we have to find a way to help them get along!”

  The next morning Zoe ran out of the cottage as soon as she’d eaten a quick bowl of muesli and Meep had munched a banana. Zoe was desperate to get to the panda enclosure early, before the visitors started arriving.

  “Maybe the pandas will be playing together when we get there,” Meep chirped brightly as they dashed along the path. Zoe hoped her little friend was right.

  As they stepped into the enclosure, Zoe saw Mei Mei padding curiously up to the waterfall. “Look, Meep!” Zoe whispered. “She’s finally feeling brave enough to explore!”

  Then Chi Chi noticed what her sister was doing. With a happy squeal, Chi Chi scrambled towards Mei Mei and bumped playfully into her. Poor Mei Mei wobbled ...and fell underneath the waterfall with a big splash! “Naughty Chi Chi,” Zoe muttere
d as the older cub scampered quickly away, and Mei Mei gave a cross squeak. “That’s no way to make friends.”

  Stephanie had just arrived at the enclosure. “Morning, Zoe,” she called. “Could you grab a blanket from the pandas’ sleeping area? We’ll need to dry Mei Mei. I’m afraid the cubs still aren’t getting along.”

  Zoe fetched a fluffy blanket as a very wet Mei Mei padded over. She scooped the panda up and rubbed her fur gently with the blanket. “There, you’re nice and dry,” she soothed, making sure she spoke too quietly for Stephanie to hear. “Chi Chi was just playing.”

  Stephanie sighed. “It’s such a shame. Both cubs seem to love their new home. Chi Chi adores the wooden platforms and the ramps, and even Mei Mei’s starting to settle in. But if they don’t make friends soon...” She hesitated.

  “Then what will happen?” Zoe asked at once.

  “We’ll have to split them up,” Stephanie explained. “While they’re little they can’t do any harm, but when they’re fully grown they might hurt each other.”

  “But we’d be able to keep them both at the zoo, wouldn’t we?” Zoe asked anxiously. “One could stay here and the other could go in a different enclosure.”

  Stephanie shook her head sadly. “I’m afraid not, sweetheart. We don’t have any spare enclosures big enough for an adult panda. They need lots of space, you see. One sister would probably have to go to another zoo.”

  Zoe’s heart sank. It was horrible to imagine the sisters not liking each other, and it was even worse to think about them being separated. What if one of the twins was sent back to China? That was thousands of miles away. They would never see each other again.