User:Stevenarntson/group spaces/Archive/English Composition/group 1


 * Sanciatron 23:52, 15 January 2009 (UTC)]
 * Carlberry 03:27, 21 January 2009 (UTC)]
 * IsraelMedrano 01:37, 23 January 2009 (UTC)]

summary
Our group was originally going to focus on the giant panda, however we broadened our research to cover both the giant panda and the red panda. We have written a research paper about the habitat, appetite and description of the red panda. We also have poems and a short story that are well worth reading.

reflective assessment

 * 1) good: We were able to keep in communication with everyone in the group throughout the quarter.
 * bad: One of our group members left early on.
 * 1) future strategies: It would have been good to get most of the work done early on, and leave the remaining time for correction.

Research
IMG]http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c68/Shankbotch/im_RedPanda.jpg[/IMG

Red Panda video

Although the red panda is not as well known as the giant panda it was actually the first animal to be given the name panda. The first written record of the red panda occurs in a 13th century Chou dynasty scroll. A man by the name of Thomas Hardwick introduced the red panda to the Europeans approximately forty-eight years before giant panda was introduced to the west. It is a favorite pet of India’s Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Thomas Hardwick originally gave it the name “Wah” because of the sound it projected through its loud call, but he also mentioned the local name for it, Poonya. This was eventually anglicized to panda. Other names the red panda goes by include: Bear-cat, Bright Panda, Cat-Bear, Common Panda, Firefox, and Lesser Panda. The panda's fur is used to make hats and clothing. In the Yunnan province, a hat made of red panda fur is highly sought after by newlyweds. These hats were regarded as a talisman for a happy marriage in the past.

Much smaller than a giant panda, they are about 42 inches long including their tails. They can weight between 7 and 14 pounds and their soft fur covers their entire body, even their feet. Not only do their tails help them balance while they climb trees, they also are used to warm themselves in the winter. Their red and white markings blend in with the red mosses and white lichens that grow on the trees in which they inhabit. They become more vibrant in the winter because their coats will redden and thicken. There are two subspecies of red pandas. The living range of the Ailurus Fulgens extends from Nepal through Northeastern India, Bhutan and into China, while the Aiturus Fulgens Styani can only be found in China. Being very solitary animals, red pandas spend most of their lives on their own, except for the mating period and the time when a mother and her young are together.

Mating occurs during the winter, usually between early June and mid March. There is a gestation period of about 134 days, after which litters of 1 to 4 young are born. Female red pandas give birth mainly in June. The young stay in the nest for about 90 days and stay close to their mother until the next mating season. They reach their adult size at about 12 months old. Red pandas have been bred with some reliability in zoo's throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. However, reduced genetic diversity in zoos has led to high levels of infant mortality. There have been new studies on red pandas that measure their hormones and their sperm's ability to be frozen. Traditionally reducing inbreeding has involved moving individuals from one zoo to another to spread valuable genes. In the future, sperm samples may be transported, or even stored, to help maintain genetic diversity.

Red pandas are good climbers and spend most of their time in the trees, except when foraging. They live in cool temperature bamboo forests in Sichuan and Vunnan provinces, in China, in the Himalayas, and in Myanmar. The altitude of these forests ranges from 5000 ft to 15,700 ft above sea level. The approximate area of a red panda’s habitat in China is 14,000 sq ft. Because they share much of their habitat and food selection with the giant panda, they are suffering the same massive population drops due to habitat destruction. There has been a 40 percent decrease in the red panda population over the past 50 years.

resources

 * AP. "China Is Said to Arrest 203 for Panda Poaching." The New York Times. 5 Feb 2009 .


 * Bies, LeeAnn. "Ailuropoda melanoleuca." animaldiversity. 5 Feb 2009 .


 * "Giant Panda" WWF. 5 Feb 2009 .


 * S., Pai. "Panda bear pictures, information, facts, trivia." Indianchild. 4 Feb 2009 .

fiction
PANDA The morning fog lingered low at the feet of the bamboo. The pale green morning had not yet been broken into by shards of sunlight from over the top of the mountains. Everything was calm, too quite, too still. The poacher was there.

Stepping through the floor of fog one step at a time, the poacher stealthily searched for his hunt. His hat, moronic in it's way of "camouflage" smelled so strongly of garlic and meat that even another human being could smell it from 10 feet away...but not all the animals had hid at the scent of the poacher... but One followed ever so stealthier.

The animal bore black sleeves on its arms and legs, and upon his monstrous face she had black circles around her eyes, black lips, black ears, and a black nose, all around her ginormous white torso. They call her and her kind, Giant Panda. Sanciatron 01:43, 4 February 2009 (UTC)

Panda was very hungry and always was unless she was sleeping. She couldn't wait any longer. Her tongue glided across her sharp teeth as she went for her breakfast. She swung, and SNAP! CRACK! UMPH!!!!! MUNCH MUNCH! The bamboo was extra delicious when it was chilled and crisp by the cool morning. Oh, the poacher was whacked in the back of the head as Panda swung the bamboo around with her to eat in a comfortable upright sitting position.

As he lay there, his gaze fell upon his cold hearted murderer. She was so evil, all she cared about in that moment was bamboo. He thought of his children, his home, garlic. As the sun came beaming in, darkness swept his eyes, right after he saw a cub nestle beside his mother in their home of bamboo forest.

END Sanciatron 07:44, 12 February 2009 (UTC)

Pinju The Red Panda

Once upon an enchanted forest a new creature was born into existence. His name was Pinju the red panda, the first of his kind. He was fairly small with redish brown fur, black arms, little black eyes, and an identity issue.

All of the other animals in the forest were so confused by little Pinju. Elephant would ask, "Are you sure you're not a little bear?" Quail would ask, "Are you sure you're not a cat?" and tiger would say "you just look like a fox."

Poor poor aggravated Pinju the red panda. Being the only one at the time, it was hard for him to always be questioned like that. He yearned for uniquness, something to set him apart from bears and cats. He just wanted to be well known as red panda. Soon there would be more red pandas and beiing the first, he felt it was his duty to fix this issue of being plain.

One day Pinju fasted a sharp bone to his snout with a blade of long grass. He felt different and dangerous, but when he tried to use his horn on a tree, it fell off. On another day, he made wings out of leaves, but was crushed when he still had to climb trees to get to the top.

"WHY? why am i so plain?!? SO PLAIN that i could pass as a bear, a fox, AND a cat? sigh...."

"Hello down there." it was crow.

"Hi crow...what do you want?"

"Oh it's not about what I want, it's about what YOU want, and i know how you can get it." crows eyes narrowed on Pinju as she let her words sink into his skull. Pinju hesitated though. for crows are very mischievous.

"How then? How do i get what i want?"

"The magic steam up high by the mountain. All you have to do is drop a lotus flower into the stream and wait til it flows out of sight. Then a voice will ask you what you desire."

"What did you get?" Pinju asked.

"HAHA. Maybe after you get yours I'll tell you mine." and with that, crow flew out of sight.

Pinju walked along the forest floor, stopping to eat bamboo every now and then. He thought about what to ask the steam spirit if he got to choose his new characteristics. He thought about tusks and horns until finally he could smell the stream not far ahead. It was nearly nightfall. Pinju quickly found a lotus and tossed it in the steam. He watched as it flew gracefully all the way down until it disappeared...and then he heard it.

"What do you desire most, red panda of the enchanted forest?" The steam spirit's voice was cool and moved like water, almost whispery.

"I desire to be unique. Not so plain that i am mistaked for a bear, cat, or fox." said Pinju, hope swelling inside of him.

"Know that if i grant you this, you pay a price. For this, you and your kind to come will all live lives of solitude. How bdaly do you desire this now?"

"I still do." Said pinju, and it was done.

"When you awake tomorrow morning, you shall be changed. The voice disapeared and the natural sound of the stream was in the air again.

When Pinju awoke the next morning he ran to the nearest pond to look at himself. There was white fur like a mask on his face, his tail was longer and had white stripes. "This tail will be great for balance up in the trees! And my mask is so handsome!"

Just then, another red panda came into the world. She looked like Pinju, he thought she was beautiful. He went to say hello to her, but just as quickly as she came, she was gone, and he was alone again, reminding him of what he had to pay to look beautiful.

"So you got what you wanted." said crow.

"Yeah i guess so. What did you get, and for what price?" asked Pinju again.

"I desired to always know where treasure is. The price was my voice. I cannot sing beautiful songs like all the other birds..."

Pinju left to climb trees in his new life. This is why when we see red pandas in the wild they are usually alone.

the end. Sanciatron 05:18, 19 March 2009 (UTC)

<>'s poem
i couldn't blink because he told me to the shrink he asked "what do you see?" i told him "something new." he took a drink poison i assumed the papers held no hue just black blots "i see parts of me." "interesting." he loomed i wanted to blink "don't blink you're not supposed to" ...he's in my head "now tell me, what do you see?" I told him, " a womb". "A WOMB?" he stared at the dots "what else do you see?" i didn't want to say panda bear the shrink always hates what i think so i lied, "a pear". "good, i'm beginning to get through to you" the hour was up, i left in a blink the thought of pandas untouched and free

IsraelMedrano's poem
Panda Bear’s are nature’s best friend

Panda Bears are nature’s best friend Their cute and cuddly figure makes people want to keep them as pets, Their big round bellies are filled with happiness Their fur could warm a mother’s heart Their big round eyes glow like the night sky Their paws soft as a teddy bear Their teeth sharp as knives could tear through plants Pandas eat a lot of bamboo They take care of their fur without the use of shampoo Pandas are nice, but eat little mice While their hopes of survival are continuing to slim They are beautiful and to some people, they are spiritual creatures And we should keep them until the very end That’s why Panda Bears are nature’s best friend IsraelMedrano 02:15, 5 February 2009 (UTC)

Carlberry's poem
The View of a Panda The silver reflection on the pond suggested a Second dimension As the Panda drew water from it's Silky, metallic, preserved surface A seemingly endless thirst Unquenched Silence A noise... A shift in the calm Something was different Something was watching Someone was... Then it was gone It had vanished Scared by... Something or Someone Or nothing The surface of the pond returned to peace

renga #1
Beneath the surface Over the bright moonlight sky Stood the Red Panda

Looking ferocious and proud Scouting for bamboo to eat

Suddenly he found bamboo He ran to the bamboo tree Then he heard a snap!

A bear trap had caught his legs The creature was trembling

He tried to break free But realized it was no use He fell to the ground

Knowing it would be the last bamboo The panda would ever see

renga #2
Forever walking Majestically marching Forever panda

Forever, he is marching Still in search of another

When he finally Stops to get some needed rest Sound of another

Has been lonely for so long Some companionship desired

The faint sound grows cold Something is strange, different The panda turns, runs

A shot is fired from afar But the panda is long gone