China seeks panda ambassadors
Chengdu Panda Base is to select three new 'Pambassadors' who will get the chance to work with pandas for a whole year
The job of a lifetime awaits three lucky nature lovers, who could get the chance to become the latest Pambassadrs (that's panda ambassadors) on behalf of a panda research centre in China.
The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (often known simply as the Chengdu Panda Base) has kicked off a three-month campaign to search for three new representatives to look after and raise global awareness of China’s most iconic animal species for one year, reports CNNgo.com.
Open to all nationalities, the successful applicant will have the chance to spend 365 days a year with the adorable animals.
They will also be expected to join a five-month Global Panda Conservation Tour which will include visits to pandas at overseas zoos, such as the Singapore Zoo and Edinburgh Zoo.
Applications for the job can be submitted via the Chengdu Pambassador Facebook page until October 1st.
The organising committee will then select 16 finalists from online applicants to take part in a three-week final competition in Chengdu from October 28th, with the overall winners announced on November 16th.
It is the second time Chengdu has run the scheme, having appointed the first batch of Pambassadors in 2010.
Ali Shakorian, 28, from Sweden, was one of those selected.
He told CNNgo that a good candidate should "have a strong passion for nature and animal conservation and be willing to learn about the complex dynamics of animal conservation".
Yumiko Kajiwara, another 2010 Pambassador, added that day-to-day activities included feeding the pandas, cleaning the panda enclosure, learning about pandas, and smelling panda faeces to ensure their health.
However, if you're not one of lucky three selected candidates, or if you like pandas but feel that sniffing their droppings is taking things a step too far, you could get a chance to see the animals in their natural habitat by going on an overland adventure to China, many of which include a stop off at Chengdu.
