Pandas Galore

Early last week Su Lin, first captive giant panda ever brought to the U. S., added oak twigs to her diet in Chicago's Brookfield Zoo. Unaccustomed to such rugged fodder, Su Lin caught a twig in her throat. Same day the twig was removed, but Su Lin fell into a decline, sank lower & lower. Desperate zookeepers placed her under an oxygen tent, tried to keep her alive by artificial respiration. But Su Lin died.* Mrs. William Harvest Harkness Jr., who last year brought back Su Lin and this year brought back another baby female panda, Mei-Mei, to serve as Su Lin's companion, promptly planned a third expedition to save Mei-Mei from loneliness.

But post-mortems on Su Lin had not been finished when Floyd Tangier ("Ajax") Smith arrived in Chengtu, China with four giant pandas, three of them male cubs, which he had found in Western Szechuan Province. An American banker in China who turned big-game hunter more than 15 years ago, gaunt, bespectacled Floyd Smith has spent most of his 55 years abroad, notably in the Orient. Chicago's Field Museum has sponsored many of his expeditions, though lately he has worked for the London Zoo and the British Museum. Two years ago he formed a panda-hunting partnership with William H. Harkness Jr., but the latter died just before they were to start. Later Mrs Harkness tried in vain to get him to accompany her on her first expedition into the wilds of Tibet. Since he has a contract with the London Zoo, two of his pandas are likely to go there, while he will probably sell the others in the U. S. Chicago's zookeepers were exultant last week over the possibility of getting a male cub for Mei-Mei. Exclaimed Assistant Director Robert Bean: "Oh, Boy! Wonderful!"

*Her death came day after Manhattan Pub Ushers Carrick & Evans brought out Su Lin's biography, The Baby Giant Panda, by Ruth Harkness ($2).

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