Meet the woman coming to D.C. again for a first glimpse of the new panda
|
Version 0 of 1. When Lisa Washam was working on her PhD in behavioral science, she needed something to relax her. Midday masseuses and drinks were out of the question, so naturally she turned on the National Zoo’s real-time giant-panda cam whenever she could. She was hooked, and she wanted to see those big-eyed creatures with oversize heads and cuddly-looking bodies in person. In May 2013, Washam traveled from her home in Lima, Ohio, to see the National Zoo’s female giant panda, Mei Xiang. When Mei Xiang’s daughter, Bao Bao, made her public debut in January 2014, Washam flew back to the District decked in panda-themed clothing, arriving at the zoo onthat freezing winter morning to be one of the first to see the cub. Nearly two years later, Washam, 37, is making the panda pilgrimage again — this time to see Mei Xiang’s newest cub, Bei Bei, make his public debut Jan. 16. “It’s hard to really explain,” Washam said. “They have always fascinated me, and it really kicked into high gear when I was working on my dissertation. It’s calming.” Washam likens it to the “baby schema” effect — the science explaining that plump, oversize heads with round eyes remind people of babies, making them “ooh” and “aah” and eliciting warm parental instincts. She sometimes tunes into the panda cam when she’s at work as a behavior specialist in a group home for teenage girls, even showing it to her students at times. “Obviously I’m not going to take a drink on the job, but sometimes I’ll pop into my office for a few minutes and watch the panda,” she said. [Peekaboo: Panda takes his first glimpse of the world] Whatever the effect is, Americans seem to be fascinated by pandas. About 80 percent of visitors to the National Zoo visit the panda habitat. The zoo had about 2 million visitors in 2013 and 2.3 million the following year, when Bao Bao made her debut. When Bei Bei and his twin, who died soon after birth, were born in August, the panda cam saw an 849 percent increase in viewership, maxing out its bandwidth with 868,000 people tuning in over three days. Washam plans to arrive at the zoo with a friend to see Bei Bei about 6 a.m. on Jan. 16 — and she’ll be dressed the part again. She plans to wear her diamond-studded panda necklace, panda hat, panda gloves and black-and-white clothing to complete the outfit. “My friend and I have been slowly compiling our debut outfits,” she said. “It’s going to be one of the silly, out-of-the-box things I do.” The National Zoo isn’t the only zoo Washam has visited to see her beloved pandas. She’s also traveled across the continent to San Diego, Memphis, Atlanta and Toronto. When she’s not traveling to zoos or working, she volunteers and donates to animal-rescue organizations such as Wildlife SOS and the International Rhino Foundation. As for playing favorites with the pandas? Washam said that Bao Bao and Bei Bei are adorable but that her greatest adoration goes to Ya Ya — a panda in Memphis. “She is so sassy. I love animals that have attitude,” Washam said. “She doesn’t act like a lady. I have a couple pictures of her sticking her tongue out at people.” |