108 'giant pandas' give bear hugs to Londoners  

108名“熊猫人”亮相伦敦 推广动物保护意识

108名装扮成大熊猫模样的“熊猫人”，4日上午出现在伦敦市中心特拉法加广场，拉开了“熊猫保护意识周”活动的序幕。

London (CNS) -- Panda Awareness Week got off to a warm and fuzzy start in Trafalgar Square, London on Wednesday, despite the drizzle. A Tai-chi performance was given by 108 "giant pandas" who just popped up in the famous downtown location and went on to literally squeeze smiles and merriment out of passers-by.

The "giant pandas," played by local actors, gave bear hugs to pedestrians in Covent Garden and China Town and on Charing Cross Road, among other London landmarks.

The activity was sponsored by the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan Province, aiming to raise people's awareness of how important it is to protect the endangered animal. Giant pandas, once on the verge of extinction, are still among the world's most endangered species.

Surviving pandas of the 161 bred by the Chengdu Research Base since it was founded in 1987 number merely 119. The base now houses 108 giant pandas, forming the biggest artificially bred population of pandas in the world.