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The First Panda in the West

In 1936, a US socialite and her Chinese-American guide captured a giant panda cub and took it to New York. It was the first time the animal had been seen outside China.

In 1936 American socialite Ruth Harkness and her Chinese-American guide, Quentin Young, captured a giant panda cub in the forests of China. Ruth Harkness took the panda to the USA and kept it in her New York flat, before selling it to a Chicago zoo. It was the first time the animal had been seen outside China and panda-mania ensued. It was named 'Su-Lin' and celebrities such as Shirley Temple and Al Capone flocked to see it. Hear from Quentin Young's neice, Jolly Young, about the expedition in search of the panda.
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14 minutes

Last on

Sat 30 Apr 2022 23:15GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sun 12 Jan 2014 14:45GMT
  • Tue 22 Mar 2022 09:30GMT
  • Sat 30 Apr 2022 23:15GMT

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