“It’s all Bob’s fault”, we commented, as we looked onto the
mile-long line waiting to see the Pandas at the San Diego Zoo. You
may now be asking, “Who is Bob and how would ANYone know it’s his
fault?” Good question. You see “Bob”, born Robert Doyle Mease,
joined the Air Force in 1956. In April 1972, two Pandas, Ling-Ling
(female) and her mate Hsing-Hsing (male), were given as a gift from
the Chinese government to then president Richard Nixon as a gesture
of peace and friendship. As you may have guessed, Bob was one of
the Air Force pilots that flew this pair to the United States. They
were delivered to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoo in
Washington, DC. The United States sent musk oxen to China in
return.
As soon as the Pandas arrived, people in the U.S. were
fascinated with them. Before the Pandas were given to any official
zoo personnel, permission was given to Bob’s four children to “pet”
the Pandas. The only rule for these children was, “Be Careful!” The
oldest child took her younger siblings over and they all “petted”
the Pandas. Bob’s children are the only children known to have
petted Panda bears. As Bob finishes his story he ends with, “It’s a
good story whether it’s true or not.”
Since its beginning, Pandas in the U.S. zoos are among the
most popular exhibits which equals long lines. It all started in
1972 with the help of Bob. The U.S. now has nine Pandas currently
on loan to its zoos from China for 10-12 year periods. Thanks to
Bob for sharing his story. He is an extraordinary man and we love
him! (Bob has played golf since retiring from the Air force and he
has had three hole-in-ones! Amazing!)
This is a regular, Panda-themed cache to begin with. Since
most geocachers don’t carry Panda swag, feel free to trade what you
want. Parking is across from the club house. There is a nice trail
and muggles are in the area. Please remove only the lid to the
cache—leave the cache in its place. Please leave the cache as you
found it. The cache is only a few feet off the bike trail. If you
can’t find it and get frustrated, we’ll blame Bob for that as
well.
This cache is dedicated in loving memory to our uncle and
friend, BOB. Died August 22, 2006. "222 for the darby dog."