Giant Panda Teacher Packet - Memphis Zoo

Third Script (Su-lin Young)Interviewer: Welcome back from the break. We have another very special guest with ustoday.Su-lin Young: Thank you for having me here today.Interviewer: Will you tell us where you are from?Su-Lin Young: I was born in New York in 1911 but my parents were both Chinese and born inChina. I am a Chinese-American.Interviewer: Wow! 1911? So that makes you 92 years old!Su-Lin Young: Yes, it does. But don’t you think I look good for my age?Interviewer: I cannot argue with that. I hear that you were one of only a few womenexplorers in the early 1900’s.Su-Lin Young: That is correct. I went on a ten-month exploration of China with my husband,Jack. He was also a Chinese-American. Have you heard of him?Interviewer: The name sounds familiar.Su-Lin Young: My husband was a hunter and an explorer. He was known for the guidance hegave to President Theodore Roosevelt’s sons when they traveled to China tohunt the giant panda.Interviewer: So why were you in China?Su-Lin Young: We were hired by the American Museum of Natural History to go there tocollect Chinese plants and animals.Interviewer: That must have been an expensive trip.Su-Lin Young: I suppose it was but we did not have to pay for it. Our travel expenses werepaid for by two of Theodore Roosevelt’s sons. Their names were Theodore Jr.and Kermit.Interviewer: So did you collect any plants or animals to bring back?Su-Lin Young: Yes, we did. My husband and I brought back some birds and some plants.Interviewer: So I guess that is why the China exhibit at the Memphis Zoo had a lot of birdson display.Su-Lin Young: Yes, a lot of remarkable birds do live in China but we mainly collectedpheasants. Did you see any of those at the Memphis Zoo?Interviewer: Yes, I liked that one with the real long tail.Su-Lin Young: Oh, you mean the Reeve’s Pheasant. That pheasant has the longest tail of allpheasants.Interviewer: I have one more thing to ask you about. Is it true that the first live giant pandaever seen in the United States was named after you?Su-Lin Young: That is true.Interviewer: That must have made you happy.Su-Lin Young: It did. My name was a good name for a baby giant panda. My name means “alittle bit of something cute” and if you have ever seen a picture of a baby giantpanda they are definitely cute.Interviewer: Was that the reason that the baby giant panda was named after you?Su-Lin Young: No, that was not the reason but I think one of your other guest will be able toexplain to you why the first live giant panda in the United States was namedafter Su-Lin Young.42