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Mexican Zookeeper Reflects on Caring for Latin America’s Last Panda

Xin Xin, a 35-year-old Mexican-born panda, eats bamboo stalks in her enclosure at Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP)
Xin Xin, a 35-year-old Mexican-born panda, eats bamboo stalks in her enclosure at Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP)
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Mexican Zookeeper Reflects on Caring for Latin America’s Last Panda

Xin Xin, a 35-year-old Mexican-born panda, eats bamboo stalks in her enclosure at Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP)
Xin Xin, a 35-year-old Mexican-born panda, eats bamboo stalks in her enclosure at Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP)

After a decade of caring for camels, lions, lynxes and lemurs, Joel Frías joined the team handling the Chapultepec Zoo’s star attraction: the giant pandas.

It was 2000, and Mexico City’s zoo, nestled in its massive forested urban oasis, had been the first outside China to successfully breed giant pandas.

Xin Xin, the last panda born from that program, was 10 years old then. Now she’s 35, elderly by captive panda standards, and the last giant panda in Latin America.

Every morning, Frías arrives early to quietly check on her breathing before preparing a breakfast of biscuits, cooked rice, carrots, and crushed apples.

“Even if it’s raining ... even if it’s really cold, I’d rather be checking the animals than be at a desk,” said the 60-year-old zookeeper, who wears small panda buttons pinned to his vest.

Giant pandas like Xin Xin have an average life expectancy in the wild of 15 years. In captivity, they’ve lived as long as 38.

The pandas that once were at risk of extinction have rebounded thanks to conservation programs and now number some 2,300, with about 500 of those in zoos around the world.

Mexico’s program started in 1975, when China gave it Pe Pe and Ying Ying, a pair that yielded seven cubs, four of whom reached adulthood. One of those original offspring was Xin Xin’s mother Tohui.

Xin Xin has outlived her parents, aunts and uncles, but she never had cubs, so Mexico’s panda run could end with her.

The Mexican government has not said what it will do when Xin Xin dies. China now charges $1 million a year to loan pandas for 10 to 15 years.

Caring for an aged panda When Frías joined the team caring for the pandas, he started by sitting with Xin Xin and speaking to her so she would grow accustomed to his voice. He made sure to wear the same fragrance each day so that she would recognize his scent.

Eventually, he gained her trust to the point that he could get close enough to touch her.

Now, after 25 years caring for her, Frías can easily figure out what she wants.

“When she’s hungry and nervous, she starts with the stereotypical (behavior) of getting up and walking from one side to the other,” he said. “That means she wants out or that she’s hungry.” In addition to the fruits and veggies she gets twice a day, she eats about 28 pounds (13 kilograms) of bamboo branches.

Xin Xin sleeps about 15 hours a day, so for several years now, Frías has led her through daily exercises of no more than 10 minutes at a time, where she will sit, open her mouth, extend her paw and lie down. The routine allows her veterinarians to regularly check her heart, breathing and take blood samples.

Zoo Director Alberto Olascoaga said that despite Xin Xin’s advanced age, “she’s completely in good health.” Her teeth and joints aren’t in great shape, but that’s normal for an elderly panda.

On a typical day, Xin Xin’s flock of fans mill about outside her leafy enclosure oohing and ahhing at the fluffy bear munching bamboo on the other side of the glass.

After hearing of Xin Xin’s most recent birthday in July, Jazmín Montoya, a 23-year-old lawyer from the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, convinced her mother and two sisters to drive to Mexico City to visit the panda.

“We’re not ready yet” to say goodbye, Montoya said. It will be “a great loss for the nation.”

Frías isn’t ready for that day either.

Watching her outside the enclosure, the zookeeper grew emotional recalling how when she was young Xin Xin would do somersaults and run around when they released her into her enclosure in the mornings.

“She has already given us 35 years well lived. In fact, physically she’s doing better than I am,” he said, collecting himself. But her departure will also close a chapter for the zookeeper. “If she goes, I will too.”

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Varieties

Buzz, Unease as UK Crowds Watch US Bombers Head to War

US military personnel loaded missiles onto a bomber at the Fairford base. Henry NICHOLLS / AFP
US military personnel loaded missiles onto a bomber at the Fairford base. Henry NICHOLLS / AFP
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Buzz, Unease as UK Crowds Watch US Bombers Head to War

US military personnel loaded missiles onto a bomber at the Fairford base. Henry NICHOLLS / AFP
US military personnel loaded missiles onto a bomber at the Fairford base. Henry NICHOLLS / AFP

Hidden behind a tall hedgerow in the English countryside, Charlie Cumming stood at the fence of an air force base, camera raised towards a US B-1 Lancer bomber parked nearby.

He was one of hundreds of curious onlookers who flocked to the airfield at RAF Fairford in the southwestern county of Gloucestershire since US aircraft began arriving on March 6, days after the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran.

"I've come just for pictures for my Instagram, really," said the 17-year-old. "It's a bit concerning they're here, but I still think they're really cool to see."

Beside him stood his friend James Martin, 18, from Oxford, who first got him into plane spotting. Seeing bombers loaded for active combat felt "quite surreal", Martin said.

"Seeing these machines going out to cause destruction and actually being used in a war zone is quite a weird experience... we've always seen planes just doing standard training roles."

On Saturday, cars spilled onto verges and down narrow lanes as visitors converged from across the country.

Along a road offering a panoramic view, veteran enthusiasts, excited locals, dog walkers and father-and-son pairs found their spots in the spring sunshine, armed with telephoto lenses, binoculars, stepladders and air-traffic scanners.

Some settled in with fold-out chairs, sandwiches and flasks of tea.

Dave Savage, a truck driver who had driven three hours from mid-Wales with his son, summed up the "excitement" many felt.

"I just like the power and the size of them," he said. "I get a buzz out of seeing something that big and that impressive."

Adrian, a warehouse worker from Doncaster, arrived in time to see a B-1 take off shortly after dawn.

He has spent 22 years spotting warplanes and said the turnout on Saturday dwarfed anything he had seen at a military airfield on a normal weekend.

"Down the lane there's just as many cars as there would have been on air show days," the 58-year-old said, asking not to give his full name.

He came prepared, arriving with a multi-camera setup and heavy-duty ear defenders round his neck.

"The B-1 is pretty much the loudest thing on earth. I've never heard anything as loud as that before."

- Thrill and dread -

Yet the excitement was tempered by an awareness of what these planes were being sent to do -- and Britain's role in their mission.

Fairford, along with Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, is one of two bases Britain finally allowed the United States to use for "defensive" operations in Iran.

The US Department of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment on its use of the base.

But according to estimates from AFP journalists at the site, around six B-52s and 12 B-1s have been using the base, conducting two to three sets of departures and landings per day.

Starmer's refusal to join the US and Israel in bombing Iran from February 28 triggered a public row with US President Donald Trump.

Polls show most Britons oppose the war, with half against US use of RAF bases even when the missions are restricted to bombing Iranian missile sites.

James Martin, who grew up close to RAF Brize Norton some 12 miles (19 kilometers) away, said even those in his local village accustomed to military aircraft overhead were now listening differently.

"Every time the fighter jet comes over, they're very worried about what that could mean," he said. "It's just scary how quickly it's evolving."

Research analyst Christoph Bergs from the London think tank RUSI said Fairford staff were experienced in dealing with large numbers of plane spotters.

"Given the US administration's public statements on Iran, visible activity at RAF Fairford may have been deemed an acceptable if not a welcomed externality of the current air campaign," he told AFP.

For Adrian, the spectacle was compelling.

"You can't turn your back on it, even though you might not necessarily agree with what they're actually doing," he said.

"We're never going to see this again. It's special in that respect -- but a little bit sad as well."

Varieties

Chinese Firms Seek to Loosen West's Grip on Lucrative Snow Business

A visitor snowboards on the slopes at Lianhuashan Ski Resort on the outskirts of Beijing. Pedro PARDO / AFP
A visitor snowboards on the slopes at Lianhuashan Ski Resort on the outskirts of Beijing. Pedro PARDO / AFP
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Chinese Firms Seek to Loosen West's Grip on Lucrative Snow Business

A visitor snowboards on the slopes at Lianhuashan Ski Resort on the outskirts of Beijing. Pedro PARDO / AFP
A visitor snowboards on the slopes at Lianhuashan Ski Resort on the outskirts of Beijing. Pedro PARDO / AFP

Lianhuashan's slopes have been kept snow-covered by ageing European snow cannons for more than 20 years, but the Beijing resort added its first Chinese snowmaker this ski season.

The snow gun, made by Beijing-based Carving Ski, costs about a third less than Western brands such as Italian giant TechnoAlpin, Carving resort manager Tang Lingling told AFP on a crisp February morning at the bottom of the slopes.

"By producing and assembling locally, we avoid the high costs of overseas production and shipping," said Tang, whose company sold around 200 snow machines last year.

"But the pressure from competition is very great."

"The truth is, the profit margin for our snow machine business isn't high."

However, Chinese winter sports firms are slowly chipping away at foreign dominance in the 84.6 billion yuan ($12.3 billion) snow equipment market despite such ferocious price competition.

They aim to replace foreign brands at home before conquering overseas markets by investing in research and making use of China's formidable supply chains.

- Targeting the masses -

China's snow-related equipment sales have surged almost fourfold since 2015, but interest has levelled off since the Beijing Winter Olympic Games in 2022 and a post-Covid boom.

Chinese consumers are now tightening their belts.

"Since 2007, the price of raw materials has at least doubled... but we haven't raised our prices," said Jin Huiyuan, founder of snowboard brand Lidakis.

Her company targets beginners and children with social media-friendly, ultralight boards with detachable dolls that she sells for around 2,000 yuan ($290) each.

They sold around 20,000 boards last year out of their frigid warehouse in Zhangjiakou, close to the slopes used for the 2022 Winter Games.

"Big foreign brands are high-end brands, which are bought by the rich; ours is for the masses. So, on this point, I think we are competitive with them, since not every consumer has lots of money," Jin said.

- Olympic void -

The government has heavily supported this "ice and snow economy", with President Xi Jinping's goal of 300 million winter sports participants surpassed by 2022.

Companies such as Carving and Lidakis benefit from research funding and subsidized rents.

Still, foreign brands dominate the high-end market.

Domestic skis and boards "haven't reached the level" of international competitors, according to Li Zhibo, general manager of ski firm Qianmao Xuelong.

"Some are century-old companies; we can't overtake that kind of history and technical accumulation overnight."

Qianmao mostly sells entry-level ski boots and bindings, but has pivoted to high-end equipment and supplied skis to China's Aerials team for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in February.

However, eventual women's Aerials champion Xu Mengtao opted for the Swiss brand Oxess during the competition.

Likewise, superstars Su Yiming and Eileen Gu secured gold using boards from US brand Burton and skis by Switzerland's Faction, highlighting the gap between Chinese brands and foreign competitors.

- Snow blow -

Despite not finding wide global popularity, some Chinese brands are finding a niche for themselves.

Lidakis has sold to Kazakhstan, South Korea and Iran, while Carving has exported to Russia, filling the void left by European firms locked out by EU export restrictions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine.

For now, the focus is on a domestic shift.

Tang Lingling is optimistic about the transition from imports to local manufacturing.

"In many ski resorts, you will see a lot of European snow machines at first. Gradually, (resorts) are beginning to choose to try Chinese snow-making machines," she said.

"Later, they won't even consider imported ones. They will directly choose Chinese brands."

Varieties

London Boasts 12 of Top 100 Cinemas in the World

The Castle has been voted among the best in the world (The Castle Cinema)
The Castle has been voted among the best in the world (The Castle Cinema)
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London Boasts 12 of Top 100 Cinemas in the World

The Castle has been voted among the best in the world (The Castle Cinema)
The Castle has been voted among the best in the world (The Castle Cinema)

The cinema might feel like a relic to some – a moment from before films were available at the press of a button at home – but those interested in cinemas never turn their back on an afternoon spent sitting in complete darkness with total strangers in front of a booming big screen.

According to METRO, London is a city that can officially boast 12 of the top 100 cinemas in the world.

Time Out recently released its ranking of the greatest cinemas on the planet, with the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles – host to more red carpet premieres for major blockbusters than anywhere outside London’s Leicester Square – taking the top spot.

Elsewhere on the list were some spectacularly unusual venues: the world’s biggest cinema screen in Leonberg, Germany, a small town with a population of just 49,000; a Hungarian cinema housed inside a former temple; a Berlin theater complete with its own nuclear bunker; and a Spanish Baroque picture house that even starred in the Oscar-winning film Milk.

But no city can claim more entries than London, whose best performer came in fourth place.

The BFI Southbank was named the capital’s top cinema, with £4 tickets for 16–25 year olds, the UK’s largest LGBTQ+ film festival, and a constant stream of panels and talks featuring some of the biggest names in film.

Other London venues that made the cut include Picturehouse Central, a seven-screen complex just off Piccadilly Circus, and Curzon Soho only a few meters down the road.

The Castle Cinema, tucked away on Chatsworth Road in the heart of east London, came in at number 82.

By afternoon, the same familiar faces are tapping away on laptops, before the evening crowd rolls in for a blockbuster, a streamed theater show they couldn’t get tickets for – even if they could afford the £100 price tag – or a niche arthouse film you’d struggle to find anywhere else.

If The Castle is backing a film, that’s usually recommendation enough.

The cinema’s distinctive charm is always enough to lure away from the temptation of anywhere else – even Time Out’s supposed best cinema in London – and rearrange the day if needed to catch a film in one of its two screens.

Screen One is the larger of the two, but what it boasts in size it matches in cosiness. Each customer sinks deep into their own armchair, perhaps with one of the best cocktails in east London in hand (often on offer) or a hot chocolate and a slice of homemade cake from the bar.

In Screen Two, however, the back two rows are made up of sofas which, if you’re lucky, you can often get one to yourself.

Independent cinemas are in desperate need of regular customers, but more often than not they struggle to compete with the low prices of soulless multiplex chains like Vue or Odeon.

At The Castle, though, a spectator rarely spends more than £3 on a ticket. Midweek, members can bring a friend for free before 5pm from Tuesday to Friday – and membership costs just £35 a year, or £17.50 for students, NHS staff and those on lower incomes.

Generosity and kindness sit at the heart of the cinema too. Anyone can leave a few pounds behind the bar so that someone else – someone who might need the comfort of a film but can’t afford a ticket – can still walk in and take a seat.

In an age of endless streaming and algorithm-driven recommendations, The Castle feels quietly radical. It’s not just a place to watch films – it’s a place to belong.

And while the world’s most famous cinemas might have bigger screens, grander foyers or red-carpet premieres, none of them have ever made the spectator feels quite as at home or impressed as much as a £3 seat on Chatsworth Road.