How Would You Like To Become A Panda Nanny? Because The World’s Most Fun Job Is Hiring
Do you care about wildlife conservation? Can you take decent photos? Are you a world-class cuddler? Then the Giant Panda Protection And Research Center has a job for you.
By Sadho Ram — 25 May 2014, 12:52 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
Have you heard about the best job in the world? It's in China, being a panda caretaker at the China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center in Ya'an.
The Giant Panda Protection and Research Centre has advertised a job opening for a 'panda caretaker' capable of sharing in the animal’s "joys and sorrows"
According to China Daily, those who wish to partake in this amazing opportunity -- which pays about $32,000 per year, plus meals, board and the use of an SUV -- should be 22 years old or older, and have writing and photography skills as well as "some basic knowledge of pandas."
The center is accepting applications now through 15 July 2014 at fun.sohu.com
According to an organizer who spoke with Chinadaily USA, "you need perseverance for this job. We expect that the applicants will be mainly white-collar workers from big cities. They are used to eating whatever they want, but inside the giant panda base, the choices will not be plentiful."
The search runs from now through July 15, and applications are being accepted at fun.sohu.com, although good luck navigating it. Reportedly, more than 100,000 applications have already been received.
dailycaller.com
And before you apply, here's some knowledge for you, though, unfortunately, it's kind of depressing:
Generous estimates show fewer than 2,500 giant pandas in the wild, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature says that population is going down, partly as a result of habitat loss, and partly because of restricted bamboo supplies. (Pandas are technically carnivores, but they eat mainly bamboo -- again, problematic, since bamboo does not provide much nutrition, which is why pandas have to spend about half their day eating.)