Outside the Rings: Pandas rule the zoo

There are Chinese monals, golden pheasants, even bushes shaped like elephants. But the main attraction at the Beijing Zoo is the panda bears.

"It's great, yeah," said Vaughan Robart, who is visiting the zoo from Michigan.

"It's nice to see them," smiled Lylyane Safitz from the Netherlands, who admitted to leaving what she called a "boring" Olympic volleyball match to see the bears.

The panda is an unmistakable black and white ball of fur.

It's also smaller than most people expect.

"I thought they were giant bears," laughed Guido Kloek, who is also visiting from the Netherlands, "but its OK. I think they are amazing."

They're also the main reason why the Beijing Zoo draws millions of visitors a year.

Everyone wants a picture. Everyone wants a panda in the background. Everyone just wanted one to move.

"They're sleeping on me all the time, so, it's a bit sad," said Kloek.

He decided to spend his last day in China at the Beijing Zoo thinking it would be a great way to leave the country, with a lasting image of China's star animal.

However, these pandas didn't seem to care. They just slept, and wanted nothing to do with pictures.

"I found they turned their backs a lot so they don't have to look at all those flashes," said Corrie Ballard of Kentucky.

Many of these panda's were brought to the Beijing Zoo from the Sichuan Province, where an earthquake ravaged the area earlier this year.

A new building at the zoo was built for them just so they had a place where people could still see them.

Judging by how many come through here every day, the Panda - like Shamu the Killer Whale in San Diego - is definitely the star of Beijing.

"They're so cute and cuddly and they're also so sweet," said Ballard.

Stuffed animals were selling for about $5, so for those who wanted a picture of a panda's face, it was the next best thing.

"I know they'll move. You just have to be patient," said Kloek.

His plane leaves in less than 20 hours.

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