CHILDREN at Alconbury Elementary School went to see their adopted Red Panda at Whipsnade Zoo on Thursday. The school has been raising money to keep what was one panda, and is now a family of pandas, with popcorn sales and a summer carnival. Because of th

CHILDREN at Alconbury Elementary School went to see their adopted Red Panda at Whipsnade Zoo on Thursday.

The school has been raising money to keep what was one panda, and is now a family of pandas, with popcorn sales and a summer carnival.

Because of the sustained fundraising efforts of the school, the youngsters were invited to name the two newest members of the Red Panda family at Whipsnade. After a school-wide vote, they named the pandas, Ying and Yang.

Children at the school visit the pandas at least once in their school career and all contribute to the animals' welfare. The fourth and fifth years make popcorn on designated Fridays and sell it to the rest of the school. Teachers say it has become a much-loved tradition. There is an annual carnival in June, with proceeds also to the red pandas.

This year, teachers Sherri Sullivan and Pat Henderson spent a day as a zoo-keepers at Whipsnade Zoo and have now involved the students in collecting water bottles for the chimpanzees.