An Army of Pandas?

Panda was surprised one day to discover... another panda.

At first, Panda wasn't quite sure what to think. The newcomer looked very similar, and for a moment Panda wondered if there might soon be an entire army of pandas traveling the world. Still, Panda never felt threatened. She knew she was Panda #1.

The idea had come while I was learning about NFTs. An instructor in one of my Udemy courses had created NFTs to raise awareness for sea turtle conservation, and I wondered if Panda's adventures could someday help support panda conservation while also giving me experience creating NFTs for my photography.

That led to another idea.

What if I sent a panda to someone else so Panda adventures could happen in two places at once?

I searched everywhere for what I thought was the exact same panda. Since I wasn't completely sure, I ordered one and had it sent to myself first to test before sending another.

When the package arrived, the two pandas met for the first time.

They were... different.

The new panda was softer, looked slightly different, and simply wasn't the same Panda. A photo of the two together was shared along with the question, "Do you think it's OK to have different pandas around the Earth? An army of pandas!"

The response was thoughtful: "Mmm I dont know if is ok that they are different ones and doesn't make sense anymore the panda trip?"

After thinking about it, I realized Panda #1 had become more than just a stuffed animal. She had become a character with her own adventures, personality, and history. While the second panda had his own purpose and meaning, he wasn't this Panda.

From that day on, the decision was made: there would be only one Panda traveling Around the Earth.

The other panda affectionately became known as "Fake Panda." He was softer, friendly, and had his own place in the story—but everyone knew who the original adventurer was.