The Panda Was First Discovered By Theodore Roosevelt’s Sons During a 9-Month Expedition in Himalayan China

In the late 1920s, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. and his younger brother Kermit, sons of President Theodore Roosevelt, wanted fame and glory apart from the family spotlight. They were seeking the “empty spots” on the maps, the areas that had yet to be explored and described by Westerners. From these remote places, they hoped to bring back exotic animals to aid the scientific community’s understanding of taxonomy, biological diversity, and its relatively recent theories of evolution. The animal they most wanted was an elusive black and white bear that, at the time, was more legend than scientific fact.

Today’s guest is Nathalia Holit, author of “The Beast in the Clouds.” She tells the full story of this expedition into China’s Himalayan wilderness.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.