Caretaker competition could spark public panda-monium

The people who run the Chengdu panda base in Sichuan province have had a great idea.

Officials plan to run a contest to search for six temporary caretakers. The winners will get to spend one month helping take care of the base's 84 pandas while blogging about their experiences.

The idea is that their blogs will reach millions of people around the world, raising awareness about the plight of the panda and its conservation needs.