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Chinatown Mascot Contest: A Panda or a Panda?

Vancouver’s Chinatown is holding an online vote to determine what its mascot will be. Option one: a panda with sunglasses and a red Mohawk . Option two: a panda with a giant calligraphy brush strapped to its back .

For now, the mascots are nicknamed “Punky” and “Muse,” respectively, pending a name-the-mascot contest after the election. 

Being a mascot is one ecological niche where the otherwise under-prolific species multiplies with ease. The winning Vancouver candidate will join a clan that includes the WWF panda , Pan Pan of the 1990 Asian Games, JingJing of the 2008 Olympics, the Panda Express mascot , and South Park’s Sexual Harassment Panda