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A SMALL boy wriggles in his mother's arms, jabs a quivering finger towards a leafy clearing and with an expression of unrestrained glee cries 'Linping!'
The object of his affection sauntering into view is one of Thailand's biggest stars, with millions of fans and her own reality television series - giving rise to a strong national dose of 'panda-mania' and 'panda-monium'.
Linping, the country's first giant panda cub, was a sensation even before she was born following years of unsuccessful artificial insemination and efforts to get her parents to mate at Chiang Mai zoo in northern Thailand.
The country's television has a live 24-hour Panda Channel following her every move, while a competition to name her in 2009 attracted 22 million entries.
The panda is perhaps less revered by her fellow animals, some of whom were unceremoniously painted black and white during a brief craze after her birth.
Thai elephants and even a few crocodiles succumbed to the paint brush as the panda cult swept the nation.
But the fairytale could be coming to an end as China, which provided the zoo with Linping's parents on a 10-year loan in 2003, has a claim to the cub on her second birthday in May this year.
The zoo hopes to negotiate a longer stay for its star resident but it appears that the decision over her fate will not be made until the deadline.
Until the decision over Linping's fate is made, the panda's many avid fans will continue to be transfixed by her antics on screen.
But some viewers find their dedication to their furry icon is met with mockery - even irritation - at home.
"My husband complains ... you just watch the panda sleeping or eating bamboo. He is just being sarcastic," said Usa Limprasert.
