Panda Updates – Wednesday, April 25

Before all the recent stormy weather rolled in, we had some great, warm days here at Zoo Atlanta. It was the perfect time to use our behind-the-scenes habitat to give Yang Yang some extra room while he is displaying some of his breeding walking behavior. The giant pandas here at Zoo Atlanta love to play in water, but typically only during breeding season. The other day, we went to take Idgie some fresh bamboo while we thought Yang Yang was enjoying an afternoon nap. Shortly after we arrived at Idgie’s habitat, we heard a bunch of splashing coming from Yang Yang’s direction, and looked over to find him playing in his pool. Check out the video on our social media pages!

Now you might be wondering why the giant pandas go inside their indoor habitats when it’s raining if they seem to enjoy water so much. Well, this is just one of the examples of how animal care teams observe the animals they care for and note their behavior in different environments. The pandas here at Zoo Atlanta don’t appear to particularly enjoy the rain, which is why we provide them with temperature-controlled areas where they can enjoy their bamboo, find a good place for a nap, and listen to the rain hit the skylights while staying dry.
Danica W.
Swing Keeper I, Mammals