Panda Updates – Friday, April 16

It’s a wonderful time to be a giant panda in Atlanta! The Bamboo Team has been cutting arrow bamboo lately, which the pandas adore. And even better, shoot season has begun! We’re not feeding exclusively shoots yet, but as the growing season continues, we will be able to find more and more of those delicious freshly-sprouted bamboo stalks. Right now, the pandas are receiving a few shoots a day in addition to their main diet of arrow bamboo. With both arrow and shoots, the pandas completely pulverize their food, leaving behind huge piles of shards or, in the case of shoots, almost no mess at all! This photo is of Yang Yang with shards of arrow bamboo on his belly (covered by his arm) and surrounding him on the ground. He was eating nonstop this morning, which means it will be time for a long panda nap! What a life!

(photo: Michelle E.)

Michelle E.
Keeper III, Mammals