Panda Updates – Friday, December 27 

The giant panda routine changes a lot as the weather gets colder, but my favorite change is that we get to use our outdoor habitats much more often. Our behind-the-scenes habitat is probably my most favorite, because we can interact with the pandas more easily and they can walk around and harvest their own bamboo. This habitat seems to bring out the playful side of all of the giant pandas, and it’s fun to watch them run around and interact with their environment. There is a particular portion of the habitat that has a slight hill, and the giant pandas love to play “chase” with their care team up and down it. This is always done through a protective barrier, of course, as we never share the same space with the bears – like other animals here at the Zoo, the giant pandas are still considered wild animals. Check out today’s video on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to see Yang Yang and I enjoying some time playing between his afternoon nap and his dinner. Sometimes, if he really gets into it, he will even throw in a somersault or two. 
Danica W.
Keeper II, Mammals