Panda Updates – Friday, February 17

Some of you may have noticed recently that Ya Lun has a blue spot on her back at the bottom of her saddle. A few months ago, we started shaving a patch on Ya Lun’s saddle to make her easily identifiable from the cameras. However, once we shaved the area, her saddle looked almost identical to Xi Lun’s saddle on the camera. Ya Lun’s saddle is thicker than Xi Lun’s, but the shaving made it appear thin. If you catch her at a certain angle on camera, you can tell there is a divot in the saddle, but it has been difficult. So, we decided to try food coloring. However, for some reason, the blue isn’t highly visible on the camera. Oh, well, the blue is very noticeable in person, so if you visit the Zoo, you will be able to easily identify Ya Lun by the blue on her back.
Heather R.
Senior Keeper, Carnivores