Panda Updates – Monday, April 16

Since it’s now been more than a month since the twins were weaned, we have started testing the waters with regards to having mom and offspring near each other. Eventually we will be able to house them next door to each other, but for now we wanted to see how they would react being in an area that smelled like each other. Lun Lun wasn’t thrilled about being somewhere “new,” but she didn’t seem to mind the dayrooms smelling like her offspring. Similarly, the twins did not mind being in the outdoor habitat that smelled like their mom. These are good signs that reassure us that the twins have become fully independent subadults, and that Lun Lun is treating their presence as she would like any other giant panda. Within the coming weeks we will trying housing Lun Lun in one dayroom with the twins in the other dayroom and gauge their reactions. This will let us know when we can also start housing them next to each other outside.
Jen W.
Keeper III, Mammals

(photo by Jen W.)