Panda Updates- Monday, December 19

Lun Lun recently had a routine physical exam. Just saying it sounds very simple, but in reality, this is a very intricate process that involves the cooperation and coordination of many different groups of people. Anytime an animal at the Zoo is under general anesthesia, as they typically are with full physicals, the goal is to move through the process as efficiently as possible while getting as much information as we can. This can involve many people working on multiple different things at once.

In Lun Lun’s case, there were over a dozen people present to take care of each aspect of the exam. These included our in-house Veterinary and Animal Care Teams; a veterinary anesthetist and accompanying staff; an eye specialist; cardiac specialist; and dental specialist. Among all these people, some of the items that were covered were taking blood samples, radiographs, a cardiac ultrasound, dental checks, eye checks, and a feel of body condition—just to name a few. This process takes a great deal of effort from all involved. Lun Lun went through her procedure with flying colors. At 25 years old, she is proving to be exceptionally healthy, especially for an older lady. The result is a testament to her care, which was readily shown by all those involved in making this exam happen.

Megan H.
Keeper II, Mammals