Panda Updates – Monday, December 7

Hi everyone! My name is Adrianna, and I am somewhat new around here. Way back when, in 2015, I was an intern with the Carnivore and Panda Team and now I’m back! I joined the Zoo Atlanta team permanently in 2017 with our Outback Team, taking care of sheep, goats, and all those jazzy animals, and now I have come back to our Mammal Team as a Swing Keeper! Now I have the cool opportunity to help out in all the areas that care for our lions, giraffes, rhino, warthogs, and giant pandas!

Let me tell you how excited I was to start my training in the giant panda area; boy did I miss these amazing bears! Once my training began, it all came flooding back to me. I remembered how cold it was in the panda building, which after another hot and humid summer in the petting zoo was a welcome relief, and how much I enjoy watching the pandas eat bamboo. After working with a few different animals, it is clear to me that nothing will ever be as good as sitting and watching a giant panda eat bamboo. The way they sit back, bite into a piece of bamboo, tear off the outer culm, and munch on the inner parts of bamboo somehow makes me envious of their snack! Crazy, right? Who would think that I wish I could eat a piece of bamboo just like I would munch on potato chips or baby carrots?! The pandas simply make bamboo seem like the tastiest food on the planet, and I become instantly calmed while watching them enjoy their food. I am so happy to be back with the giant pandas and will savor my time watching them crunch on all the bamboo I can give them!

Adrianna R.
Swing Keeper, Mammals