Panda Updates- Monday, July 25

You’ve likely heard that Lun Lun recently went through pseudopregnancy, or false pregnancy. It’s a natural cycle for female giant pandas that occurs over a couple of months and involves her sleeping a lot more and eating a lot less. Since she is no longer breeding, she will likely continue to experience pseudopregnancy each year. This year’s pseudopregnancy recently drew to a close. During her pseudopregnancy, Lun Lun was primarily spending time in a few behind-the-scenes dens where she could nap all day. When we saw that she was awake for more of the day, we decided to see if she was ready to be away from her dens for a while. She spent a few days in the dayrooms and did really well. Since she is now spending more time awake, she is also eating more, about doubling her daily intake and regaining weight she lost as she prepped for her pretend “birth.” We will soon hopefully have Lun Lun the biscuit-eating machine back! 

Michelle E.
Keeper III, Mammals