Panda Updates- Monday, March 4

Spring is almost upon us, and in the next several weeks, you’ll get a chance to see the pandas eating bamboo shoots. That season isn’t here just yet – we typically see bamboo shoots in April into May – but the pandas love these bamboo sprouts that grow during the springtime. During bamboo shoot season, the giant pandas and red pandas love to snack on shoots, while of course still getting their regular bamboo and other produce such as sweet potato, banana, and apple. Look forward to hearing more about this favorite panda snack when the shoots start to appear.

Did you know that giant pandas are smackers when they eat? Giant pandas have powerful jaw muscles, and these muscles wrap around to connect at the sagittal crest, a bone that runs along the back side of their skulls. This allows them to crush through tough bamboo with their molars. With this adaptation, they are not able to eat quietly, but we still love to watch them eat no matter what!

-Panda Care Team