Panda Updates – Monday, September 22 

As we continue in our series on myths about giant pandas, what about the statement “Zoo pandas are lazy?” This is far from accurate, and is typically expressed when people are watching the giant pandas eat. Giant pandas spend most of the day consuming large quantities of bamboo, but this comes after they have spent a majority of their time foraging for a bamboo stand with sufficient nutritional value. In the wild, it has been reported that giant pandas will walk over six miles to find their preferred type of bamboo.  As such, it is typical for them to find bamboo of their liking, sit (or recline) next to it, and consume it before moving on to find more. When you visit the Zoo and see the giant pandas sitting next to a bundle of bamboo, just know that what you’re seeing is exactly what they would be doing in the wild! 
Amanda D.
Keeper I, Mammals