Panda Updates – Wednesday, February 7

Today was a wet, soggy day in Atlanta. Giant pandas don’t mind a light drizzle, and if it becomes too annoying they’ll grab a piece of bamboo and drag it to one of the outdoor caves. But, given the preference, they prefer to stay inside in the dry dayrooms. We don’t mind this one bit, as we also get to stay dry and there is less mud tracked through the building from muddy paws and shoes. Idgie the red panda always has her habitat shelters (her air-conditioned area and her fancy new hut) available to her whenever she chooses. If the weather forecast calls for heavy rains and/or storms, we will give her additional access to her behind-the-scenes area. When there is really bad weather (tornado watches/warnings, hail, etc.) the giant pandas come completely into the interior dens (away from the glass windows in the dayrooms), and Idgie goes into her behind-the-scenes area. Sometimes she decides to hunker down and not leave, but that’s where yummy grapes come in to entice her to follow us. We’re always watching the weather stations and will preemptively secure the animals before anticipated bad weather hits. Safety comes first, and Zoo Atlanta has a wide variety of protocols in place to ensure that the animals and humans stay safe through all types of challenges Mother Nature decides to throw our way!
Jen W.
Keeper III, Mammals