Panda Updates – Wednesday, January 12

When I reflect on the past year, there are a lot of amazing moments.

Keeper Trish and I both started here on the Panda Care Team within the last year. As a primary team, she, Keeper Heather, and I have worked hard to be a cohesive unit (along with the amazing other care team members that help out from time to time!) to provide the best possible care to the pandas, even amid all the crazy circumstances that this last year has brought. Our routines have changed several times. We adapted to pandemic life and held virtual Wild Encounters for a while before we were finally able to have a few in person. We welcomed some amazing Volunteers who helped us to ensure we were able to complete our crazy routine that comes with caring for four essentially adult bears. We have gone through LOTS of bamboo! 

Jackie the red panda has been sure to establish himself as the spunky king of his habitat that he should be. He has been working very hard on training throughout the year. He celebrated his fourth birthday. We celebrated International Red Panda Day to raise awareness for Jackie’s wild counterparts and the ways we can make a difference to help them. We all got to know him better as the months went on, as he is the newest individual in our world. 

Yang Yang and Lun Lun have continued to enjoy their “retired” lives, and they both turned 24 years old this year! Ya Lun and Xi Lun have continued to grow and show their personalities as they become full-fledged pandas. They both celebrated their fifth birthday! All four pandas had amazing birthday celebrations. They have enjoyed countless fun enrichment, training successes, blissful naps, and so much more. 

I know that I am excited to see where 2022 takes us. Every day is a new adventure with the pandas, and I know this next year will not disappoint with new experiences to be had. Thank you for following along with us in 2021. Be sure to stay tuned for all that the coming year brings! 

Megan H.
Keeper I, Mammals