Panda Updates – Wednesday, March 28

Many people often wonder how giant pandas are able to survive in dense bamboo forests while also being black-and-white. After all, it doesn’t necessarily make sense for a black-and-white animal to be adequately camouflaged in a green and brown forest …right?

Giant pandas are actually very good at blending into their surroundings! Their coat coloration plays off of the shadows and patches of sunlight throughout the forest, similarly to a zebra’s ability to blend in on the savannas of Africa. This is a very valuable adaptation for pandas because it allows them to hide in plain sight, which is super useful in the wilds of China, but not necessarily as useful when your care staff want to keep an eye on you here at Zoo Atlanta.

If you tuned into PandaCam yesterday morning, you may have noticed that the cam was directed to a very forested habitat. You may have wondered why we decided to show you a forested area, and if you were lucky, you may have gotten a glimpse of a certain black-and-white papa bear enjoying his morning out in our behind-the-scenes habitat. You’ll notice that some parts of his body seem to melt into the shadows, and he almost disappears completely. I always love seeing the giant pandas enjoying their time in this habitat, and I’m always fascinated watching them melt…err, walk…into the forest.
Jen A.
Keeper II, Mammals