Panda Updates – Wednesday, May 31

I have been up in pandas since mid-April, and this past week I worked in Hoofstock for two days. It is the first time I haven’t seen the cubs for more than a few days since I started working the panda routine. I know other keepers have mentioned it in past updates, but wow, do these two grow quickly! I came back after just four days and they looked so much bigger.

As was also mentioned in previous updates, bamboo shoot season has sadly come to a close, and we are back to offering the pandas mature bamboo. The primary species we are offering right now is yellow groove. It is a very leafy bamboo that the twins enjoy chewing on and playing with. Often, before we clear a dayroom of bamboo that Lun Lun didn’t want to eat, we save an intact leafy piece and put it on the structure for the girls to play with. This leaned back and relaxed position that the pandas sit in is my favorite. A former intern in the panda department referred to it as the “panda puddle.” It looks pretty silly, but it sure puts a smile on my face!
Danica W.
Swing Keeper, Mammals