Panda Updates – Wednesday, October 25

A lot of our panda fans have been asking why we are trying so hard to introduce sweet potato to the girls as a part of their diet. Why not other produce items? Both Lun Lun and Yang Yang receive a variety of produce including bananas, apples, sweet potato and pear. Well, one of the primary motives behind introducing sweet potato to the girls is that we can be confident Lun Lun won’t steal it from them. Giant pandas can be particular about what they want to eat (understandably due to their carnivorous digestive systems and bamboo diets), and Lun Lun has shown us multiple times that she has no interest in sweet potatoes. To minimize waste, we have removed them from her diet and she receives apples, bananas and/or pears instead. Lun Lun’s dislike for sweet potatoes gives the cubs plenty of time to explore the new food item and eat it (or not) at their own pace. Additionally, sweet potatoes are lower in sugars than the banana and apples, so they are a good option when acclimating them to new and solid foods.
Danica W.
Swing Keeper I, Mammals