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The other day for enrichment we decided to give the giant pandas cinnamon. When the pandas receive sensory enrichment such as scents, they generally self-anoint with it. Self-anointing just means they rub the scent all over themselves. Yang Yang and Xi Lun were more interested in food so they mostly ignored the scent. Ya Lun … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Monday, June 25"

How much do you know about bees? Bees are incredibly important to the planet, much more so than most people realize. By bees doing what they do best, flying around, spreading pollen and fertilizing plants, they provide 35 percent of the food we eat. So, if all the bees suddenly disappeared, we humans would experience … Continue reading "Join us for Pollinator Day!"

We celebrated all of the Zoo’s animal fathers here on Father’s Day this past Sunday. Yang Yang received all sorts of special enrichment, including themed boxes and “scent-cicles.” He, of course, went straight for the boxes, as he knew there were likely leafeater biscuits inside. After taking a quick bamboo break, he moved on to … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Wednesday, June 20"

As expected, the giant pandas accepted that bamboo shoot season was over and settled down and became satisfied with “regular bamboo.” The twins took the longest to start liking regular bamboo, but now everyone is finally content. Whew! We knew bamboo shoot season would end, of course, because it’s only one short season a year. … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Monday, June 18"

Giant pandas and red pandas are both classified as carnivores; however, most people do not think of them as such since they primarily eat bamboo. In the wild, giant pandas will eat carrion and occasionally catch small animals and consume them. Wild red pandas, especially pregnant females, also supplement their diet with small reptiles, insects, … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Friday, June 15"

Well, it’s official. Bamboo shoot season is over. With the end of shoot season comes the transition back to adult bamboo. Going from shoots that are much more nutritious and desirable to adult bamboo is always a tough transition for everyone involved. Starting at our fantastic Bamboo Team who now have to search all around … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Wednesday, June 13"

One of the giant pandas’ favorite non-food enrichment items are various scents. We have tried many smelly substances over the years. Some scents elicit no response, but we have found quite a few that the pandas respond to every time we offer them. Any scents offered to the giant pandas (and to all other species … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Monday, June 11"

Bamboo shoot season is coming to a close, and I’m glad I was scheduled in the giant panda area once more before it disappears and it’s back to regular bamboo for the pandas. I’m still getting the hang of figuring out all the different species of bamboo, so feeding out so many shoots made the … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Friday, June 8"

One of my favorite things about giant pandas is the fact that the more uncomfortable they look, the more comfortable they actually are! One of the best examples is when the pandas sleep. The twins are known for perching themselves in such awkward positions on the climbing structures that look anything but comfortable. Yet they … Continue reading "Panda Update – Friday, June 1"

Can’t get enough of baby gorilla Mijadala? Neither can we! As she is nearing her second birthday (September 18), we see her personality and independence developing more every day. While she still sticks close to mom Kudzoo, these days she is much more independent and can be seen wandering off to initiate play with her … Continue reading "Growing up with Mijadala"