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I haven’t worked the giant panda routine for a few weeks, and it has been even longer since I had a chance to train with the cubs on their open-mouth cue. Much to my surprise, Ya Lun opened her mouth right away when asked! For Xi Lun, it took a couple attempts of me asking … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Wednesday, January 16"

Giant pandas have some of the strongest jaws of all terrestrial carnivores. Their ability to crush through tough bamboo comes from those strong jaw muscles, as well as the location at which the jaw muscles attach. A pandas’ jaw muscles are attached at their sagittal crest. For those of you with dogs at home, this … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Monday, January 14"

Sometimes we take an opportunity to give the twins a chance to hang out in their behind-the-scenes areas as a change from the outdoor habitats or dayrooms. The twins enjoy being outside and in their climate-controlled dayrooms, and spend most of their time in these areas, but it’s also a treat for them to spend … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Friday, January 11"

Did you know that red pandas were actually discovered by scientists before giant pandas? Due to their similar bamboo diets and pseudothumbs, many also believed that red pandas and giant pandas were closely related. Red pandas, however, are the only living members of the family Ailuridae. Their taxonomic classification has been a topic of debate … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Monday, January 7"

It’s hard to believe 2018 is already over. The past year has been exciting for the Panda Team, as we have watched Ya Lun and Xi Lun grow, and Lun Lun and Yang Yang continue to be amazing ambassadors for their species. Idgie the red panda has kept us on our toes, and we’re proud … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Friday, January 4"

Yang Yang has a signature move that lets us know he feels playful: he bites his paw and shakes his head with his paw in his mouth. I have also seen Lun Lun and Yang Yang’s second offspring, Xi Lan, do the same behavior when he was playful. The other day, Xi Lun was having … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Wednesday, January 2"

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"

Hey everyone, my name is Sarah and I’m a member of the gorilla care team. If you’ve visited us recently, I’m sure you have noticed how big Mijadala, our youngest troop member, is getting. It’s crazy to think that she’ll be turning 2 years old in September! She has made quite a few large steps … Continue reading "Milestones with Mijadala"

Many of you may know that in 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) downgraded the giant panda’s status from Endangered to Vulnerable. While this change in status is an amazing achievement for giant panda conservation, this designation does not mean the giant panda is safe from extinction. All of the conservation initiatives … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Wednesday, January 31"

We know giant panda breeding season is coming when Yang Yang begins patrolling his habitat. Males tend to exhibit what we call breeding behaviors sooner than females. Whether it is a breeding year or not, right around this time Yang Yang will begin making his daily rounds patrolling his territory and leaving his scent marks … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Monday, January 29"