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Although giant pandas and red pandas are not closely related, they actually share some cool similarities. The word panda in Nepalese means “bamboo eater.” This is fitting for both species because they exist on a diet of primarily bamboo, so they are both legitimately pandas. They also both have pseudothumbs, an extension of the wrist … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Monday, July 12"

Many of you may know that it is tradition for the pandas to get ice “cakes” for their birthdays every year. However, we sometimes like to give them ice “cakes” at other times, too. This year, they got some festive ice treats for the Fourth of July. The water was dyed blue with nontoxic food … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Friday, July 9"

Something that never ceases to amaze me is how strong a giant panda’s bite is. A study that was published in the Chinese Journal of Ecology took a look at the bite force of 151 carnivores. And the giant panda ranked number 5, only behind lions, brown bears, tigers, and polar bears. Even though they … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Wednesday, July 7"

Hey everyone! The news around here at pandas is that we are trying out a new/old bamboo species! While there are about 200 species of bamboo here in Georgia, Zoo Atlanta’s giant pandas typically only eat about six or seven of them, due to availability. The “new” species they’ve been enjoying is called black bamboo, … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Friday, July 2"

Did you know different pandas have different sleep schedules? Yang Yang enjoys sleeping in during the summer months. He has been known to sleep as late as 10 a.m., which is pretty late, considering that at other times of the year, he is usually up and ready for bamboo. Giant pandas nap anywhere between one … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Wednesday, June 30"

Hopefully this summer has been a much deserved, relaxing break! With back to school around the corner, you may be beginning to think about lesson planning and curriculum for the fall semester. Did you know that Zoo Atlanta has a variety of free activities and resources for students and teachers, available on our Learn page? From videos … Continue reading "Back to school is just around the corner! "

One of my favorite natural behaviors that giant pandas do is something called “self-anointing.” Pandas are very scent-oriented animals. They mark their territories by scent-marking and are quick to investigate any new or unusual smells. It is unclear exactly why they self-anoint, but it is something they do frequently if they find a smell that … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Wednesday, June 23"

Hopefully you aren’t tired of seeing posts about Jackie’s birthday yet, because I have just one more for you! In case you didn’t see all over the Zoo’s social media networks (or in person), we celebrated Jackie’s 4th birthday on June 14. I think we had just as much fun as Jackie did! He got … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Wednesday, June 16"

Happy birthday to the one-and-only Jackie the red panda! Today we are celebrating his 4th birthday. The care team filled his habitat with enrichment, birthday boxes, and even an ice cake made by Megan H. His favorite treats were scattered among his enrichment items for him to find. Jackie loves exploring his habitat and is … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Monday, June 14"

Red panda tongues are very cute, but they also serve an important purpose. Red pandas use their tongues to check out odors and scent marks in their environment. They do this by using an enlarged papillae on the bottom tip of their tongue to carry liquid up to their mouth and test it. They are … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Wednesday, June 9"