Search Results for: ju

So many of you tune in to our PandaCam daily, but did you know that we do too? Our office is filled with monitors showing views of the pandas. They show the dayrooms, the outdoor habitats, and the behind-the-scenes dens. It is difficult for us to see directly into the panda dayrooms from behind the … Continue reading "Panda updates – Wednesday, July 15"

As you probably recall reading from past panda updates, when Yang Yang is feeling playful, the Panda Care Team can do things like play-chase where we run on our side of the mesh (there’s always a protective barrier between us and a bear), as well as tug-of-war (which always results in Yang winning, of course). … Continue reading "Panda updates – Monday, July 13"

On Tuesday, I was able to work in the giant panda building for the first time since March, and it was SO great to see the pandas again! As part of our efforts toward social distancing, we have been limiting the number of care team members working in each area. I have been working solely … Continue reading "Panda updates – Friday, July 10"

Giant pandas have a powerful jaw structure that helps them break the tough exterior of bamboo. Their jaw muscles are attached at the sagittal crest at the tops of their heads, which is what allows them to have such a strong jaw force. Giant pandas also have some unique features regarding their dentition compared with … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Wednesday, July 8"

It’s a special day for the Panda Care Team because Po’s twins are 1 today! If you’re new to the Atlanta pandas, Po was Lun Lun Lun’s third and first female cub. She was born Nov. 3, 2010, and lived with Lun Lun until she was weaned in spring 2013. She moved to the Chengdu … Continue reading "Panda updates – Monday, July 6"

Giant pandas and red pandas are not closely related, with their most common ancestor living over 40 million years ago. So, why is it that two very different animals have similar adaptations to eat an almost exclusively bamboo diet? For many years, scientists were perplexed by the similarity. “Exactly how such evolutionary distant animals evolved … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Monday, June 29"

In my 14-plus years as a member of the Panda Care Team at Zoo Atlanta, I have never worked a day in June where the pandas have been in the outdoor habitats all day. Usually, in June, it’s too warm by the time we arrive in the morning for them to go outside at all. … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Friday, June 26"

During this time, the Carnivore Team has changed up the way we do a few things to ensure the safety and well-being of the animals are being met. You’ve probably already seen that all Zoo Atlanta team members and animal care professionals are wearing masks, and additionally, are maintaining social distance with other Zoo Atlanta … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Wednesday, June 17"

With the warmer weather, we almost always have one (or two if it’s the twins) giant pandas behind the scenes with us. As mentioned in previous updates, the giant pandas enjoy these days, because in their opinion we are more easily accessible to give them as many leafeater biscuits as they may need. We like … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Monday, June 15"

Now that bamboo shoot season is done, it is time for the next type of bamboo. We just started offering a favorite of the giant pandas at this time of year, arrow bamboo (Pseudosasa japonica). As one might imagine, it has been a hit so far. Arrow bamboo is a really long and skinny bamboo … Continue reading "Panda Updates – Wednesday, June 10"