The Panda Follies

Sharp-eyed viewers and perplexed visitors to the San Diego Zoo have noticed that things look a bit different than they did on Sunday. We’ve been playing “Musical Bears,” rotating the animals into different areas. There are some changes in store for Bai and ZZ’s exhibit, and as the demolition and construction commenced Monday morning, they were moved to the normally closed “classroom exhibit” to be as far away from the din as possible. We then opened this single area to guests and will continue to do so until the projects are completed. Now, I could tell you what’s going on, but let’s keep it a surprise for everyone, actual and virtual viewer alike. (Change is good.)

Moving animals around, taking them on and off exhibit, and changing their environment all provide valuable stimulation, keeping the animals intrigued and engaged. Okay, okay, that’s the official commentary on what happened Monday morning; but really, it was just plain FUN! ZZ was busily settling down for a nap in the trees when the noise started, compounded by more noise from the Elephant Odyssey construction zone above the area. She slid down the tree, not wanting to be too far from Mom in the face of these strange, not-too-panda-friendly sounds.

Concern soon gave way to playtime, however, and Mom and cub were all over the exhibit for the next three hours. In and out of the trees, in and out of the pond, rolling in the pine shavings (a favorite treat) that the keepers thoughtfully provided. It’s been nearly a year since Bai and ZZ were in this area, and long-time panda fans may recall this space as Bai Yun’s first and favorite outdoor area. There was a lot of mutually instigated interaction, and we were treated to a “mini-me” demonstration of scent-marking by ZZ, as she mimicked her mother. (Remember that this exhibit space has been alternately occupied by Gao Gao and Su Lin, so there were lots of other scents to investigate and, for Bai, mark with her own scent to establish her place in this space. It’s common to see this behavior continue after we move the bears around, so keep looking for it over the next two days on Panda Cam.)

And what of the other pandas? Gao is in the other, out-of-view outdoor area, and Su Lin, more sensitive to noise, is in her bedroom suite behind the Giant Panda Research Station. The dedicated keepers were out several times to check on their charges to be sure that everyone was doing as well as could be expected and, of course, they were. We’re all anxious to return to our regular station area, but for now it’s been a delightful and not unexpected turn of events.

Ellie Rosenbaum is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo.

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