Bai Yun enjoys the scent of rain.
On Friday, November 4, as guests shuffled around to find some cover from a rather constant downpour, our giant pandas at the San Diego Zoo were having mixed emotions about the sudden weather change. For quite some time Bai Yun really didn’t give the rain any thought. She continued eating and would occasionally throw her head back to get a good smell of the different scents that were suddenly appearing. We humans can smell a difference in the atmosphere when it rains, or after it rains, so imagine how many different smells Bai Yun was picking up with that amazing sense of smell that she has!
As the day continued, we had one or two breaks in the rain, and she would take that time to look around her exhibit and shake some of the rain off of her thick, dense fur coat and find a good spot for a little nap. By the end of the day, though, she had definitely had enough of this weather and was ready to go in for the evening around 4 p.m. With little interest in her food, and tired of sitting in the heavy downpour, she pushed her food aside and waited for keepers to give her access to her indoor bedroom.
Our little Yun Zi was quite a different bear all together during the day. Even as a little cub he enjoyed the rain, because it made mud for him to roll around in. I remember one of the first times he ever went outside: I had coaxed him out of the den, and he soon became enthusiastic about having the opportunity to roll around in the mud. When it was time to come back inside, he looked like a little brown bear cub! On Friday, he definitely was having a good time with the rain. He climbed his climbing structure all the way to the top and would throw his head back, smelling the air. He even took food up there to snack on and became very active. He really put on an amazing show for the few guests that did come to the Zoo on that rainy day. But by the end of the day, when it really began to pour, Yun Zi went inside his outdoor shelter and brought some food in with him. He sat in there and just looked at the rain falling down and was ready to go in when our keeper gave him indoor access.
Giant pandas are from high elevations in the mountains of China where they are found; it rains and snows there in the winter, and the pandas are equipped with a very thick fur coat. The fur is about three inches thick all over most of the panda’s body, and even though those top layers of fur may get wet, the bears are still able to stay warm and dry. I honestly think our young pandas get quite a bit more active in the colder wet season than in the summer, and often they are the most interesting to watch as they experience the weather change.
Anastasia Horning is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo. Read her previous post, Pandas Grow Quickly.
Great article on the rain and the pandas. Friday I was looking at the cam and I saw all this rain. It was raining off and on in northern California, so I was surprised how SDZ had this rain storm.
Hi! Well, it looks like your rainy season has just gotten started a little bit early! I’m glad that you all did get some rain, tho. That will make some of a dent in the California drought as well as give all of the humans and animals a great change of weather and temps now that summer has gone bye-bye for now. I know that Bai, Gao, and Yuni will enjoy the cooler fall/winter weather and the rain better than the hot summer weather and no rain! Have fun, pandas!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
Yes, I must visit SDZ sometime when it’s raining. I would love to see the pandas in the rain.
Just like when it rains in Texas – the little kids are amazed since it happens so rarely of late! How fun it must have been to watch Yun Zi
And who can blame Bai Yun – no woman wants her hair/fur to get wet and unmanageable! Great blog – thanks!
I can imagine they would like the rain, its fresh and cleans the air. I would have loved to watch both of the bears. What fun they must have had.
lu Sacto
Thank you for such an educational article.
How is Gao Gao progressing by the way?
Moderator’s note: He is still enjoying pampered care from his keepers as he recovers. He does have access to the outside area if he wishes to go there.
Good story. Sounds like a great ‘enrichment’ day for the pandas.
When the pandas do have a roll in the mud, how do they get clean or semi-clean?
Moderator’s note: The mud eventually shakes off. Bai Yun has often been called the Teflon bear, as mud seems to slide off her coat.
‘SUSIE! Where are you?’ and with that ZZ walks into the house bearing the hugest basket of groceries Yunnie has ever seen.
‘She is feeding Bao Beh in the tree!’
‘That girl loves her trees,’ grinned ZZ who had just spent an hour practising her tree-aerobics as part of her training for Pandalympics.
‘Hmmm, look who’s talking? I remember a young panda lady who got spanked by her Mama for hanging upside down with one paw and scaring your Mama and Papa to death.’
‘Mama was always worried that I would spin out to another encosure. Hee Hee, that would be quite a sight and I am sure I would scare all the other animals, hee hee.’
‘You sure you are not doing that now in BFX?’
‘Well, the China bears are quieter and more gentle I guess. They see as this So-Cal girl who likes to chill and have fun….What are you doing there?’
‘I am building a tree house for our nephew. Here is where he can get snuggly and I will add a window here so he can see who is coming up the tree from his sleep zone.’
‘He is so blessed to have such uncles like you and Sheng.’
‘And he is even mre blessed by an Auntie named Zippy ZZ! Give me a paw here. Hold this upright.’
Before long the tree house was taken outside and installed on a low branch as they knew Susie would not want her cubby climbing too high so soon. Then the brother and sister settled down for a glass of warm boo milk and some catch up. Yunnie loved to hear stories about SDZ and the nannykeepers’ treats and tricks and ZZ had loads of those.
Who ever writes the little stories is great. You should a book for us panda lovers.
A very good job.
lu Sacto
Thank you Auntie Lu. It is my other Aunty Lu , Auntie Lucilla who helps me write these stories as my claws get in the way of typing, hee hee. Glad you like them. I will tell her to publish a book so that she can raise munnies for us pannas. Maybe Bob T Panda can do the cartoons for illustrations. Hee Hee.
Panda Hugs,
Yunz
Watching Yun Zi in the rain would have been worth standing out in the rain for!
I can understand why colder weather would make pandas more active — with all that lovely fur to keep them warm and dry it would be like kids playing all bundled up in the rain or snow !
I just read in one of the above moderator notes that Gao Gao is still recouperating. Why is this taking so long? Is he still having problems? I guess I would feel better if we could see the little sweetheart. How about a couple of pictures or some video. Just seems like there is more to the story than we know. We sure would like to see his handsome face soon. I am sure I am not alone in this. Everyone that wants to see Gao Gao- raise your hand!!!!!!!!!
He is on the Panda Cam as often as we can get him there. He is not currently in the front exhibit simply to allow the keepers to work with him whenever they need to without disrupting the viewing opportunities for guests on grounds.
Gao Gao is fine and doing well.
Thank you for your concern. At this time animal care staff continue to monitor Gao Gao as the nature of his digestive issues has not been determined. The medical exam he was given ruled out serious concerns, but special care is still being given.
We have decided to take a few vacation days now in January. I am hoping to see a healthy Gao Gao at that time. With Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays
so busy it is better that we take our days when the family of our favorite bears are all together again. We can enjoy both Yun Zi and Bai Yun on the Panda Cam
and fill in with the Wonderful videos and pctures of DoxieMom and Rita Petita.
And of course the blogs that teach us so much.
Moderator’s note: We look forward to your visit, Virginia!
How is GAO by the way?
Moderator’s note: See replies above.
Thanks for a very informative update!!
Gao deserves to be pampered as he is a very special bear!!!
Glad to hear he is recouperating nicely.
Here two links where you can see Su Lin and the cub
http://www (dot)china(dot)com.cn/photochina/2011-11/12/content_23894343_4.htm
http://www(dot)china(dot)com.cn/photochina/2011-11/12/content_23894343_3.htm