WWT: Playtime with Pandas!
Posted at 12:53 pm April 27, 2006 by Amy ParrottAt last! We arrived in Wolong, China, looking forward with considerable excitement to actually playing with the giant panda cubs born in the Wolong Breeding Center in 2005. The 16 cubs are part of the “kindergarten,” a special place of enrichment and socialization for the large number of successful births and survivals that is the result of years of collaboration between Wolong staff and our own San Diego Zoo. Our San Diego Zoo panda tour group members are wild about pandas (passionate is a better description), and we traveled halfway around the world to take advantage of this unique opportunity to meet Chinese scientists and spend time with our growing new black-and-white friends.
We went to hear, hold, and play with these special babies and ask questions about their well-being. We wanted to find out what they are really like and what they do every day as they continue to grow and develop in this special environment.
Yes, we did get to do all of that and much more. Our group of 25 was divided into groups of 5, and we each eagerly waited our turn to don blue gowns and booties and wash our hands before going out to play. These precautions are used to avoid unnecessary exposure to germs that might inadvertently be transmitted to the cubs.
We entered the play yard and were each given a cub to hold if we wanted to cuddle or to play with them, after all the preparations. I held mine (no name yet, just a number) on my lap and fed him apple slices (provided by the keeper). “My” cub thoroughly enjoyed the fruit and kept putting his face near mine as I softly talked the way you would talk to a baby. Stay tuned….
Cathy G.
Amy Parrott is the San Diego Zoo’s WorldWild Tours escort. Cathy G. is one of our regular panda blog readers, reporting in on her WorldWild Tours China adventures periodically.
Here’s Cathy G.’s previous installment.
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April 27th, 2006 at 1:18 pm
Cathy: I am so jealous!
What an experience of a lifetime for everyone. I want to hold and hug and talk to a baby panda too. They are gifts from God to help mankind through some rough times. In turn, we all have to help them.
Can’t wait for your next installment.
April 27th, 2006 at 2:29 pm
Oh, my! I’m tearing up just thinking about that soft fur and cute, cute face! I, too, am envious of your experience. It’s not enough to just catch glimpses of our own American cubs on the cams. I wanna go hug one!
April 27th, 2006 at 2:49 pm
How I would love to croon to a little panda and feed it apple slices while it snuggled on my lap! Cathy, I’m so happy for you & everyone else in the group. Can’t wait for an update!
April 27th, 2006 at 3:17 pm
Wah! You are soooooooooooooooooo lucky!!!!!!!!!!!! I want to hold all of them! Give them extra huggies from all of us Panda lovers here back in the States! By the way, did you see Hua Mei? did you get to see her babies too?
Thanks for sharing with us your wonderful experience, Cathy!
Can’t wait til your next update!
April 27th, 2006 at 4:50 pm
Oh Cathy G!!!! How Exciting!!!! It’s thrilling just to read about your playtime with a real live panda cub… how much more so the actual experience must have been!!! Good for you… a Dream Come True!!!!
April 27th, 2006 at 5:18 pm
Cathy, it sounds so special. Did you feel like you and the cub were suspended in time? I get goosebumps just reading of your adventure. It all sounds surreal.
April 27th, 2006 at 5:49 pm
Cathy, did you see Hua Mei and her cubs? I would love to see pictures of her and her four kids.
April 27th, 2006 at 6:02 pm
OMGoodness!! That really is a dream come true… I’m sooooooo envious!! Did you take lots of pictures of ‘your’ cub?? What an experience…what memories…!!
April 27th, 2006 at 7:24 pm
Cathy, Oh Boy! Here come the tears…I too am so happy for you and the others in the group. What do baby Pandas smell like? Enjoy every minute for all of us and thank you for sharing. Claudia
April 28th, 2006 at 5:36 am
Hi Cathy,
You are living a very magic moment: hug a cub, see them playing in the kindergarten…
It’s my dream, but my husband says that the trip would be dangerous, because Wolong is located so far from Beijing. We stayed twice in Washington DC Zoo, and once in San Diego Zoo. However, I want to touch a cub.
I feel strange, today. Happy, because Xiang Xiang, who was born in Wolong, was released into the wild today.
But a little bit sad because I couldn’t imagine Tai Shan, Su Lin or Mei Sheng in the wild, some day, without fruitsicles, biscuits…
Please, Cathy, don’t forget to report details about your experience, ok?
Thank you.
April 28th, 2006 at 6:29 am
LOL I predict that every single response to Cathy G’s entry will be amazingly similar! Definitely count me among the jealous!
Actually, there’s been another panda milestone in China this morning. The 4-year-old Chengdu panda, Xiang Xiang, who had been specially trained for potential introduction to the wild, was actually released this morning. He’s been taught to build a den and forage for food–and he’s wearing a global-positioning collar so that his whereabouts can be followed closely. From what I’ve read, it sounds as if he’s been prepared quite thoroughly, although it sounds as if he’s been living alone and doesn’t have much experience interacting with other pandas. Looking at him, I can’t help but notice that he looks a bit like Mei Sheng and is only a tad older! On one hand, I’d hate to think of dear Mei out there in the wild on his own, but on the other, I surmise that this will offer scientists important information about how to re-introduce bears back into their natural habitat.
Suzanne, is Xiang Xiang essentially a ” sitting duck,” or do you think he’s really ready for this? Are the findings to be gained from his experiences worth the risk of sending him out at such a young age?
April 28th, 2006 at 7:36 am
A dream come true. My question is how did you ever put that baby down and walk away? What a memory to treasure. Hope you took tons of pictures and will share them with us. Can’t wait for the next update.
Thanks, Cathy.
April 28th, 2006 at 9:39 am
Cathy – I practically squealed out loud when I read about ” your cub” sitting on your lap eating apple slices!! What a thrill! Please tell us more – I want to know what they smell like, sound like, feel like… just everything! I’m sure you have lots of photos – so please share one (or more) from kindergarten. I’m sure you are having the time of your life – thanks for sharing it with us. Continued safe travels and adventures!
April 28th, 2006 at 11:01 am
Suzanne, can you tell us a little more about Xiang Xiang’s release into the wild? I have very mixed emotions today about this event; happiness and fear. The ultimate goal is to save the pandas from extinction; to let them live in the blissful, natural habitat that was intended for them. However, it seems so solitary for Xiang to go out into the wilderness for the first time. If something should go wrong in the future, would the staff consider bringing him back into the research center? Obviously, he was placed in an area with sufficient bamboo for feeding, but should something happen to his food supply, could action be taken to save him? I know the staff must have worked diligently for years for this step; let’s hope that is successful in every respect and that soon, many more pandas will thrive in the wild as nature intended.
April 28th, 2006 at 11:55 am
My thoughts exactly, Cheryl!
Cathy, we panda-obsessed people are eagerly welcoming anything you can do to try to help us imagine being in your oh-so-lucky place!
What is Wolong like? Are the Wolong staff as inclined as we are to want to swoon from cuteness in the presence of a panda cub, if they were to let their professional guard down? I’m wondering what the kindergarten pandas did every minute you were there, how big they were? Was your cub squirmy? Chubby? Muscular? Squishy? What did he smell like, feel like, sound like, every little panda detail, whether mundane or amazing, cute or gross!!! : ) I can only guess at the challenge of sitting down to capture it all, if it’s anything like trying to stop and write postcards to your family or friends in the middle of a fun and busy day on a fantastic trip! : ) Have fun!!
April 28th, 2006 at 1:37 pm
What a wonderful lifetime memory! To be able, years later, to close your eyes and recall the sounds, the smells, the sights, and the incredible feeling of holding a live Panda cub in your arms……sheer delight!! I am so happy for all of you! And thank you for sharing the experience with all of us.
And the very best of luck to you, Xiang Xiang, as you begin your sojourn in Panda Home. May you find abundant bamboo, clean, fresh water, and a territory of your own on the misty mountainside. Godspeed, little bear, and watch out for those leepers!
April 28th, 2006 at 3:23 pm
Why is Bai Yun pacing so much???????? Yesterday morning starting about 7 a.m. (PST) she was pacing for over an hour. I do not know where she eventually went. went but about 8 a.m. a worker was doing the raking and cleaning up. Cute little Su Lin right behind her mother, with her little legs going as fast as they could to keep up with her mother’s pacing – back and forth, back and forth. Finally Su Lin gave up and climbed into her tree, above the grotto, and was out of sight as the camera kept focus on Bai Yun. Today 4 p.m. Bai Yun is pacing again.
April 28th, 2006 at 3:58 pm
How does one learn about such trips in the future? I’ve dreamed of going to China nearly all my life — and to hug/cuddle a panda — beyond a dream!
Please put my e-mail address on your ” Wants to go to Wolong” list!
Editor’s note: We’ve added you to our free WorldWild Tours e-newsletter subscribers list.
April 28th, 2006 at 4:36 pm
I was on the trip with Amy Parrott and Cathy G and what a wonderful trip it was. Seeing and playing with the panda cubs at Wolong truly was a lifetime experience. Everyone on the trip was mesmerized by the experience. We had the privilege of meeting Ron Swaisgood, the San Diego Zoo’s panda expert, while at Wolong and he graciously shared his knowledge and experience with us. Wolong was definitely the highlight but the entire trip was wonderful. If you have the opportunity, don’t miss next year’s trip.
April 28th, 2006 at 7:10 pm
Cathy,
I echo what Ann asks, and would love to hear every lil detail of your time with your sweet cub. I am so thrilled for you and am living vicariously thru your posts of this splendid trip. Please if you can, post pictures! Waiting on the edge of my seat for your next installment…..
April 28th, 2006 at 7:37 pm
Well said, Pamela G!
April 30th, 2006 at 4:57 am
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, Cathy.
I guess this special arrangement of entering the play yard to cuddle or to feed the cubs is somewhat a privilege derived from the long working relation between SDZ and Wolong Breeding Centre.
April 30th, 2006 at 8:25 am
Why is everyone so excited about the opportunity to touch and hold a panda? These animals are not pets. They are not even domestic. Shouldn’t we have a little more respect for them than to treat them like lap dogs?
April 30th, 2006 at 9:41 am
Tears yes! Jealous yes! Can someone pack me into their suitcase when you plan the next trip? I’m already on a diet, what’s a few more pounds to be able to feed a baby panda cub. What a wonderful adventure. Will we get to see any pictures of the trip? It would be wonderful to chronicle your trip for us!!
April 30th, 2006 at 3:11 pm
Su Lin and Bai Yun were playful this afternoon. I watched from about 3 p.m. (PST) ’til 4 p.m. Great camera work – up close and seemed to be enlarged pictures. Bai Yun was lying in the shade, in the water, near their drinking fountain. Su Lin climbing over her mother and rolling in the water. It must have felt cool. Wonder why Bai Yun does not go into the grotto as it has A/C and is kept about 60 degrees. Su Lin finally went up the tree, above the grotto, and Bai Yun was up there for a while also.
May 1st, 2006 at 6:51 am
Cathy G., Amy and the rest of you who were on the trip to China–so glad you’re safely back from your trip. It must have been a bittersweet time to return to family and friends and yet have to leave Panda Home behind. What a lifetime of beautiful memories you have…Just saw Bai Yun and Su Lin in the bedroom. Bai was enjoying her breakfast and Su was rolling around in the bamboo and just generally seeming to have a good time. The keepers were probably cleaning up and stocking bamboo outside, because every once in a while, Su would look toward the small doorway, probably hoping to get out soon. And was she dirty! Bai’s going to have to get her for a good grooming session. The back of her ” diaper” looked muddy and she had a dark area on top of her head. Another of her happy mud rolls, I guess.
May 1st, 2006 at 8:06 am
The entire China experience sounds like a trip of a lifetime!
There used to be a place on the Zoo’s website where Worldwide Tour travelers could post their travel journals and photos. Is this still available somewhere and will the China travelers be able to share their photos and experiences with us? Thank you so much for all these opportunities to expand our horizons!
Editor’s note: We’ll look into posting some travel journals again.
May 1st, 2006 at 8:55 am
Hi, Everyone! We’re back from China (and didn’t want to leave). Amy Parrot has the next installment of my notes, aswering some of your questions, and I’m sure she will post them sometime soon.
As Joan said above, it was wonderful to be there during the whole trip, but especially in Wolong with the cubs. It is a special privilege to hold a giant panda cub and the connection between the two facilities certainly made a difference in making it possible. The staff members everywhere we went to see pandas couldn’t have been nicer, to the pandas or to us.
Hua Mei is doing very well and we watched her eat bamboo, bleat and chirp. She was close to estrus and should be ready for breeding, if it hasn’t already been done since we left. She is turning out to make a real contribution to the survival of pandas, by having two sets of twins so far. One of the members of our tour group was thrilled to hold one of Hua Mei’s sons when we went into the Kindergarten to play with them.
As I remember more, I’ll share it with you.
Fondly to all panda lovers, Cathy G.
May 1st, 2006 at 12:37 pm
Thank you, Cathy, for sharing your experiences with us! Look forward to seeing pictures too!
May 1st, 2006 at 1:07 pm
What a cute picture of mother Bai Yun and daughter Su Lin on the camera now! Bai Yun is munching on bamboo while little Su Lin is imitating mom on how to hold and eat stalks of bamboo!
May 1st, 2006 at 1:29 pm
How wonderful to watch Su Lin playing with bamboo(?) leaves on top of the den.
May 1st, 2006 at 1:42 pm
At 2:40pm, baby girl is doing research for her book ” 101 cardboard games” . Such fun!
May 1st, 2006 at 1:57 pm
Many have asked about this wonderful experience. When I visited Wolong in 2004, I went into the panda kindergarten alone (well, there was a keeper present) with seven panda cubs. The cubs ran to and surrounded me, playfully wrapping their paws around my legs. I had scratches for weeks and I delighted in showing them to anyone who would listen to my tale of ecstasy. One cub’s claws were so entwined in my slacks that neither he nor I could extricate them. The keeper had to remove his claws one by one. As for their smell, I took particular note since my husband insisted it would not be pleasant. Well, they smelled wonderful — like puppies. While the outer fur is somewhat stiff, the inner fur is very soft and thick and I buried my face in it.
After our play period, each cub drank milk from an individual stainless bowl focusing on his own and not bothering his classmates. As each finished his milk, he was given bamboo bread. They sat in a row eating the bamboo bread held in their paws. I called this period ” milk and cookies.” Later, they climbed a totem pole-like climbing structure and fell asleep — ” nap time.” There could be no more apt term than ” panda kindergarten” and for me it was heaven.
May 1st, 2006 at 4:24 pm
My goodness, Carole, that sounds soooo wonderful…
May 1st, 2006 at 4:57 pm
Hi, Everyone! A special THANKS to Amy Parrott for making this beautiful dream possible. The whole trip to China was so unbelievable. Being there and experiencing the culture is such a bonus to just reading about it in books. Of course, the trip to Wolong was an experience that words can’t express! It was like nature letting us peek in and smell, touch and feel some part of it that is so beautiful, that I know we all will respect and cherish the time we had there playing with the baby pandas. One book I bought there describes them as ” Rare Treasures” which certainly they sure are. Thanks to all for the great time!
May 1st, 2006 at 7:53 pm
One of the little girl cubs (she is probably younger than the others) loves to get on top of a tree trunk that has branches, but no leaves. She sleeps peacefully high up on the branches while the other cubs are playing. It’s a clever way to avoid the rough-and-tumble of the rest of them.
Carole is right, they like their bowl of milk and didn’t fight over anyone else’s. Ron Swaisgood, the Panda Specialist from the SDZ, told us that pandas do eat small animals, by choice, when they can find them in the wild. It seems a shame that they have to find so much bamboo every day, but that’s evolution. It doesn’t seem like a good adaptation. Our pandas and those at Wolong, Chengdu and Ocean Park have it made. Plenty of bamboo and comfortable living conditions. We had breakfast with the two in Ocean Park. I’ll post more about it at another time.
Amy Parrott (SDZ) took many pictures everywhere we went and she would be the one to post them for everyone to see on the Panda Team blog. We were very fortunate to have her in China with us. Also, our Chinese guide, Ellen Chen (not her Chinese name, of course) was excellent. I worried about her worrying so much about our well-being. She was always there to make sure things went well. I can’t say enough good things about this trip.
May 3rd, 2006 at 10:28 pm
Oh my, to actually see & touch a panda – my dream – I’ve been watching Tai Shan (the Washington Zoo’s baby panda) since the day he was born. We were in San Diego in Jan. & did get get to see Su Lin in her tree – I did 3 trips through the panda exhibit & was thrilled to see Gao finally up and about – got some wonderful photos.
May 12th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Hey i just wonted to say that i LVF Pandas.