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giant panda research station

63

Panda Hearing Study

By
Megan Owen
– April 4, 2012Posted in: Animals and Plants, Bears, Conservation, Conservation at the Zoo, Pandas, Uncategorized

Yun Zi enjoying snow time back in December.

Giant pandas are undeniably charismatic and have been ambassadors for wildlife and wild land conservation for decades. I am proud to say that since Bai Yun and Shi Shi arrived in San Diego in 1996, and we began in earnest a collaborative scientific program with our colleagues in Wolong, China, we have continued to strive for a deeper understanding of giant pandas. Our scientific programs have focused on their reproductive behavior and physiology and how to provide the best possible husbandry and care, and we have delved into their perceptual world.

Our studies of perception began with research focusing on how pandas use scent communication to coordinate their social lives. Since then, we have also focused on acoustic communication and have been an active partner in a collaborative effort to understand just what information is contained in the giant panda’s amazing repertoire of vocalizations.

Our focus on panda perception has been highlighted here at the San Diego Zoo’s Giant Panda Research Station since 2009, as we have been studying the hearing range of giant pandas. This research was intriguing in a couple of ways: we were excited to find out more about this fundamental aspect of their biology, and we knew this data would allow us to better assess how human-generated noise might disturb giant pandas or disrupt important communication.

Since this study began, we’ve collected data on four bears: Bai Yun, Gao Gao, Zhen Zhen, and Su Lin. With data from three of those four pandas under our belt, and data collection on Gao Gao nearly finished, we now turn our full attention to 2½-year-old Yun Zi. He is still primarily in the training stage of the study, but in the coming months he will be our focus! I am very excited to see how he moves through the study and what his data will tell us about his perceptual world.

Megan Owen is a conservation program manager for the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research. Read her previous post, Su Lin: Back to Bi Feng Xia.

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36

Yun Zi: Burst of Energy

By
Anastasia Horning
– December 1, 2011Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Bears, Pandas, Uncategorized

Remember when trees had nothing to fear from Yun Zi?

Through the years that I’ve narrated at the San Diego Zoo’s Giant Panda Research Station, I have had the pleasure of watching three panda cubs grow from birth to their departure to China. I’ve seen their personalities come out and have watched them bloom into sub-adulthood. There are the early months where mobility is limited and dependent on Mom, and there are the times when learning to walk and climb can become overwhelming for a cub. Some of my favorite moments with the youngsters have been between the ages of 2 and 3 years. The cubs will often have days where they become extremely energetic and behave in dramatically different ways than what our Zoo guests are accustomed to. Yun Zi has hit this stage, and I have to say it’s a blast to watch him!

The last couple of weeks have proven to be very interesting. Yun Zi has been running around the exhibit several times, dashing up and down the climbing structures several times, and running through his pool, making his exhibit a nice slip n’ slide for our poor keepers. Having done keeper work with our Panda Team for a few years now, I can honestly say that muddy, wet bamboo can be very difficult to clean up! There was one morning when a keeper and I went into Yun Zi’s exhibit to clean and just stood there for a second to take everything in. He had thrown bamboo all over the enclosure and defecated in spots that can be difficult to clean. Yun Zi had even decided to break several of the branches off of a new tree that had just been planted. What usually is a 30-minute cleaning job maximum with two keepers turned into a good hour.

Needless to say, we do our best to provide enrichment for our animals to keep them busy, but at this particular age it is very common to see the kids turn into decorators and change their exhibit around in some way. As Gao Gao and Bai Yun are in the main viewing enclosures, Yun Zi is occupying our north exhibit for the time being (usually open to guests from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.).

Hope everyone has happy holidays!

Anastasia Horning is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo. Read her previous post, Hello, Gao Gao.

Note: Our December Animal Care Wish List is now posted and includes an opportunity to donate toward a sturdy, panda-proof tree at $10 increments. Every little bit helps! Thank you.

 

 

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33

Pandamonium

By
Katherine
– October 20, 2011Posted in: Animals and Plants, Bears, More, Pandas, Zoo InternQuest

Bai Yun inhales a tantalizing scent.

Zoo InternQuest is a career exploration program for high school students. For more information see the Zoo InternQuest blog. For more photos see the Zoo InternQuest Photo Journal.

At the San Diego Zoo, there is one animal that has always stolen the show – the giant panda.  People from all over the world are infatuated with the pandas at the San Diego Zoo, and we got the chance to get a behind-the-scenes view of all the “panda-monium.”

We met with Suzanne Hall, a senior research technician for the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, for a tour of the Giant Panda Research Station.

If you’ve ever been to the Zoo, you’ve probably passed by the Panda Research Station billions of times and never thought of what goes on inside, but believe me, a lot does.  It takes a lot of educated and passionate people to conserve a species, and Ms. Hall is the epitome of a passionate individual who strives for change. When asked to describe her job, she said, “We are the science of saving species” and after telling us all about her job, there was no denying it.

Ms. Hall’s focus is on bears and their specific behaviors. From observing animals in their natural environment to writing blogs about the animals, Ms. Hall is incredibly invested in her job.  A big part of her job revolves around the study of animals’ behaviors and recording them and then applying her knowledge. So we could experience a day in the life of a research technician, Ms. Hall gave us a small ethogram (a table of different types of behaviors) allowing us to see what tools she and her colleagues work with. She showed us a video of Keesha, a sloth bear, and asked us to record what we saw based on the previously given ethogram codes. We only watched and recorded behaviors from a two-minute video, which is miniscule compared to the hours that research technicians spend observing animals. I really enjoyed observing animals, and it was exciting to see what a day in the life of a research technician is like.

Right now, Ms. Hall is focusing on sun bears and educated us about the challenges they face, as well as the steps the Institute is taking to help them.  According to Ms. Hall, sun bears are incredibly likely to go extinct due to the recent decline of their habitat by 30 percent.  Researchers have been studying sun bear cub behaviors at the San Diego Zoo and hope to compare their observations to orphaned sun bears in Borneo. The goal of this research is to provide some insight on the behavior and survival of orphans in the wild. It’s also important to have animals in managed-care facilities so there is a self-sustaining breeding population in the case that something happens to the animals in the wild. These animals play a crucial role in educating visitors about the species and why they are so important to the environment. They also allow for research to be conducted to aid a population in the wild.

To learn more about her job, Ms. Hall gave us an exclusive tour of the Giant Panda Research Station. She spends most of her time with the animals, but when she’s not there, she is writing blog posts as well. She led us through the building and to the main food source for the pandas, the bamboo refrigerator. Most of the bamboo fed to the pandas is grown on Zoo and Safari Park grounds, and considering the size of the bamboo refrigerator, that’s a lot!

After learning so much about pandas, we went into the exhibit viewing area to observe and learn about the specific pandas. One of the pandas, Bai Yun, has been with the Zoo since 1996! Ms. Hall talked to us about how all the Zoo animals are given enrichment objects to stimulate natural behaviors. Researchers are able to identify which objects the animal favors, as well as observe how they interact with the objects. Bai Yun’s favorite enrichment items include kitchen spices and perfumes. She prefers pumpkin pie spice and Polo cologne, and she actually covers herself with it!

It was really exciting to be able to experience a completely different side of the pandas by understanding what methods are being employed to study their behavior, as well as talking to a professional about her job. From now on I’ll never view the panda exhibit the same way!

Katherine, Real World Team (week 2)

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22

Time to (Panda) Trek!

By
Ellie Rosenbaum
– August 23, 2011Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Bears, Pandas, Reptiles and Amphibians, Uncategorized

Red panda Lily explores her new home in Panda Trek.

Phase I of the Panda Trek at the San Diego Zoo has finally opened, and critters and visitors alike are delighted! (See video of Panda Trek). Lily, the one-year-old red panda, is busily exploring every inch of her beautiful new habitat (when not curled up in one of the elm trees). The field station is open for a peek at how scientists live in the wilds of China, and the takins are settling into their new, multilevel enclosure. A ramp leads up and around the corner to the giant panda research station (quiet voices, please!) where Gao Gao and Yun Zi are available for viewing most of the day. We’re awaiting the arrival of the Mang Mountain vipers; they’ll be moved down in the next few weeks and can be seen for now at the Zoo’s Reptile House.

It’s been an exciting transition for all. For many people, the best part was moving day, when the takins were allowed to leave their previous enclosure near the Elephant Odyssey Fossil Portal and walk down to their new home at the Trek—at least that was the idea. Once on the forested hillside, the takins had other plans. Instead of wandering down in an orderly fashion, they reached the hillside and decided to explore – and play – and explore – and backtrack – and play – and chase – and approach the gate to their new area – and retreat. It was delightful to watch these majestic animals in an approximation of their wooded mountain habitat (no native eucalyptus in their wild home, after all), romping youngsters and stately adults both, and we made sure that visitors were aware of just how special this sight was.

We've created a new home for our takins, too!

Keepers, meanwhile, exhibited extraordinary patience as they coaxed, called, cajoled, and tried everything they could to entice the takins to leave the hillside and enter their new area. No amount of treat-bucket shaking was enough to lure more than one of the takins in at a time, and then that animal would leave to rejoin the rest of the group on the hillside. Eventually, food, as always, won out, and the takin herd moved into its new home to dine, and there they remain for all to see.

It’s been interesting to watch the panda guys adjust to their new neighbors. They could catch a glimpse of the takins on moving day, but not as much now. The sounds and smells, however, are another matter. Gao Gao especially is intrigued by the smell, stopping in mid-activity as the breeze shifts to lift his head and sniff. Yun Zi seemed alert to the recently added residents in the early days, but after two weeks he seems to be less interested.

And Bai Yun? She remains off exhibit and is being monitored for any signs of pregnancy. There is still nothing definitive, one way or the other. We’ve still much to learn about the process of delayed implantation and pregnancy in older females, but continuing research is yielding exciting new developments every day.

Ellie Rosenbaum is a panda narrator and educator at the San Diego Zoo. Read her previous post, Pandas: The Big Questions.

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68

A Birthday Gift for Yun Zi

By
Marla Barr
– August 4, 2011Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Bears, Pandas, Uncategorized

A new tree for Yun Zi?

When you think of a family tree, you probably have images of an elaborate map of grandparents, distant relatives, and your immediate family members. When we talk about giant panda Yun Zi’s family tree, we have something a little different in mind.

If you have ever visited our wonderful Giant Panda Research Station, either in person or via Panda Cam, you have probably seen all of our pandas at one time or another climb, play, and nap in a very special tree designed just for them many years ago. It is the one with the cave-like opening in the front and the angular platform top that we consider to be our panda family tree.

Here’s the thing: Yun Zi has proven that this tree is not actually panda-proof. Or maybe it’s just not Yun Zi-proof? We always knew that our little boy was very smart and talented. Over the last two years, we have all witnessed him hit milestones well before his older siblings, but when our panda keepers started to notice that he was using these super-panda skills to systematically take apart the panda family tree, they knew something had to be done.

After consulting our resident animal habitat expert, we found a suitable permanent replacement that has been guaranteed to be Yun Zi-proof. The new tree will be over 12 feet (3.6 meters) tall, with a 3-foot diameter trunk. It is going to have more branches than the current tree, which will give our panda family more napping options. Each branch will incorporate specialized botanical pockets where we can place live plants that will be fed by the tree’s internal irrigation system.  Just like the one you see in the panda habitat now, the new one will be made of concrete that will be sculpted and painted to look just like a real tree.

On Friday, we celebrate Yun Zi’s second birthday and remember all the joy he has brought to our lives, from the first panda bark he surprised us with at one of this early examinations to the first time he met his adoring fans in his outdoor habitat when he was but four months old. On this very special day, we have one wish for our birthday boy and his family: a new panda family tree.

For the next few weeks, you can help us fund this tree on our online Wish List. Each $10 donation toward the purchase of the panda tree is entirely tax deductible. We thank you for following Yun Zi as he grows and helping create this new panda family tree.

Marla Barr is a development program manager for the San Diego Zoo.

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48

Zoo Hospital: A Panda Patient

By
Kirstin Clapham
– July 28, 2011Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Bears, Pandas, Uncategorized

Gao Gao

Hey, Hospital Keepers!  Guess who’s coming to spend the night?

Recently, we had a special overnight guest at the San Diego Zoo’s Jennings Center for Zoological Medicine. Gao Gao, one of our giant Pandas, took a routine “trip to the dentist,” and then had a sleepover with us. This visit involved coordination and communication between many parties: panda keepers, hospital staff, security officers, and construction crews.

Construction crews? Yep. Panda Canyon is going through quite the transformation. The Zoo’s Veterinary Services Department was instrumental in facilitating completion of a major phase in the Panda Trek project. By allowing Gao Gao to remain at the hospital following his scheduled procedure, panda keepers were able to use remote holding areas in the Giant Panda Research Station to house the remaining pandas as far away as possible from the impact of the construction activities.

To safely transport him to the hospital, Gao was injected with an anaesthetic while resting comfortably in his bedroom. Once he was sound asleep, Security Department staff cleared the way, and Gao was whizzed up the hill to the hospital. During a routine exam to assess his overall dental health, Gao received a full dental exam and cleaning. But when an animal is on the table, especially a panda, everything is checked. Head to toe, or in his case, nose to tail! These exams provide great opportunities to follow up on health conditions and to monitor changes that might have popped up over time. Measurements were recorded; radiographs were taken; eyes, ears, and other things were investigated; and nails were buffed…really!

Gao Gao’s keepers came up during his exam to check on the patient, of course, but more importantly to bring up some familiar items and set up his “home away from home.” During his short stay at the hospital, Gao had one inside room and one outside room, along with a tunnel leading to his transport crate. Once his exam was over and our sleepy VIP (Very Important Panda) was awake enough and ready to investigate his overnight accommodations, I gave him access to leave his crate and explore his new space.

Would the red carpet treatment meet his standards? Would he shift back in to his transport crate so he could go home tomorrow? Would he be comfortable enough to take his medicated biscuits and other treats from me? Would he settle in well enough to eat his dinner and get a good night’s sleep? I am happy to answer with a resounding YES to all the above.

Upon release Gao didn’t do too much exploring; he just walked out of his crate like a pro, down the tunnel, took one slow, sauntering lap around the outdoor room, glancing at and smelling things half-heartedly before entering the indoor room, turning around and plopping down in the doorway with his head resting on the threshold. Panda keepers would call to check in, and I’d report that other than “pouting” a little bit, Gao was doing just fine.

Our “house guest” was very well-behaved considering the eventful day he had and the crowd of admirers he drew into the hospital compound. “Panda” was whispered more than once, and I was reminded of the spell that was cast over me when I worked with these magical creatures years ago as a keeper. Maybe it was nostalgia on my part, or maybe he did remember me a little, or maybe he is just a really well-trained panda, but Gao Gao got up and came right over when I called him and was content to sit in his crate and let me hand-feed him.

Once dinner was over, and I started closing up shop, Gao knew it was time to go to bed. He slowly made his way back to his bedroom, curled up in his big pile of shavings and hay, and went to sleep. The next morning, Gao peeked his head out when I greeted him and was soon “reminding” me that he hadn’t had his breakfast yet. “Excuse me, lady. What kind of establishment is this?” I’ll have you know that we start our day at 6:30 a.m., not the usual 6 a.m. of his keepers, so according to him we were already behind schedule! Please forgive us, Mr. Panda, sir.

After he had eaten his breakfast, and once it was confirmed that the construction was done, Gao was called in to his crate and rewarded with some treats and love from his keepers. The crate doors were closed, and after everything was secured we wheeled him onto the back of a truck. Gao knew it was time to head home; he was ready and waiting patiently. But as the truck was pulling away, Gao was looking out the back watching us wave at him. As he rounded the corner to go down the hill and back to his home, Gao moved his head closer to the bars as if to say to his keepers, “Home, James” and to us “Thanks for your Hospital-ity!”

Kirstin Clapham is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo. Read her previous post, Zoo Hospital: Eat Your Food.

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33

Pandas: Waiting….

By
Ellie Rosenbaum
– July 12, 2011Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Bears, Pandas, Uncategorized

Yun Zi takes a trek of his own!

While we’re all anxious and excited for Panda Trek to be completed here at the San Diego Zoo, it’s waiting time here at the Giant Panda Research Station. The weather’s been unseasonably warm and humid for San Diego, and the construction continues.

Panda Trek is taking shape. Day by day, week by week, the structures and enclosures are taking form. It’s going to be exciting to see it and the resident creatures all come together. In the meantime, the takins, a red panda, and the vipers can still be seen in their current enclosures around the Zoo. When the time comes, they can easily be moved into their new homes, since these will be pristine exhibits previously unoccupied by any other animals. This will eliminate the need for any quarantine time; remember when Bai Yun and Shi Shi moved into their new homes nearly 15 years ago? The areas will sit ready and waiting for their new “homeowners.”

The weather has been warm, but each bear has the option of retreating in an air-conditioned bedroom, resting under misters, or enjoying a dip in the pool or a pile of ice, and our animal care staff and panda narrators monitor the pandas’ behavior at all times. Gao Gao stayed in his indoor/outdoor bedroom suite within the research station for several days, keeping cool and comfortable.

Giving Yun Zi access to both sides of the main viewing area has given him an enriching experience; all those interesting “Gao” smells to check out and a space to revisit and expand his horizons. And Bai Yun, with her shortened hours in the North Exhibit, has access to both the outdoor space and her suite. She tends to eat outdoors, then retreats to the AC to nap, so visitors may or may not see her outdoors, depending on HER personal schedule. As of July 5, there are no indications of a pregnancy, although based on the calendar, and nothing else, she’s being “ultrasounded” twice a week now. Again, it’s about the time of year and her past history of birth times, no other reason. Yet we’re also waiting for any signs of a possible pregnancy, should they appear. As always, the Queen is in charge!

This week’s earlier events have proven no challenge to our pandas (see post Our Pandas are Fine). Today, the debris has been cleared, the area cleaned, and the pandas were napping peacefully through the morning. We’re still playing “musical bears,” moving them among exhibits as construction demands, but they are shifting with ease. The bears are alright!

Dragons and acrobats abound during Nightime Zoo: China Celebration in anticipation of our expanded Trek. We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding; good things are worth waiting for. And hooray! Su Lin has given birth! We’re all “grandpandas” again, and Gao Gao’s important genetics have been passed to a new generation of giant pandas!

Ellie Rosenbaum is a panda narrator and educator at the San Diego Zoo. Read her previous post, Yun Zi Rolls On.

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56

Su Lin: No Worries!

By
Megan Owen
– June 17, 2011Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Bears, Conservation, Conservation at the Zoo, Pandas, Projects in the Field, Uncategorized

Don't worry about Su Lin, be happy for her!

Recent news from China regarding Su Lin has sparked a number of questions, and some concern, from our blog readers. Reports in the news have stated that Su Lin is “pregnant” and that she has been moved to a “semi-natural” enclosure, implying that her offspring may be a candidate for reintroduction. I’d like to address these concerns.

Su Lin is now living in the large, semi-natural enclosure. Rest assured, the important word in that description is “semi”! Su Lin will be monitored in order to ensure she is thriving in her new environment, albeit in a less hands-on way, and she will have an abundance of food resources from which to choose. While her new enclosure is large and naturalistic, there will be no other bears in there with her, or any other “threats” to her survival. Bamboo will be plentiful, and we are very, very confident that she will thrive, both physically and psychologically, in her expansive new digs.

Regarding reports of Su Lin being pregnant: We know that Su Lin bred naturally this year, but we still don’t know for sure if she is pregnant. That said, the track record for successful pregnancy after natural mating is very good, and so there is a high likelihood that Su Lin is pregnant. To date, the only surefire way to determine if a panda is pregnant is through ultrasound. And in cases where ultrasound has been used to confirm the presence of a fetus, it is typically about 20 days before the birth at the earliest. Most pandas give birth between July and September, and we have no reason to suspect that Su Lin would be any different. So, until we hear that Su Lin has “given birth,” anytime you read that Su Lin is “pregnant,” interpret this news as “probably pregnant.” ☺

The potentially pregnant Su Lin has been chosen to participate in this important conservation program because of her health, both physical and behavioral, and her heredity. We will continue to update everyone regarding her life and milestones, and we here at the Giant Panda Research Station will continue to be proud that a San Diego Zoo-born panda was chosen to be a part of this program. To live in such a large enclosure, with a consistent food source and the sensory diversity and excitement of a natural bamboo forest, sounds like “panda heaven.”

Megan Owen is a conservation program specialist at the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research. Read her previous post, Panda Conservation: Our Priority.

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22

Bai Yun’s New Neighbor

By
Michelle Penick
– March 8, 2011Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Birds, Pandas, Uncategorized

A hummingbird neighbor.

Bai Yun has a new neighbor in her enclosure, and it’s not a Sichuan takin. A little hummingbird has taken up residence in the elm tree in the left-hand enclosure of the main exhibit. I first noticed the small bird, called an Anna’s hummingbird, yesterday as she was collecting some spider webs to make her nest above where I was narrating at the Giant Panda Research Station. A guest told me that he watched the bird fly over to the elm tree and pointed out her nest site to me.

For collecting webs, I have named the hummingbird Charlotte. Bai Yun doesn’t seem to be taking any notice of her new neighbor. Charlotte is a vigilant guard over her nest, though, and has been chasing away birds that are more than twice her size that come near her branch. To find Charlotte’s nest, look at the branch of the elm tree in front of Bai Yun’s cave. On top of the branch that is hanging lowest (and is cut on the end) you will find the tiny nest.

I hope Bai Yun doesn’t mind a little company during breeding season. For now, she is sharing the spotlight as photographers are also snapping photos of her small green-and-gray avian companion sitting on a nest.

Michelle Penick is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo. Read her previous post, Thinking of Spring.

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56

Fond Panda Memories

By
Michelle Penick
– February 2, 2011Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Bears, Pandas, Uncategorized

Remember when Yun Zi was this small?

As we find the winter holidays behind us, things are a little quieter in most of our homes; however, this is not true for the pandas! Hundreds to thousands of people come to the San Diego Zoo each day to visit our famous black-and-white bears, and some of those visitors can’t help but fall in love with them. The longer I work as a panda narrator, the longer I realize how many people come on a weekly basis for their regular visits to our pandas, and I know that many more of you who can’t physically come to our Zoo each week still visit by tuning into our Panda Cam.

From the guests who have been coming to our Zoo for decades and make the pandas a part of their morning walk to our panda hobby photographers to our generous donors and members to those who are viewing a live panda for the first time, everyone seems to have their own unique experiences. Some people have even cried tears of joy when they see our panda cub playing with his mom. One of the things that makes the pandas stand out stars at the Zoo—their silly antics! I asked some of the regular visitors to the Giant Panda Research Station what their fondest memories of the pandas were over the years, and here are a few:

One regular says that one of her favorite moments was during the separation process with Zhen Zhen. She said that the keepers opened the gate for Mom and her cub to have access to one another in the morning, and our mother bear, Bai Yun was still sleeping on her back. The cub sneaked over to Mom and touched her toe. Bai Yun, startled, jumped up to see what was at her feet; once she realized it was her cub, she relaxed and pulled the young panda close. I love that story because it is a great reminder of what an awesome mother Bai Yun has been to her cubs.

Another guest says he remembers Zhen Zhen as a cub playing with her red ball. He said he would have watched her for hours if he could. Anyone who remembers Zhen Zhen, now three years old and living in a panda sanctuary in China, remembers her silly antics. She rivaled any circus clown with her acrobatics. I have fond memories of her sideways somersaults—she would roll from the back of the exhibit near the tree to the front of the exhibit near the moat to the delight of all. One day she even hung upside down on a branch to get a better look at me. Oh, that Zhen Zhen!

Yun Zi, our current cub, was so tiny at first but bold. I remember watching him trying to climb the walls of his enclosure from the Panda Cam television screen between the two main exhibits and quietly cheering him on with the rest of the guests, knowing that he was always getting closer to passing his climbing test in the back and would soon be coming out on exhibit to meet the world face to face.

One guest came all the way from Washington this winter to visit our pandas. She told me our father bear, Gao Gao, was so special to her, and she felt that Gao had such a gentle, calm nature about him. She was definitely in love!

We hope to see you regulars and new guests soon, and if you stop by for a visit to the Giant Panda Research Station, please say hi and share your memories with us. I hope you all will have an opportunity to witness the pandas doing something that will inspire even more fond memories of our beloved bamboo bears.

Michelle Penick is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo.

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