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46

China Trip Diary: Part 3

By
Gaylene Thomas
– December 6, 2010Posted in: Animal Stories, Pandas

Giant pandas Su Lin and Zhen Zhen moved to Wolong, China on September 24, 2010. Gaylene accompanied them on their journey and is sharing the trip with us through blog installments. Be sure to read China Trip Diary: Part 2.

I have decided that flying with a giant panda is the way to go! Fifteen hours go by very quickly when you have a two incredible pandas to visit with and take care of. Zhen Zhen and Su Lin were troupers throughout the journey. The “What ifs” and worries of what might happen were subdued by the natural behaviors these two young pandas demonstrated in conditions far from routine. The dedicated daily care given to Su Lin and Zhen Zhen, combined with the wonderful travel training efforts provided by the keepers, set this journey up to be a success!

The plane landed in Shanghai at 7:30 a.m. (Shanghai time). Chinese officials boarded the plane to check on Su Lin and Zhen Zhen and to review permits. Tracy and I parted from the pandas to make our way through Customs. We then were driven back to the cargo section of the airport to rejoin Su Lin and Zhen. They were both awake and observing their new surroundings.

The pandas are checked by Bi Feng Xia's vet and keeper. Due to rain, the panda crates and supplies were loosely covered in plastic.

Tracy and I met with Wu Honglin and Wei Ming (veterinarian and keeper from Bi Feng Xia). I was convinced that Su Lin and Zhen were in good hands for the remainder of their journey. Tracy donated the medical equipment she packed to Wu Honglin for use at Bi Feng Xia and gave him a large envelope full of medical, diet, and husbandry information on the girls. I handed over the behavior training DVD of Zhen and Su Lin to Wei Ming; researchers had worked with keepers to document the cues and behaviors trained to Su Lin and Zhen Zhen. I also presented a bag full of clickers, the hand-held audio signal used by trainers worldwide to communicate to an animal that the response given was what the trainer had hoped for.

There was a quick photo session behind a welcoming banner with Su Lin, Zhen Zhen, Tracy, me, Wu, Wei, and airline executives…and then we parted. The goodbye was a bit abrupt due to the fact that the next flight for Su Lin and Zhen Zhen was crucial to get them to their destination without a major delay, and there was little time to spare.

From left: Veterinarian Wu, Gaylene, Tracy, and Keeper Wei

Despite my disorientation of real time, I calculated the flight time for Su Lin and Zhen Zhen to Chengdu, the ground travel time from Chengdu to Bi Feng Xia, and allowed for a two-hour window of error to determine when to begin asking Peter if Zhen and Su arrived without any problems. At approximately 7:30 p.m. Shanghai time, Peter informed Tracy and me that Su Lin and Zhen Zhen had safely arrived at Bi Feng Xia. It was time to celebrate and sleep!

There was a significant void when I returned to work. Daily, I passed by the empty exhibits of where Zhen Zhen and Su Lin had resided. News of their successful adjustment in China was comforting, but still their unique behaviors and habits were missed. I’m sure the sensitivities of Su Lin and the antics of Zhen Zhen are being appreciated by their new keepers! And, as years go by, perhaps we will hear stories of success, just as we have heard about Hua Mei and her eighth cub, born this year!

As keepers, trainers, researchers, supervisors, and veterinarians, we build a bond and can become attached with the animals we care for. To limit the animals we work with to our selfish bond would be an insult to the plight of their species. With a big lump in our throat, and often tears in our eyes, we bid farewell to the animals we have grown fond of for the ultimate cause of conservation!

Gaylene Thomas is an animal care supervisor at the San Diego Zoo.

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53

China Trip Diary: Part 1

By
Gaylene Thomas
– November 29, 2010Posted in: Animal Stories, Pandas

Keeper Juli Borowski offers bamboo through the traveling crate.

Giant pandas Su Lin and Zhen Zhen moved to Wolong, China on September 24, 2010. Gaylene accompanied them on their journey and is sharing the trip with us through blog installments.

I did my best to suppress some of the excitement in my voice as I answered “Yes” to the question put before me by San Diego Zoo Associate Curator Curby Simerson in August 2010: “Would you be willing to accompany the pandas on their trip to China?” My efforts to minimize an overly eager reply manifested into a short, quick, loud, “Yes!” It was an honor and privilege to be offered this unique assignment. The many details of it had yet to be worked out, resulting in several months of anxiety and hesitancy to make any personal travel plans.

The daily responsibilities of an animal care supervisor, much to my disappointment, do not always involve direct interaction with animals. This new assignment, however, created an important purpose for me to regularly meet with Su Lin and Zhen Zhen! The many travels to and from my office in the Zoo’s Giant Panda Research Station were diverted by a greeting, and often a biscuit feeding, to my future travel companions. I worked directly with the keepers to gradually introduce the elements associated with travel to Su Lin and Zhen Zhen. My confidence in the success of the event was boosted by comments the panda keepers made regarding their comfort in me being the one to accompany the pandas to China.

Panda and traveling crate get a lift!

The sensitivity to noises and new environmental conditions that Su Lin exhibited created an escalated level of concern for the keepers and me. We proceeded very cautiously and slowly to acclimate both pandas to their travel crates and to the forklift that would be moving them. Chomping on bamboo while being in a crate lifted four feet above the ground is a good sign! Su Lin and Zhen Zhen were champs in their training to accept the machinery and activity associated with their upcoming travels. The travel crates were modified to allow doors on each end to securely be cracked open for emergency and cleaning access. The keepers and I worked with the two pandas to allow the use of a small rake to clean the crates while the pandas continued to eat.

Consider the tasks associated with preparing for an international trip, and then consider those same tasks combined with the responsibility of packing for two giant pandas. I consulted with Lead Keeper Lisa Bryant, who had a successful trip to China with Mei Sheng in 2007 (read the first of Lisa’s blog post installments on that trip, Mei Sheng, Our Precious Cargo).

I also consulted with Senior Keeper Kathy Hawk, who has an intuitive understanding of the pandas in her care. Honey, hand-picked bamboo culm, small enrichment cardboard boxes, five gallons of drinking water, favorite enrichment toys, leaf eater biscuits, apples, yams, and carrot pieces comprised the bulk of the pandas’ luggage.

Gaylene Thomas is an animal care supervisor at the San Diego Zoo.

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55

Thank You, Panda Fans!

By
Kathy Hawk
– November 23, 2010Posted in: Animal Stories, Pandas

Yun Zi and Bai Yun enjoy their remodeled digs.

Friday’s reopening of our giant panda exhibits was a huge success! It was so nice to see Bai Yun, Yun Zi, and even Gao Gao exploring their new areas.  Gao surprised us with his climbing skills: he really seemed to enjoy the new furniture!

Bai and Yun Zi were hysterical; we put out some loamex mulch in their cave, and they had so much fun rolling in the pile and getting very dirty! But that was not all: they entertained us by playing on the new climbing logs and exploring the new plants. I held my breath thinking little Yun Zi was going to go on a plant attack!

As a keeper, it is so rewarding to be able to take a exhibit space and turn it into a wonderful, enriching environment for the animals in our care. This all could not be possible without the generous donations of our panda fans through the Zoo’s Animal Care Wish List. The monies you contributed helped pay for the rental of the crane to set the new climbing logs in place, new plants, two new shade trees, and beautiful green sod.

I did want to mention it was a team effort working for almost three weeks getting our exhibits ready for the public. With this is mind, I want to thank our horticulture, and construction and maintenance departments, and sun bear and nursery keepers; they all pitched in to make our exhibits beautiful.

Remodeling our exhibits was truly a labor of love for our black-and-white kids. On behalf of all of our Zoo staff, we cannot thank you enough for your donations!  Please stop by our exhibits and enjoy seeing our pandas in their new exhibits. You helped make this happen!

Kathy Hawk is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo. Read her previous post, Bai Yun through the Years.

Watch video of the re-opening day!

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99

Bai Yun and the Boys

By
Juli Thatcher
– October 27, 2010Posted in: Animal Stories, Pandas

“It’s quiet…too quiet…” we kept saying, for the first couple of weeks, anyway. Since Su Lin and Zhen Zhen left for China in late September, it has been very quiet at the San Diego Zoo’s Giant Panda Research Station. The girls’ departure was bittersweet for all of us. Saying goodbye to these bears that we’ve cared for since their birth was not easy. Of course, we know that their move to China is an essential part of the survival of the giant panda species. To aid in the survival of the species is why we all chose to work with pandas in the first place. Nonetheless, saying goodbye to the girls was difficult. At first, we keepers didn’t quite know what to do with ourselves. We got a lot of extra cleaning done, finished some projects that we kept meaning to get to, and basically drove each other crazy. In hindsight, we should have enjoyed the down time. We should have known better.

Down time never lasts long in the zoo world. Things are always changing. Panda keepers at the San Diego Zoo take care of more than just pandas. In fact, in recent weeks we’ve gained a few more animals to take care of. Our Siberian musk deer and white tufted deer herds changed exhibits and grew in numbers, and we resumed the care of three Indian crested porcupines. Of course, let’s not forget the three bears that still reside at the station; Bai Yun, Gao Gao, and Yun Zi are always giving us something to do!

Bai Yun is, as always, the queen of the Panda Station, a fact that she constantly needs to instill in her young cub. As Yun Zi begins to consume more bamboo and other solid foods, food competition with his mother becomes more apparent. It’s fun to watch Yun Zi sneak between his mother’s legs or under her belly to steal a piece of her bamboo. Most of the time, she allows him to pull a leafy piece of bamboo onto the cave or to his hammock so that they can both eat in peace. As he grows, though, he’s becoming more interested in the culm pieces of bamboo instead of the leafy pieces, which Bai Yun is less tolerant of sharing. She’s been pushing him away and will sometimes take the food directly from his mouth. This leads us to the next change that will be happening shortly: weaning!

Although we’re a few months off yet from weaning Yun Zi from his mother, preparations have been happening for a while. Yun Zi is now 65 pounds (29.8 kilograms)! It seems like it was just yesterday that he had the appearance of a hairless lab rat. At a whopping 65 pounds, his keepers can no longer safely lift him to remove him from the exhibit. Because his idea of “helping” us is stealing our rakes, ripping holes in our trash bags, and biting our shoes, we’ve been busy teaching him to shift into the bedroom area while we service his exhibit.

Teaching him to shift led to teaching him to follow us through the transport tunnels to other areas of the research center. In preparation for his vaccinations, we spent several training sessions asking Yun Zi to follow us to the squeeze crate. He shifted beautifully up to the squeeze crate after just a few tries, but getting him back down to the exhibit was a feat! Bringing him out of his exhibit exposed Yun Zi to all sorts of new sights, sounds, and experiences. Watching him explore the tunnel while he completely ignored his mother and his keepers reminded us just how independent little Yun Zi is becoming (believe me; it was much easier when he just followed Bai everywhere!). Training him early on to follow us around, though, will be beneficial when it’s time to wean.

Gao Gao has been welcomed back to the main viewing area since Su Lin and Zhen Zhen’s departure, and he seems to be loving the exhibit! And why wouldn’t he? He gets to sleep on top of the artificial den, laze around in the pond when it’s hot, and people-watch while he munches endlessly on his bamboo. Since he’s been moved downstairs, though, he hasn’t been able to spend all of his time lounging around. Both Gao Gao and Bai Yun are being trained to participate in the panda hearing study (see post One More Thing before They Go). http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/blog/2010/08/12/one-more-thing-before-they-go/  Bai Yun, of course, has needed very few reminders of how the hearing study sessions work. She’s been picking up the behaviors like a pro. Our Gao, on the other hand, has needed a bit more attention. He hasn’t had too much trouble remembering to touch his nose to the target when he hears a tone, but getting him to sit still for the maximum of 10 seconds before a tone might be played—wow! You’d think that’s the most difficult thing he’s ever had to do in his life. Patience is not one of Gao’s stronger traits.

All is well in Pandaland. We’ve heard that the girls are doing well in their new home, too. Some of our staff is well acquainted with their new keeper, and we’re glad to know they’re in good hands. I’m sure they’d also be glad to know that their family members are keeping their old keepers plenty busy back in San Diego.

Juli Borwoski is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo. Read her previous post, Den Cleaning.

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149

Planning a Panda Exhibit

By
Karen Barnes
– September 15, 2010Posted in: Animal Stories, Pandas

A question was asked a while back about how a panda exhibit is designed. For any animal, a number of factors decide the eventual design of a San Diego Zoo exhibit. Architects create a concept using the space available and specific needs of the animal, working in conjunction with animal care staff. Once the size of the exhibit is established, the quality of that space is the focus. The habitat from which the animal originates, its temperature and/or humidity and/or photo period needs are considered. The design will take into account any specialized locomotion, resting, or hiding adaptations. One can see these factors in action on our panda exhibits.

Pandas are good climbers, so sturdy climbing structures are needed. They often prefer to rest off the ground, so structures should provide resting platforms or forks and bedrooms need to contain elevated options. Pandas prefer cooler over warmer weather. Exhibit fans and misters can be used when temps climb too high, and bedrooms are temperature-controlled. Pandas require a small pond through which they can walk or in which they can rest when the weather warms. Mature trees provide shade, and small plants are fun for the pandas to hide in or pull apart, as well as for general aesthetics. Periodically, sod is added for enrichment or grass seed put down in exhibits, but these have to be replenished due to wear and tear from the animals and from the raking done by the keepers when the exhibits are cleaned three times daily. A cave or large box can be provided for shelter. Sturdy bolts are positioned for hanging enrichment toys.

Currently, with five pandas in residence, we have a full house. Once Su Lin and Zhen Zhen move to China, we hope to be able to refurbish our panda exhibits. We have very large logs set aside for use in creating new climbing structures and a couple of mature trees will be added to one of the exhibits. These will be major renovations and will require the rental of a crane in order to lift and position these items within the exhibits. Thanks to our generous panda fans, money for the crane’s rental was successfully raised. This will be a good time to renew grass and smaller plants, too.

The renovations will be a lot of hard work for our own staff and for colleagues in other departments, such as Horticulture and Construction and Maintenance. However, the fun of watching the pandas explore and enjoy their remodeled homes will be well worth it!

Karen Barnes is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo. Read her previous post, Panda Keeper’s Day, Part 3.

Update: Su Lin and Zhen Zhen are continuing their crate training for their pending departure to China. Their move will come soon. We thank you all for your support as the Zoo prepares the duo for the next chapter in their life. They will be missed.

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68

Decision Maker Bai Yun

By
Anastasia Horning
– September 13, 2010Posted in: Animal Stories, Pandas

Bai with a young Zhen Zhen

We have had five giant pandas born at the San Diego Zoo, and with each cub we are learning more and more about this unique bear! One thing that we know for sure is that panda mother Bai Yun knows what she is doing, and she’s the best one to make decisions for her cubs while each is under her care. What decisions does she make? Well, lots of them!

From the beginning it has been Bai Yun that has decided when each cub can come out of the den for the first time, when to encourage her cub to climb, and when that cub is ready to go! One of the things our Panda Team observers do is document behaviors in this process. As a panda narrator, I educate guests about giant pandas and what we do at the Giant Panda Research Station, but I also did keeper work. Having that opportunity to watch the pandas for hours at a time as a narrator helped me when I worked with the pandas as a keeper, and I was able to share information that I had observed with our Panda Team.

I was recently asked by Zoo guests if I thought Bai Yun will wean Yun Zi earlier than her previous cubs. There is no simple answer to this. Over the next few months we will be watching and documenting Bai Yun’s behavior as usual. Right now, even though she does sometimes redirect Yun Zi from nursing, she eventually does let him nurse. Bai Yun is experienced and comfortable, but never negligent, with her cubs!

Anastasia Horning is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo.

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60

Our Growing Young Panda

By
Anastasia Horning
– September 10, 2010Posted in: Animal Stories, Pandas

When you see certain animals every day, it becomes difficult to notice how big they are getting or how much weight they are gaining. Well, after being gone for a month and returning to the Giant Panda Research Station at the San Diego Zoo, I can honestly tell you that Yun Zi, at 55.8 pounds (25.4 kilograms), is growing!

On my first day back, I also noticed that our beloved keepers are beginning the process of training him to go inside his bedroom without going in with him. At first I was surprised that they were starting this training so early, but after seeing one of the keepers stand next to Yun Zi, I understood. He is getting a little taller, and all that extra fat that he used to have and that we lovingly joked about has disappeared. Instead, a very muscular, strong little bear has appeared and is taking the crowd by storm.

Something even more interesting is to watch his activity level; he used to sleep a lot, but he now runs more and chases after Mom! When doing keeper work, we don’t often get the opportunity of being able to watch our cub for hours; it’s closer for us to check him on the monitors in the back. But working as a panda narrator once again has allowed me to watch more of his antics and play sessions with Mom, something I have to admit I’ve missed in the last month!

Yun Zi has also begun a slight weaning process with Bai Yun; or rather, she has started it. Several times now I’ve seen Yun Zi approach her to nurse; he goes right for that belly. But Bai Yun quickly pushes him to the side and almost redirects his attention. We are seeing more teeth coming in, and he has been chewing on the thicker bamboo, but he still is really only eating the young, thin bamboo.

Come see him soon—he’s getting bigger every day!

Anastasia Horning is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo. Read her previous post, Mini Horse Memories.

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168

Bai Yun through the Years

By
Kathy Hawk
– September 7, 2010Posted in: Animal Stories, Pandas

Happy 19th birthday, Bai Yun!

I remember that special day in the fall of 1996: the dream had finally happened, the San Diego Zoo had giant pandas! I had little sleep the night before our black-and-white celebrities arrived. I stayed late at the Zoo’s Giant Panda Research Station, disinfecting bedrooms and getting things ready for our new kids. Bai was the first panda I saw in the shipping crate when she and Shi Shi arrived. As the back door of the delivery truck opened, there she was, looking curiously at me. I was in awe!

Bai checks out her new home at the San Diego Zoo, October 11, 1996.

As the days rolled into months, Bai and I became fast friends. I would spend my lunch breaks with her:she would be in the off-exhibit backyards, and I would be on the outside of the separation fence. Bai was five years old at the time and very much the comical youngster. We would interact through the fence line, and it was funny, as it seemed she would imitate everything I did! If I ran along the fence line, she would run; if I did a somersault, or bounce on all fours, Bai was with me every step of the way. Thank goodness we were behind the scenes, as someone might think the keeper has lost her mind!

Bai knows how to play! April 1997.

Bai and I have shared many events together. I remember during the early years of breeding season, male Shi Shi repeatedly rejected Bai’s friendly advances. Our Panda Team decided to precede with our alternate plan, and Bai was artificially inseminated; this procedure eventually produced our first cub, Hua Mei.

I was there the day Bai gave birth to Hua Mei. At that time, some people were skeptical about whether Bai would make a good mother. I had no doubts, as I knew her that well; she would know what to do and care for her cub. Bai has now proven herself to be an excellent mother five times to date!

Who needs a hammock? September 2001

Another story that comes to mind is when our vet staff asked us if there was a possibility we could train Bai to do ultrasound procedures. In three days, Bai learned to lie down in a squeeze cage when asked, and within a few weeks we were obtaining ultrasound pictures! How did Bai learn this behavior? Well, she imitated me while she was sitting in the cage: I laid down next to the cage, and my silly girl thought this was a new game to play! I captured this behavior using a clicker and a food reward after she did the behavior. Bai never ceases to amaze me. Since the early years, our veterinarians have been able to document the development of a growing panda fetus up to the day before birth!

Bai checks out an interesting scent, June 2003.

As I look back on the early years to the present, I still am in awe over Bai Yun. She has taught us so much about giant panda biology. Through her, researchers have been able to utilize this knowledge in efforts to better understand giant pandas in the wild and how we can protect and preserve giant panda habitats in China. Our Bai is truly the matriarch of our conservation research program here at the San Diego Zoo’s Giant Panda Research Station.

Today, September 7, our grand lady is 19 years old. She is still just as beautiful as the day she arrived in 1996, a bright-eyed beauty who still captures the hearts of everyone who sees her at the Zoo and on our Panda Cam.

Happy Birthday, “Miss B”! Thank you for all you have done for us in the name of giant panda conservation, your five beautiful cubs, and for me personally. I am honored to be your keeper.

Kathy Hawk is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo. Read Kathy’s previous post, Panda 1st Grade.

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67

Panda Keeper Day, Part 3

By
Karen Barnes
– July 23, 2010Posted in: Animal Stories, Events at the Zoo, Pandas

Yun Zi keeps his caregivers busy.

Be sure to read Panda Keeper’s Day and Panda Keeper’s Day, Part 2.

By the end of the mid-day feedings at the San Diego Zoo, it is time for the late-shift keeper to take lunch. The other keeper(s) are busy recording the bamboo weights of the prepared bundles and the weights of the leftover bamboo for each feeding. Notations are made in the daily diaries for pandas and for the deer. A training log is completed for each animal after each training session. A daily keeper report must be completed, highlighting the more significant events of the day, such as medications given or training done or each panda’s weight and overnight bamboo consumption or work completed in the area by another department, such as Construction & Maintenance Department staff clearing a drain or Horticulture Department staff thinning the plants in one of the deer exhibits.

In addition to the paperwork, other chores are done; such tasks include tidying leaf litter in the area; cleaning the bamboo cooler; returning to a deer exhibit to rake leaf litter or replace the hay under a shelter; perhaps returning a phone call or an e-mail; preparing the additional food items for the next day’s diet, such as folivore (leafeater) biscuits, and apples, yams, and carrots for the pandas, and chopped yams and carrots for the deer.

The early keeper(s) leave in the afternoon, taking the daily keeper report with them. The late keeper sets up the rooms for Gao Gao and Zhen Zhen with their last feeding of the day. As each is brought into their respective rooms, their enclosures are cleaned and the pond drained in preparation for the next morning. The other exhibits are also cleaned and new food made available. At this time, the urine holes in Su Lin’s bedroom will be thoroughly dried in preparation for tomorrow’s urine collection. All locks are checked and certain lights turned on as the facility is closed for the evening. Now that we are into later summer hours, a late keeper from another area will give bedroom access for the exhibits later in the evening.

Panda keepers are part of the Sun Bear Forest team. Certain species require bedroom access later in the day. Usually, the sun bear area keepers have already communicated any extra requests to the late keeper; however, before leaving the panda station to provide access, the phone is checked for any final instructions. For example, a langur may need a second dose of a medicine in the evening; a bucket with crayfish has been left for the otters as a final treat for the day; a sloth bear had a routine exam and the keeper wants a late check of the animal; misters for the cat species need to be shut off for the night. The keeper is often asked questions by guests, and the keeper must be able to answer them or radio elsewhere for a correct response.

Animal work is varied and can be unpredictable. The keeper must know how to access each exhibit, if needed, and which animal needs a food treat to lure back onto exhibit and which one doesn’t. We have many other tasks to accomplish, with varying frequency, throughout the day. For example, the nutritionist may stop by to discuss a potential diet increase for a growing panda or to help an older deer maintain weight; each panda is weighed at least once a week. Supplies must be obtained during a visit to the Zoo’s warehouse. It is a constant effort to keep the general area clean of cobwebs and leaf litter, and floors need to be scrubbed. Monthly safety meetings must be attended by everyone, and there is a monthly department meeting that is attended by those working that day. Periodic meetings with the rest of the Panda Team keep everyone informed.

Dirt is needed to fill in areas where erosion has occurred on steep hillsides or where repeated raking has occurred. Potted plants are watered until there’s time to plant them in an exhibit. A new shipment of sod is placed in exhibits for enrichment and aesthetics. A hoof trim is scheduled for a deer. A keeper does an interview with a film crew, especially when milestones occur, such as a panda’s birthday or the naming of a panda cub. The list goes on and on….

In short, a panda keeper’s day is full and varied, fitting in myriad tasks around the daily feeding schedule for the animals. It is also rewarding and just plain fun!

Karen Barnes is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

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71

Panda Keeper Day, Part 2

By
Karen Barnes
– July 21, 2010Posted in: Animal Stories, Pandas

Yun Zi has fun every day!

Be sure to read Panda Keeper’s Day.

Ideally, there are two keepers who start the morning shift at the San Diego Zoo’s Giant Panda Research Station, but sometimes scheduling permits only one. The panda care team also has a late keeper, the shift varying throughout the year as daylight and the Zoo’s operating hours change. Currently, the late keeper arrives at 8:30 a.m. and may participate in the panda hearing study, which usually starts at 8:45.

During the panda hearing study, one keeper enters a large wooden box where a camera and sound equipment have been placed. The box is located at the end of a tunnel through which the pandas are moved. A researcher stands at a table just outside the box, monitoring the panda’s reactions to tones of different pitches. The panda is expected to rest its chin on a small platform, and then touch its nose to a round target when it hears a tone. The purpose of the study is to test the range of pitches that pandas can detect. This project was made possible by the keepers training the pandas to sit still at the chin rest and then to react to a tone.

As mentioned in my previous post, deer are also a part of the panda keeper’s responsibility. Currently, the species are western tufted deer and Siberian musk deer, housed in five different exhibits. The next priority is to service these animals. It takes one keeper nearly two hours to do the basic feeding and cleaning of these exhibits. If there is no time for additional tasks, such as providing fresh hay in their shelters, then the keeper can return later in the day. By the time the deer are serviced, it’s usually lunchtime for the early-shift keeper(s).

While one keeper is servicing the deer, the other one or two are cleaning the bedrooms to which the pandas had access overnight. Currently, we are collecting urine in Su Lin’s bedroom for hormone analysis of a maturing female. There are small holes drilled into the cement floor of the bedroom, surrounding the drain. These holes catch urine from the slight slope of the bedroom floor as the liquid moves toward the drain. Unfortunately for our purposes, she does not always urinate in the bedroom!

Preparing the pandas’ bamboo diets is the next priority. The pandas are fed three times each day. Their mid-day bamboo, evening bamboo, and the next day’s breakfast bamboo are prepared. Based on the recommendations of the Zoo’s nutritionists, each panda has a target weight range of bamboo for each feeding. The morning’s feeding is fairly heavy, because the pandas are hungry first thing. The mid-day feeding is the lightest because we want the pandas to shift later for cleaning and receipt of the last feeding, which is the heaviest because it must tide the bears over until the next morning. Each bamboo bundle contains at least three species of bamboo and is a mixture of leafy bamboo and sections of culm, the thick stems that contain a lot of starch for the bears. The completed bundles are stored in a large refrigerated cooler, along with the supply of harvested bamboo, from which the bundles are made. The bamboo is harvested by a hard-working colleague in the Horticulture Department, a full-time job!

Is Yun Zi supervising or preparing to pounce?

By this time, it is generally time for the mid-day feeding. Each bear is shifted off exhibit so that the keepers can remove feces and the morning’s bamboo and place new bamboo, biscuits, and produce. If the pond has been dirtied by the bear, it will be quickly flushed and refilled. As with the morning and later feedings, if the cub comes to the ground, he will be placed into the tunnel.

At this time, the keepers may do training with one or more of the pandas. For example, Su Lin and Zhen Zhen will be sent to China some day, and they must be habituated to their transport crate. This process includes closing the animal inside and making noise in the area and moving the crate around while observing the bear’s reaction. The process is a gradual one, so these manipulations become a normal part of the bear’s environment without undue stress. There may also be training for the hearing study. Zhen Zhen is new to the study and was often put through her paces before beginning actual data collection. Gao Gao has received some training toward the hearing study; Bai Yun was trained for the study, but needs some review, having not participated while she was busy raising Yun Zi. There are also routine behaviors that may be trained or reviewed, such as open mouth or sit or down or placing an arm into a metal sleeve in preparation for a blood draw.

Check back soon for Part 3 of a Panda Keeper’s Day!

Karen Barnes is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

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