cont. from video ^ such sweeties


scratching

< Video link~1.05 min.~5/9/13~Po Eats Boo & Rolls the Treat-Barrel

Panda Updates

Friday, May 10
It may have been mentioned before, but I wanted to mention again that this is the pandas’ favorite season. This is the time of year when the bamboo starts shooting. Bamboo is essentially a type of grass that has roots or rizomes that run in every direction. New bamboo stalks erupt from these rizomes in the form of shoots and grow faster than you can believe. These shoots can grow over six feet in less than a week. These shoots are one of, if not the favorite food items and the pandas will eat just about as many of them as we can provide. Pandas in the wild will generally eat only shoots this time of year. Some pandas will consume well over 50 lbs. of shoots in one day. As we do not have enough shoots to offer them exclusively, the pandas are also being offered their normal allotment of bamboo as usual. They enjoy getting the fresh bamboo, but will immediately ignore it when shoots are presented. Each panda is typically getting around 5 kg. of various species shoots per day. The keepers also have been cutting some shoots from Zoo grounds and offering that as well. We need to take advantage of the season as much as we can, because before you know it, all the shoots will just be regular bamboo and the pandas will have to wait another year.

Kenn Harwood
Lead Keeper of Carnivores

5/14/13~Happy Po~6.05 min. < Video link


He runs around the room, plays with jolly ball, somersaults, scents the log, eats boo, visits keeper window & stands on his head leaving the water fountain.

somersault