A Birthday Gift 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, development program manager for the San Diego Zoo.
Source: San Diego Zoo
