Atlanta's Po has a new keeper and his own Iphone Application
Zoo Atlanta’s Po has his own Iphone Application. I think he is the first giant panda with an Iphone Application. Click here for more info.
April 8, 2011
If you’ve been watching Panda Cam, or seen Lun Lun and Po in person recently, you’ve probably noticed that they’re interacting with each other more and more. Sometimes these interactions are obviously play, and other times what they’re doing is a little less clear. For example, today I collected data on Lun and Po and Po was struggling to climb into the hammock. Just when he had almost made it in, Lun came along and pushed him off and he landed with a thump on the ground. What’s up with that? I don’t have a good answer to that question, but I can tell you that it’s pretty typical behavior for Lun with her cubs. I can also tell you that we keep a close eye on them and these interactions never cause any injuries to Po. Giant panda cubs are pretty tough and do a lot of tumbling and falling on their own, even when their moms aren’t pushing them off the climbing structure!
Lun and Po played for quite some time while I collected data and it was fun to watch. We have microphones in the indoor dayrooms, which allowed me to hear what was going on during the play bout, in addition to seeing it. Aside from a few small grunts, Po didn’t make any vocalizations to let his mom know that she was being too rough. In fact, he went back for more whenever she walked away. Even though it looks rough to us, Lun isn’t trying to hurt her cub. In fact, she actually tones it down a bit, but it’s hard to play like a little cub when you weigh well over 200 pounds!And no need to worry, because Po eventually made it back into the hammock for a nap when Lun settled down to eat.
Article by Megan Wilson, Zoo Atlanta’s Assistant Curator of Mammals
April 6, 2011
Hello! I thought maybe I should introduce myself – my name is Jen and I’m the newest member to the carnivore staff here at Zoo Atlanta! I have spent the last year or so interning and working as a seasonal keeper in other departments and am thrilled to finally call the panda building my home! Learning the routine here in pandas is a lot of hard work, but getting to work with pandas makes everything worth it! The pandas and I are spending a lot of time getting to know each other. It seems Po and I have a lot in common; we’re both rookies and are learning all about our new home together! Speaking of Po, the little cub is getting stronger every day. His favorite place these days seems to be the hammock. ‘When in doubt, find the hammock’ seems to be his motto!
Article by Jen Webb (Keeper I, Mammals)
April 1, 2011
Po and Lun Lun continue to do well on exhibit. The keepers have been increasing the amount of time they are out each day. Now, visitors to the Zoo can expect to see Po and Lun Lun on exhibit from 9:30-1:30 each day. Some days they are on exhibit past 1:30, but visitors should plan to be at the giant panda exhibit before 1:30 if they want to be sure to see Po. At nearly five months of age, Po is right on track developmentally. He continues to work on his climbing skills, which seem to improve each day. He is still very young and, like most young animals, he spends quite a bit of sleeping. Luckily, he is adorable asleep or awake.
Article by Rebecca Snyder (Zoo Atlanta’s Curator of Mammals)
Source: www.zooatlanta.org
