First day to see the pandas!
Monday, 14 December 2009 15:10
Hi guys,
Well, what a week it has been. And today was probably the biggest step into the future of Adelaide Zoo for a while! How exciting it has all been... yesterday was the official welcoming of Wang Wang and Funi to Adelaide Zoo. First thing in the morning there was a Buddhist blessing which was really fascinating to watch. They set up right in front of Funi (in her day room) and she stayed there the entire time…happily munching away.
The ceremony itself went off without a hitch….although Wang Wang did need a little encouragement to go out when asked as he was too busy enjoying some of his favourite bamboo (Arrow Bamboo)! They were such stars and have made so many fans already. Dr Chris West, CEO of Zoos SA, gave a lovely speech, followed by Mr Junsai Zhang, the Chinese Ambassador, who thinks that they will both be very happy here and wished us luck for the future breeding of them. Lastly Ms Quentin Bryce AC, Governor-General gave a final speech.
Today is the first open day for the Pandas. We are all so excited and hope everyone has a wonderful time when they visit! It is just lovely to see smiling faces and excited children…and….. adults alike! All the staff at the zoo have been working very hard to make sure everything was ready for today. The new front gate and zoo shop look absolutely amazing!
So now for the beautiful pandas themselves. Well they are both settling in really well. I could not be happier with how they are. They are both eating really well on around 7 species of bamboo….all home grown here in Adelaide!
Thank you so much to anyone who has registered as a supplier for the pandas….they are very grateful! Our plantation is going wonderfully as well and it must be so rewarding for Jason, our Giant Panda bamboo horticulturalist, to see them enjoying the food he has worked so hard to provide them with.
Wang Wang is such a laid back bloke. It is so funny….he is just so relaxed and happy being himself and doing his own thing. Occasionally he does surprise you by getting a burst of energy and playing around in the water or throwing his bamboo around. He is so wonderful with training as well. We have been able get him to lie down, give him 'mock' injections in case it is needed in the future. He are able to take his temperature when we want to and he just sits there. What a good boy! I have given him many enrichment toys that have been recommended to us by other facilities that house Giant Pandas. He is so strong and has already made some huge punctures in the plastic! It really brings you back down to earth that they are still such powerful animals.
Funi is such a little princess and a bit of a clown. She loves being the center of attention and is often seen doing somersaults on the mulch in her exhibit. This normally occurs when she is all excited and has been splashing around in her waterfall! So if you visit her and see that she is a little dirty…or that the windows have smear marks on it….we are trying to keep them clean! She is just so cheeky! She loves running alongside me through the off limit facilities and back out into her day room. I have caught her many times posing in front of the public, pretending to be sleeping. She has her hand over her eyes…but if you watch closely you might see her actually move her arm and watch to see if you are looking! If she is not getting enough attention I have seen her get up, reposition herself and then lie back down. What a funny girl!
I think the most rewarding thing so far is to see both of them developing a relationship with me, as well as the other keeping staff. They really seem to recognize me now, and Funi especially seems happy to have the company. She relaxes if I sit near her which is such a great feeling. I think Wang Wang, Funi and myself will become really good friends.
That is all for now!
Simone
Photos: Bryan Charlton
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Alex
said:
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... Very exciting . . . we have booked to visit Wang Wang and Funi in a few days. Ambient temp in Adelaide will be about 36 deg celcius However, will it be cold in the Panda enclosure?? |
Barbara Miller
said:
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... What a wonderful addition to your zoo. I wish I could visit Funi and Wang Wang,but the USA is pretty far away.Our zoo in Milwaukee does have koala bears and is a fairly large zoo. Congratulations to all at the Adelaide Zoo. |
bei
said:
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Congratulations to Wangwang and Funi and to all staff in Adelaide zoo wish they have very happy times in there, and can't wait to see the first baby panda to be born in Australia!  |
Amanda
said:
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So Excited Thanks for the updates on Wang Wang and Funi. I'm really excited as all my life I've wanted to see pandas, I can't wait until I can get to the zoo and see them. It's going to be a dream come true when I get there, and I'll be taking lots and lots of photos! |
Andreas Freund
said:
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Pandaworld wish you good luck and fun with the two Pandas Congratulations to the two pandas from Germany We wish you all good luck and have fun with the pandas We hope that we will hear good news in future about a Australian Panda offspring and wish you good luck |
Jackie
said:
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... Thanks for your continuing insights and information about Funi and Wang Wang. Even though its school holidays I know lots of Room 1 children will still be reading your blog. Some of the excited faces you saw on opening day were bound to have been theirs as well. We hope the Chinese staff are enjoying life and work in Adelaide. |
