The Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CRCGP) at Bifengxia has just welcomed a new bear from Wolong, Sichuan, China.  She is 2 years old and her name is Dian Dian (点点).  She is a very cute bear because she is so little, weighing less than 25 kg (55 lbs).  Because of her new location, she may be more curious and playful.  Another factor may be her age, young pandas tend to be more curious and energetic than older pandas.  She loves climbing trees and seems to have a favorite tree with ample leaves to keep her cool in the heat.  During her Panda Personality observation study, she was outside standing on her hind paws by her enclosure wall, pawing at the vines hanging down.  She would bat at the vines like a cat might, perhaps this is why they are called “bear cats”, which is the literal translation of panda in Chinese (熊猫, xióngmāo).  She also likes wandering around her enclosure and taking in all the new smells.  Sometimes it can be hard to see her in the tall grasses and shrubbery because of her size.  When I observed her during the personality trial she was very playful, rolling with it and gnawing at our bear ball.  Dian Dian has not developed any stereotypes that I have observed, which may be due to her age and new environment.

From the studies, I have noticed that adult pandas may have more stereotypes than younger pandas.  As they age, more stereotypes may develop.  The keepers will switch bears for mating purposes as well as to help enrich the pandas with new environments and stimuli.  Some bears are very stereotypic, while others may not have any stereotypes, and many fall into the gray area.  As part of PDXWildlife’s stereotypic study, they will be looking at potential correlations the panda’s age and whether they were raised in captivity or the wild.  There’s so much that can be learned from these amazing and curious pandas.  I look forward to more studies with Dian Dian and the other bears.

I have already been in China for 2 months, which is crazy to think about!  It all goes by so fast when you enjoy what you’re doing and have great fellow interns to be with.  I’m very grateful to have this opportunity to learn and grow from professionally and personally.  Thank you to all the family and friends for the immense support, as I would not be here without your help.  Gradually, I have been picking up more Chinese, though the process seems slow, it is very helpful when communicating with the CRCGP staff.  I am getting to know more of the panda keepers, grounds keepers, and other staff here, which helps the research process go more smoothly.  I look forward to Nate & Meghan’s analysis of all the data that we are collecting to give us insight into the biology of these bears.

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Hello Again. My name is Michelle Vohs and as an intern for PDXWildlife, I collect data on the stereotypic behavior of giant pandas at Bifengxia. If you have any questions on the work that PDXWildlife is performing, please leave it in the comments below. Thank you.