Hello everyone! It’s me, Hailey (the tallest intern). My first week in Ya’an has been absolutely phenomenal.

As I sat on the bus to Bifengxia for our very first day at the base I was filled with excitement, not only to be in a new place, with a new language and culture, but also to see my very first giant panda bear. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed.

We got off the bus, and spent some time in the office putting our things away and such and then headed to the breeding center. I was so excited I could hardly stand it, but tried to maintain my composure as Nate explained a few housekeeping items. After we looked at the location board at the breeding center, we rounded the corner, and BAM! There she was, Jun Zhu my very first panda! I was completely in awe, and had a hard time wiping the look off my face.

A very cool moment for both Hailey and Bryan.

She sat there staring at Bryan and I, for a minute, but we dared not get too close in case she disappeared! Nate soon came over and showed us that we could get a little closer, and we did so, very slowly. She was beautiful, sitting there relaxed and eating bamboo with massive force. She didn’t seem too interested in us, compared to how interested we were, in her. This was one of those experiences that I will carry with me throughout my lifetime, standing in the presence of something that was so magnificent for the first time.

It’s funny to watch the bears eat, they consume so much but seem to do so in a relaxed manner. They also seem to be very particular about the pieces of bamboo which they select, olfactory investigating each piece before they choose their meal.

My time in Ya’an has been amazing so far, and I am very excited to spend more time with the bears, as well as traveling to Dujiangyan to do endocrinology work!