This is Nicole Murray checking in-
When you’re looking at photos from thousands of miles away, it can be hard to distinguish between pandas, but here on the base, we are certainly picking favorites. The lady who stole my heart is an eight-year-old fluff ball named Wen Yu. She was one of the first pandas that we observed as a group when being trained by Nathaniel, and we were all struck by how tiny she was and how she could not take a bad photo.
But we all know a lady cannot be admired simply for her good looks, and Wen Yu has an endearing personality, as well. Firstly, Wen Yu is extremely tidy. During one of my studies with her, I noticed she was sticking her bum outside, so I peeked outside to check it out. As it turns out, Wen Yu does her, “business,” outside and leaves her bedroom for sleeping. Considering that we’ve seen other pandas poo into their water and drink it, I was impressed by her class. Face in, Tushie out.
-
- Front Half In
-
- Back Half Out
-
- Quite a Camera Ham
In our other trials together, Wen Yu showed me more about herself. When given an ice block with an apple in it, she was elated and scent anointed it all over her tiny noggin and body. It was adorable to watch. Wen Yu can be sassy too, which she demonstrated in our mirror study. Typically, the pandas have a strong reaction to this object, as they cannot self-recognize. Not my girl, though. Wen Yu came into the room and immediately fell asleep in front of the mirror. This is how she keeps me humble.
I hope that I have effectively explained why Wen Yu is objectively the best panda at Bifengxia. See you in the next blog post.
