Hi panda fans! We’re about one month from touching down in China with our projected first day in Gengda on February 25th! We’ve been busy putting together our plans to restart our reintroduction research and coordinating potential pilot projects with the CCRCGP. So exciting to be going back!

I know everyone is probably wondering about the coronavirus. It could impact our trip (which would only be postponed not cancelled!) but we’re hoping to see how the Chinese New Years goes before making the final call. So . . . upwards and onwards! With that caveat, I’d love to start introducing you to our new Winter Giant Panda Behavior inters as, most likely, you’ll be seeing them in the near future (even if not on Feb 22nd).

Victoria Hope was our intern that was scheduled back in Summer 2018 and was cancelled last minute with the Chinese government changes and the disruption to our research. In reality, she’s been waiting for this internship opportunity since November of 2016 when she first contacted me about the position! So even the possibility that we may have to cancel – AGAIN – is devastating for her. Here’s her story:

“Hello, my name is Victoria Hope and I have waited for this opportunity to work with Giant Pandas my entire life. I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon and moved to California when I was 19 years old after graduating high school. I have been living in northern California for the last five years attending college at Humboldt State University. For this opportunity, I am taking a semester off from college to be able to attend.

I am currently a senior and will be graduating in the year of 2020 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology. With this degree, I plan to pursue my passions of working with wild animals and helping preserve their habitats. My interest lies in fields such as rescue, rehabilitation, research, conservation, animal behavior, and zoo keeping. While I hope to work with many animals I want to specialize in bears.

I have been fascinated in working with giant pandas since I was a child. This devotion for giant pandas was introduced to me by way of my mother. She always donated to the World Wildlife Foundation and taught me about pandas. When I was born, my mom gave me a stuffed animal panda which I still have today. This love for pandas continued to blossom as I grew up and I decided to dedicate my life to a career of saving giant pandas and educating others to do the same. I have yet to see a giant panda in person, but it has not been due to a lack of trying. This internship would not only be a great experience, but a lifelong dream becoming a reality. Through this internship I will not only get to see them every day but get the amazing opportunity to work with them and others that share my passion. I do not see how it can get any better than that.

This past Summer, I spent almost three months in Saint Louis, Missouri interning at the Saint Louis Zoo. I got the honor of working next to some of the best zookeepers at the Primate House. I learned more during my time there, than in my entire academic career in college. Getting the opportunity to work alongside animal professionals, and the captive animals themselves, was extremely valuable. It was my first time working with captive animals and I loved every second of it.

I did everything from cleaning the exhibits, dishes, enrichment, kitchens, and halls. Additionally, I learned how to meet the needs of each primate by learning how to cut, measure, and distribute food. I participated in rearranging the layout of exhibits as well as creating fun and new enrichment for the animals. By the end of my internship, I was able to recognize most of our primates by name based on their behaviors or looks. I got to observe several medical procedures, meetings, trainings, and workshops. All of which I found to be very informative and insightful for my career. I felt like part of the team at the Primate House, and I was sad when I had to leave.

This experience helped me realize that pursuing a zoo keeping position would be an excellent stepping-stone to continue growing my career. If I had to pick my favorite animals that I worked with during my time at the Saint Louis Zoo, it would be the Guereza Colobus Monkey and the Allen’s Swamp Monkey. Not only were they both extremely intelligent, but they were the most active and entertaining to watch. I learned so much from both the zookeepers and the animals at the primate house.

Writing to you all through these blogs is an honor, and I look forward to the journey I will be taking with PDXWildlife. Thank you for all who donate and contribute to PDXWildlife. Also, to the staff that makes this amazing opportunity possible for people like me. Lastly, to my family and boyfriend for your support and love. Couldn’t have done any of this without you, thank you all, love you!

-Victoria

Victoria Hope is a current PDXWildlife Winter 2020 Giant Panda Behavior Intern. She is currently pursuing a Bachelors in Zoology from Humboldt State University.