S OCIETY
or something that smells interesting is given to pandas for them to
explore.
Wu Kongju, director of the animal management department at the
Chengdu Base, said when taking a sample of panda blood, pandas
are required to stand upright and hold the platform in the way they
have been taught with spoken commands. She said pandas are very
clever and like to repeat a movement once they know that the rightmove will be rewarded. “It’s a result of the long-term intensive train-
ing,” she said.
Zhang Hao, another panda keeper, told our reporter that they have
to decorate pandas’ rooms and playgrounds as close to the natural en-
vironment as possible to make them feel more relaxed and comfort-
able. In each room, a wooden horse seems somewhat out of keeping
but is used to train pandas’ sense of balance. In addition, bamboo is
erected in the playground for them to eat in order to imitate their
natural environment.Human Nanny
After a day’s work, panda keepers have to record the nursing records
every evening including pandas’ eating habits, mental condition and
their feces before producing a comprehensive review.
From early March to the end of April is the breeding time for pan-
das, and also the busiest time for their keepers. During this period, the
most experienced keepers will be selected from the total of 60 staff to
take care of pregnant pandas and cubs. The first three months of life
is a crucial period for new-born pandas and a keeper has to look after
cubs 24 hours a day.
It is also important to take care of mother pandas after they give
birth. Wild pandas do not eat for the first month after giving birth
causing great harm to their health. Pandas in captivity, however, are
fed regularly to ensure their bodies recover quickly.
Chen said that several years ago when he became a panda keeper,
there was a dire shortage of staff. And during the breeding period, he
sometimes had to work continuously for 23 hours a day and it was
common for him to live in the breeding centre for three months at a
time. But nowadays, he said, there are more panda keepers who have
become increasingly experienced.
According to the job alert published on the website of the centre,
the first requirement for becoming a panda keeper is a “junior uni-
versity degree related to animal and animal medical care.” Wu said
because of the popularity of pandas among the public, there are a
growing number of applicants each year.
Zhang Hao studied animal medicine at school. The first day when
he became a panda keeper, he was delighted to see the adorable crea-
ture face to face. Like other keepers when they have just started the
job, he found it hard to tell the pandas apart as most of them look the
same. With help from senior keepers and a lot of observation, Zhang
began to be able to tell the difference.
When Dai Shan was still in university, she was captivated by pandas
during a visit to the Chengdu Base and she decided to become a pan-
da keeper. The first time she touched a panda during work, however,
she was a little disappointed because their fur is much coarser thanWorld-famous panda cub Qiyi shows off her climbing skills
Photo by wang lei