Arrived at the Bifenxia Panda Conservation Center on Saturday July 23rd in the afternoon and settled into the Panda Inn before our vunteer orientation. We received our work uniforms, a big grey jump suit, gloves and volunteer badges. The showed us the areas we would be working in and broke is up into two groups. After all official matters were complete we wandered around the center taking photos of adult, subadult, and baby Pandas! The center has a moderately sized portion that visitors can see, essentially like a zoo that only has Giant Pandas.
Sunday July 24th, first day of work!
Volunteer schedule:
8:10-9:15 Clean four different enclosures including removal of old bamboo, scooping feces and placing fresh baboo in the outdoor portion of each pen.
10:30-10:40 Feed two pandas panda cake and carrots.
11:30-11:40 Feed two pandas panda cake and apples.
1:40-2:00 Feed panda cake, carrots and fresh bamboo.
3:30-3:40 Feed panda cake.
On Monday we were able to have a lecture/discussion with the chief veterinarian at this center and learned a lot about what they have done for captive breeding and the origins of the center. Aside from volunteering I spend time walking around the facility watching different pandas and enjoying the amazing insects and amphibians in the bamboo forest, eating Popsicles and working on my final research paper. It is now day three of our volunteer experience and it is nice working with the same keeper and pandas each day!
Panda Fact of the Post:
-Giant Pandas poop about 97 times a day.
Dearest Bethamus,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate that fun fact. Also, I creeped on your blog and it's pretty sweet :). That is all.
Toodaloo,
Ivon
I've been living vicariously through your blog. Can't wait to hear about it all in person!
ReplyDeletexoxo Robyn
P.S. I spy the word "amphibians." You know I'm gonna want to hear more about that...