Hanging With The Pandas at the CCRCGP

So we hopped on the bus, Gus, and headed through some very thick pollution in Chengdu out of the city to a very peaceful spot about an hour’s bus ride away (of course!).  It was the Dujiangyan Giant Panda Base (aka the DGPB), which is run by the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, (aka the CCRCGP).

After our arrival, we put on the blue overall uniforms and gloves(you’ll see them in the pictures below), hopped on the large golf carts, and zipped up hill to be dropped off by the panda enclosures.  The other group stayed behind to prepare the panda cakes.  They ended up not doing that till we all did it later.

A crew of us were sent to clean up one of the panda enclosures, first outside (whilst they were in their overnight cages) and inside (after they were let out).  It was a lot more fun than I expected it to be.  We had to clean up the bamboo that was shredded all around the outside of the enclosure.  I grabbed the small poop scooper and the large metal poop holder, and commenced to scooping the poop.

As a political consultant, there was something about scooping panda poop that reminded me of my job!  (Just kidding!  No, clients, really, just reaching for the cheap joke!) 

Panda poop does not smell.  As Andrew noted, it is the cleanest, most fiber intensive diet of any animal, including humans, in the world.  Some was perfectly formed and easy to pick up with the scooper.  Others were in shreds, probably been stepped on by the pandas.  That poop took a bit more work to scoop – some of my fellow travelers used brooms to help sweep that up, so it did get done.  I wasn’t the only one scooping poop, as there was lots of it!

(Editor’s Note:  In China, and using the phrase “fellow travelers!”  Reaching for the cheap joke again, I see.  Blogger: Always.  I go for the cheap laugh any chance I can, whether we are in Cuba or China!)

Then they sent us up the hill in the outside enclosure, where there was more cleaning up to do, including a lot more poop.

(Editor’s Note: You are like a 12 year old boy, using the word “poop” whenever you can.  I bet you were smiling to yourself each time you used the word “poop.” Blogger: Poop. Poop.  Poop.  Poop. Poop.  Poop.  Poop. Poop.  Poop.  Poop. Poop.  Poop.  Poop. Poop.  Poop.  Editor: Okay, we get it – stop!)

Some of my fellow travelers brought huge armloads of fresh, sweet bamboo up the hill and laid it outside for the two pandas to eat.  I scooped, yes, you guessed it, poop.  There was a lot.  And a lot of it was shredded.  Carol and other pitched in as well, sweeping and scooping.  Pandas poop.  A lot.

Then, we went back down the hill, and they let the pandas out.  We then cleaned up their enclosure house.  If there was going to odor anywhere, this would be the place.  And yet, no smell.  Lots of poop, but no smell.

The pandas thoughtfully had pretty much pooped in one corner of the enclosure house, so it was easy scooping.  Once again, there was a lot of poop.  Once we got it all cleaned out, we were free to walk up and look at the pandas, happily munching away on their fresh new bamboo.

After watching the pandas from a distance, we started walking around the entire area.  First, we came upon Red Pandas in a wooded enclosure.  An endangered species like the Giant Panda, the red panda is more closely related to raccoons than to bears.

We then walked around and saw quite a few Giant Pandas, all kept in  large enclosures with trees and open space.  In ones or twos, the pandas were either eating or playing.  Obviously, this is the most pandas I've ever seen in one day, as the previous number is three at the National Zoo.  Actually, I didn't count how many pandas I saw, but thinking back, I believe the number is eight, out of the 40 pandas they have overall.

It seemed like we had a couple of hours to watch the many pandas, although it was probably a bit less.  Two young pandas (about 1.5 years old) had fun wrestling with each other.  A 3.5 year old would watch them through a window connecting the two areas and whinny like a horse, but much more softly.  It clearly wanted to join them to play.  Unless it wanted to attack, but whom am I to say what animals will do.

Another, older panda (never got the age) was content sit propped up on his back like Jabba the Hutt and stuff his face with bamboo.  (I wish I could take credit for the Jabba the Hutt analogy, but one of the women in the group said it, but I wasn't close enough to know who did say it!).  

Panda watching is tons of fun.  After a bit, two workers entered the enclosure with the two 1.5 year old pandas, and gave them treats to munch on like large carrots.  The pandas are obviously comfortable with these workers.  One stayed and rubbed them down with a towel, also rubbing their heads with the hands affectionately.

My attention turned to another solo panda who was sitting up, chomping away on bamboo.  I got some great close-up shots of him eating away (see below).

We walked back a ways, and then got the reward for being volunteer helpers.  We got to directly feed the pandas. Yes, you read that right -- DIRECTLY FEED PANDAS!  In our heads, we were screaming like 16 year old girls at a Beatles concert. Outwardly, we were calm and collected.

The best advice we got was to NOT tease the pandas by waving the food around in front of them.  Pandas may be cute, but they can still do major damage.  They were back in their inside cages.

By luck, Carol was at the front of the line, and I was second.  We were each given two carrots.  The panda looked hopefully at us, and we put the carrots out there for it to eat, which it did ravenously.  As Carol noted, she (and then I) made eye contact with the panda as it chomped down on the carrot.  We both remembered to let go of the carrot, as holding onto it would not have ended well for our fingers, or what would have remained of said fingers.

Everyone got to feed the panda, and we loved it.

After looking at a few more red pandas, the supersized golf carts whisked us back to the center's offices.  We took off our blue overalls and were no longer volunteer helpers.  

Everyone was aglow from the panda visit, including getting to feed pandas.  I especially enjoyed working on cleaning up the poop.  

And, scene!