A New Day in Panda Canyon
Posted at 3:08 pm September 10, 2007 by Ellie RosenbaumAs many of you are aware, the San Diego Zoo is embarking on a new project, Elephant Odyssey, to provide an updated area for not only our elephants but many other species of animals and plants here at the Zoo. To accommodate this, an exciting new bus route has been instituted for the safety of all and to facilitate the construction project on Horn & Hoof Mesa: our tour buses are driving up Panda Canyon.
Now before all of you loyal panda fans get distressed, be assured that this is being done with the well-being of the animals uppermost in everyone’s mind. Bus speakers and passengers will observe a quiet zone past the exhibit area. Drivers have been doing practice runs to acclimate Su Lin and Mei Sheng to the sound of the buses passing, and on this, the first day of the route, I observed “bearly” a cocked ear or upward glance as the buses passed in the morning. Su Lin showed some concern about the arborists doing some final trimming in the canyon, but that was finished quickly and she settled down to a hearty snack. If this is any indication, in a very short time the passing buses will be part of the pandas’ normal auditory environment, of no more notice than the planes landing and taking off at the nearby airport - beginning softly, gradually getting louder, then fading away.
For now, the viewing area is not being directly impacted on most days, but to allow the buses to pass when the viewing area is full, guests may be asked to wait along the panda mural wall where the sidewalk is wider and safer. Our visitor assistance officers will be there to direct and assist visitors — we’re still a work in progress, after all.
The new route will show bus riders where the panda exhibit is located, then gives them a glimpse “behind the scenes” of the working heart of the Zoo! There’s more to a zoo than animals and plants, and our tour guides are ready to offer some insights as to what it takes to keep things humming - and lit, and fed, and operating. If you’re fortunate enough to be visiting the Zoo, I suggest that you take the new bus tour for an interesting perspective on the Zoo you thought you knew!
Ellie Rosenbaum is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo.
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September 10th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
On Saturday, during the test runs, Su Lin froze as the bus approached. Mei Sheng also froze. I think they need to time to figure out what that noise is and that they’re not there to harm them.
What’s really annoying is all the drunks on the SkyFari, most likely after 4 PM, screaming from up above. It’s great that the zoo is now completely smoke-free, but it’s hard to make it idiot-free.
September 11th, 2007 at 8:40 am
Thanks for the update Ellie. It adds enrichment for Su Lin and Mei Sheng. It may be an unintended benefit for Mei Sheng’s training for his trip to Wolong. You probably had that built in to the process so he has an opportunity to experience more motor noises like he will on his route to the airport, and once he lands in China.
We are looking forward to additional updates on the elephants both at SDZ and WAP.
Glad to know that it was the arborists, not the buses, that aroused Su Lin’s attention. It “sounds” like it takes more than that to pull them away from their beloved, and critical, bamboo.
From the latest descriptions and pictures of Su Lin and chubmuffin, it sounds like Su Lin is like Gao Gao in size, and Bai Yun in temperment. Chubmuffin sounds like he/she will be big like Bai Yun, and mellow like Gao Gao. Mei Sheng seems to be mellow in temperment, and smaller in stature, both of which are attributes from Gao Gao. Was Hua Mei like Bai Yun or Shi Shi? I haven’t heard much about Shi Shi’s size, or Hua Mei’s size, and I wasn’t aware of these blogs or Panda Cam when she was in US, so I don’t have a clue.
September 12th, 2007 at 5:54 pm
I was on one of the buses that went up Panda Canyon the first day. All the passengers were asked to be
very quiet and everyone cooperated. When we passed the panda exhibit, I could see Su Lin calmly eating her bamboo. She didn’t seem at all stressed by the bus noise. I saw her later when I walked around on foot and she was blissfully asleep, mouth open, pink tongue hanging out.
It was wonderful to visit SDZ and the Wild Animal Park. Everyone who works at these facilities are very friendly and helpful to humans and non-humans alike. Do take the Deluxe Photo Caravan if you have a chance! Getting nuzzled by a giraffe is incomparable, and placing your hand into a rhino’s mouth to feed it apple slices, and patting its head….WOW! Later I had to wash rhino saliva off my hands. How often will I get to say that statement??? Being eye to eye with a persistent ostrich is a thrill of another sort.
Moderator’s note: For those interested, more information about Photo Caravan tours at the Wild Animal Park can be found at http://www.sandiegozoo.org/calendar/wap_photo_caravan.html