It is very quiet around the panda house these days. The summer
heat has descended and our pandas have settled into their
pattern of longer naps and much shorter bouts of feeding. Gone
are the hours of stripping the culm, or stalks, of bamboo. Now
Mei Xiang and Tian Tian are selectively consuming the leaves, if
only for a few minutes, before returning to their naps. The
increase in temperatures is tolerated by pandas by using the
micro climates in their enclosures. These include the air-
conditioned and radiant water-chilled grottos, the shade under
trees, and the pools. The foggers also help to provide a brief
cooler experience for the animals and people along the trails.
However, when the temperatures so cruelly soar over 90, only the
air-conditioned indoor areas bring comfort to pandas and people.
This is a great time to see the giant pandas up close, indoors.
Currently the panda entrance off the lower trail is closed, so
visitors may only enter through the exit, nearest the Olmsted
Walk side of the building