Rounding the corner behind BXP, I eagerly await seeing the smiling face of Duo Duo the panda. The past few weeks of persistent drizzling does not seem to stop Duo Duo from greeting me outside the door of her indoor enclosure. We get a clear view of one another, only separated by a short cement wall. Joy bubbles inside me as I laugh the kind of laugh you only make when sharing a moment of eye contact with a panda. The grin she wears makes me believe she’s experiencing the same feeling as I am.

I follow her back into her bedroom and watch her through a foggy window. This area is inaccessible to the public leaving an unobstructed view of the bears for me to enjoy, a perk of the Chinese badge I wear around my neck. Her neighbor, Ao Ao, makes up for the morning silence with impatient bleats, his hunger loud enough for the entire park to hear. Duo Duo doesn’t seem to mind. She grooms herself methodically with her tongue, ensuring no panda bread crumb goes to waste. The dedication she exhibits in maintaining her appearance is also seen in the appearance of her bedroom. Food and waste are compiled neatly in the corners. There is plenty of clean space to do all sorts of panda activities. Her hammock is the pinnacle of her work. Taking the time to find a comfortable sleeping position is a struggle we all face, yet Duo Duo will endure the process multiple times to avoid going to the bathroom in her hammock bed.

From this short distance, it is easy to spot the unique notch on the bear’s right ear. The blemish brings some edge and mystery to Duo Duo’s kind disposition. Was she born with it? Did she get her ear pierced in an act of teenage rebellion? Is it from a panda fight? Does she boast to the other pandas ‘you should see the other guy’? It turns out it’s just normal practice to take some hair samples when bears go in for a vet procedure (AI or semen collection from the breeding season being the most common). Regardless, the missing piece makes her easily recognizable from the other pandas. You can catch a glimpse of it while she is outside on her beloved patio.

Even when she is fully engulfed in consuming as much bamboo that will fit in her tiny body, it isn’t difficult to feel a connection with Duo Duo. She is a curious bear, often visibly engaged with her visitors or her keepers. Last month, she was moved to BXP from the breeding center, so there are lots of new stimuli for her to explore.  If you’re visiting Bifengxia soon, make sure to check her out investigating her new enclosure when you visit. Most likely, you will fall in love with her as quickly as I did.

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Hallie Kirschner is our dedicated Stereotypic Study observer. As such, she gets to see multiple bears and will continue to deliver this hilarious take on the BFX pandas in the future. Look for her next installment with  I Speak Panda- Part 2 in a few weeks.