Wishing Wen Yu a happy birthday: hopefully filled with panda bread cake, topped with a bamboo candle. This sweet girl is 10 years young and continues to have the cuteness factor in check. Wen Yu was born in captivity in Wolong BC on September 24th. At only 10, she has travelled to, and lived in Beijing, Zhengzhou and Ya’an. On my first day at Bifengxia, Wen Yu was the first panda I really got to see up close. She was so curious of us humans, as we watched her in awe. She stood poised, smelling us on the air. The look in her eyes was something of curiosity. Through her gentle gaze I could tell she had an even sweeter personality. Since that day, I have gone back to visit Wen Yu daily, and I’ve continued to learn more and more about her favorite things. Sleep! Wen Yu loves her beauty rest; which could explain why she doesn’t look a day over five. However, if there’s anything Wen Yu likes more than sleeping, it’s eating. Usually when I visit Wen Yu, she is stuffing her face with bamboo in what I like to call her ‘’signature eating position’’: laying on her back with bamboo held in both front paws (and sometimes the hind paws) helping to maximize bamboo consumption. At times, Wen Yu can be seen in this ‘’signature eating position’’, covered completely in a blanket of bamboo. Wen Yu also enjoys when her snack time includes a carrot or an apple; and of course, panda bread. Panda bread is a must have. She eats it delicately to makes sure no crumb is left behind.
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- Love me some panda bread
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- Close up of Wen Yu
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- Typical panda pose
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- Great pic Katie!
For being born in captivity Wen Yu is, surprisingly, not an overly stereotypical bear. She does have her quirks from living the captive life, but who says that’s always a bad thing. Inside her bedroom, Wen Yu will sometimes tongue flick as she sits in front of her enclosure bars. She has taken up the behavior of walking up the steps of her outside enclosure, pacing around her stone paddock and then walking back down the steps. When she isn’t being active, Wen Yu loves taking naps at the base of her favorite tree. It’s the perfect spot; as she doesn’t get an overwhelming number of visitors to her enclosure. She’s a very independent gal that likes to keep to herself and doesn’t really bothered much with her handsome neighbor, Shen Wei.
It’s often thought that pandas can be quite lazy, but really they have similar behaviors to humans. Wen Yu was a perfect example of this, as she celebrated her big day of turning double digits. Hope you got to enjoy some panda bread cake Wen Yu!!
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If you enjoyed this post by our fall 2017, giant panda intern- Katie Zajac, be sure to let her know by leaving a comment below. All photos on this page were taken by her (Nice Work!) PDXWildlife provides internship opportunities to study giant pandas in Sichuan, China. Be sure to check our website for future opportunities for January and February openings! Click HERE for more details.
How is shen wei I hope he his ok he his one my favourites panda I think because his mum’s in edrinburgh zoo I do care for him so much I want no if he till like sunk his thumb when he his sleep gave him cuddle him for love aileen brown
Shen Wei is happy and healthy at White Bear Ground in Bifengxia! We’ll try to get pictures of him next!
Wen Yu is the panda-girl that was chosen to mate with Tai Shan who is one of the DC bears – we love him at the SNZ and were disappointed she is lovely!that their mating did not produce a cub this year! You are so fortunate to have “met” her, Katie! Thanks for the great pictures!
Sincerely, JoAnn Mann
They were so into each other! Hopefully next year!
Wen Yu sounds like a sweetie–sorry I missed her when I was at BFX.
You’ll have other chances 😉 Hopefully when I’m there! She’s always an intern favorite.
Katie,
Thank you for the beautiful photos of Wen Yu and thank you for helping celebrate her birthday! She is a special panda girl – the last cub born to gorgeous, wild-born mama Mao Mao – who, very sadly, was killed in the Sichuan Earthquake of 2008. It is good to know she is healthy, curious, and being taken care of very well. Mao Mao would appreciate the special care given to her daughter. Your photos are fantastic and I hope you are enjoying your time in BFX/Ya’an – a very special place on this Earth and one I hope to visit again someday. I read that Tai Shan mated with Wen Yu again this year – any hope for a cubbie? Thanks for the great work you are doing in conjunction with PDX Wildlife!!
Jeanette Deines
Mao Mao was also such a special panda and lives on in the hearts of her many admirers and her cubbies! Visit us in Bifengxia if you ever come again!
Wow, she’s Tai Shan’s chosen most compatible Mate!! 🙂 I remember Tai Shan from his cub Stardom in D.C…
I’ll never forget how funny, serene, & yet charismatic he was when I visited him… So magical at the National Zoo!…
I read that he’s very choosy about potential mates. None of the “blind dates” he has been put on have been fruitful–
Tai ONLY loves Wen Yu!! 🙂 (& it seems to be mutual!) I so hope they can have some offspring in the near future! 🙂
He does indeed love Wennie! They were so excited during breeding season this year. As they release the cubs information we’ll update you and let you know if it was successful in producing a cub!