Name: Lindsey
Keehn & Eileen Connon
Class Year: 2020 & 2019
Hometown: Crystal Lake, Illinois & Mandeville, Louisiana
Internship: Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
Location: Chengdu, China
Class Year: 2020 & 2019
Hometown: Crystal Lake, Illinois & Mandeville, Louisiana
Internship: Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
Location: Chengdu, China
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| First day at the Panda Base! |
There are two Giant Panda Bases
located in China; there is the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in
Chengdu and then there is the Chengdu Field Research Center for Giant Pandas in
Dujiangyan. The Research Base in Chengdu is where we spend most of our days
with occasional trips to the Research Center in Dujiangyan to assist with
educational events and learn more about their mission. The Chengdu Panda Base
is unlike any animal park or zoo I have visited. The base is ginormous with
beautiful native plants lining the walkways, bamboo forests, and rolling hills
throughout the base. In fact, to see the pandas and their enclosures, you have
to climb up the tallest hill in Chengdu! We definitely work up a sweat and get
a work out in multiple times a day here, but it’s all worth it to be able to
observe the pandas. There are multiple enclosures such as House #1 and #2,
Moonlight and Sunshine Nursery, Subadult A and B, The Giant Panda House, and
Red Panda #1 and #2 along with a few other enclosures I can’t remember. The Panda
Base and their enclosures are home to 115 giant pandas and around 150-200 red
pandas (with the additional peacock here or there).
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House #1 eating breakfast
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Eileen and I have been hard at work collecting behavioral data
on the two groups of 3-year old giant pandas. We observe two different enclosures
during our days here at the base. House #1 is home to five 3-year-old giant
pandas: Cheng Shi, Wen Wen, Yuan Yue, Ya Yun, and Ya Zhu. House #2 is home to the
other 3-year-olds: Mao Dou, Mao Tao, Fu Lai, Fu Shun, and Qi Yi. These ten
pandas will be the subjects of our research projects! These two houses are where
we spend most of our time watching the pandas eat, play, climb, and sleep. The
data we are collecting on these ten 3-year-olds will be compared to the past
Otterbein students who came to the Panda Base in previous years who collected
data when these cubs were one-year-olds. We’re interested in comparing their
behavior throughout the years with the possibility of looking at kinship. A
regular day for us looks like this:
1. Walk to the metro at 7:15 AM
1. Walk to the metro at 7:15 AM
2. Ride the metro to
Panda Avenue
3. Take the bus to the
Panda Base
4. Arrive around 8:30 AM, go
up to our office and organize our materials
5. Walk up to the panda
enclosures and record observations for two and half hours (9:00AM-11:30AM)
6. Lunch at 12:00 PM
7. Take a little walk around
the base
8. Go back up to our
office to work on things or take a nap (I’m really digging this culture part of
China where people take naps at work)
9. Walk back up to the
panda enclosures and begin observations at 2:30 PM for an hour of data collection
10. Leave around 4:00 PM
11. Take the bus to the metro
12. Take the metro to our neighborhood
13. Walk home
14. Eat
15. Sleep
16. Repeat!
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| My journal for data collection with an ethogram |
In addition to data collection, we occasionally get to accompany
James (our boss) to observe training sessions with adult and cub pandas. James trains
multiple pandas at the base so that they can perform different behaviors for
the keepers or veterinarians when they made need a check-up. Some of the
behaviors taught include:
1.
Opening their mouth voluntarily
to monitor their teeth
2.
Having the pandas
stick their arms out while being pinched so they can be prepared for blood
draws and injections
3.
Females laying on their
back and having their belly rubbed so they can get used to what an ultrasound
will feel like
4.
Males laying on their back
so keepers can see when they might become mature as well as check for things
like testicular cancer
5.
Standing on their hind
legs to observe their full body
6.
Targeting a keeper’s
fist to keep their attention during possible stressful situations (ex: during a
vet visit, a panda might be moving its head or potentially hear weird noises
that may frighten it. Targeting allows the panda to try and stay fixated on the
keepers fist and receive a reward. This way, everyone involved, including the
panda, are safe)
7.
Targeting different
objects such as blocks of wood, bamboo, and stations.
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| James with Ji Mei |
These are just a few of the behaviors I’ve witnessed in both the adults and cubs. James uses positive reinforcement using apple (a panda favorite) and a whistle to bridge the behavior so the panda knows a reward is coming. He takes his time to work with them as he is patient and encouraging. In particularly, he has a very strong bond with a 3-year old male name Ji Mei and a 1-year old female Chuan Zhai. Being able to witness his training sessions with these two has been very insightful as you can tell they have a strong bond between each other. It has been interesting to compare the training of Ji Mei and Chuan Zhai as they are both in different places of learning with James. Ji Mei has been training with James for about 2 years now, so he has a solid grasp on the behaviors that James wants him to perform. On the other hand, Chuan Zhai is still learning different behavior requests, so seeing her understand what James is asking is very exciting! Recently, Chuan Zhai needed to have her blood taken by the veterinarian and keeper staff. Usually, to take the blood of a panda cub you need about 5-7 staff members to hold them down, so they aren’t moving about anywhere! But James has trained Chaun Zhai to stick of her arm while he pinches her, to mimic a needle, so she can be relaxed while in these types of situations. Because of this training, it only took 3 people to get blood from her: James, the vet, and another keeper! It was truly amazing to see the progress she has made and how essential and beneficial training can be.
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| Cheng Dai with a keeper. Her cub is tucked underneath her arm. |
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| The twins born to Cheng Dai! You can really see how small the 42.8 g cub is in this picture. |
Our work at the Chengdu Field Research Center for Giant Pandas in
Dujiangyan is different than our work at the original base. Dujiangyan is about
an hour and a half away from Chengdu in the mountains, so we take the panda work
bus to the base. This base is an open research center and works closely with attempting
to reintroduce pandas to the wild. The Research Center has much more open space
to allow potential panda candidates to free roam in large enclosures (up to a
few acres) so they can get used to what it would be like if they were on their own.
If you’re interested in how the Research Center works on reintroduction, watch
the documentary “Pandas”. It focuses on a particular panda, Qian Qian, and her
journey (also fun fact, this documentary was offered as inflight entertainment
on my flight from ORD to LAX!). What we have been mainly working with is the
red pandas at this facility! The first time we visited this base, we came along
to help James with training red pandas. At the time, this base was setting up a
free-roam red panda enclosure that is home to 25 red pandas. James came to help
train the red pandas and work with the keepers at this base to see how they can
work with the red pandas at this enclosure. So, what was our job as inexperienced
animal trainers? To distract the other red pandas, of course! Since there are
so many red pandas in this one, large, free location, while James and the
keepers were working individually with some red pandas, our mission was to
distract the other red pandas who may come down for treats so they don’t
interrupt a training session. We were allowed to get up close and personal with
these red, furry creatures who are the cutest beings you’ve ever seen. James and
the keepers worked with the red pandas similarly to the giant pandas. They
trained them to target their fists, stand, as well as lay on their backs while
having their belly rubbed for possible future procedures, such as ultrasounds.
Some targeting they worked on was having the red panda follow their fist so they
would climb up a tree, sit on a bench, stand on their lap, and quite a few other
behaviors. Even if it was the first time some of these red pandas were learning
a behavior or command, they were picking it up quite quickly! We spent the rest
of our day here touring the base as well as reviewing the plan for the opening
day of this free-roam enclosure on Children’s Day. 
About a week later we made a trip back to Dujiangyan to help out
with events planned for Children’s Day! There were two separate groups throughout
the day, but both had the same activities. The children (ranging from 3-12) would
start with an introductory presentation on giant pandas and red pandas, where
they live, what they eat, and who they coexist with. Next, James gave a
presentation on training red pandas and the importance of it. Afterwards, it
was time for the children to see the red pandas in the new exhibit where they
were able to witness a training session from James! Lastly, we headed back to
the main building where we played a game similar to “pin the tail on the donkey”
but was called “help the red panda find its home”. We helped the children put
on eye masks, a red panda crown, gave them a little red panda picture, and had
them spin around before trying to find the bamboo to put the red panda in nature.
This educational event was so much fun getting to personally work with the kids
and help them understand the importance of giant pandas and red pandas. The
different presentations and opportunities really gave them a chance to engage with
what they were being taught. To see some of their eyes light up when seeing a
red panda and the amazement they had seeing a training session was truly
magical. All of the children were so energetic, and we made so many new little
friends that day. I hope that this Children’s Day event had as big of an impact
on them, as it did on me. I’ve always been fond of education in the zoo field
and the more I work these types of events, the more I feel a sense of knowing
what I would like to do with my career!
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| James, Miranda, Me, and Eileen prepping for Children's Day with red panda crowns! |
Working at the Panda Base this past month has provided me with so many new learning opportunities and has introduced me to a potentially new career. Our days at the base are long, but they are filled with pandas, friends, new ideas, research, tons of panda facts, and fun! While I cherish my days at the base, during our free time we have also spent quite a lot of time exploring, trying new foods, and meeting new people. On our third day at the base, one of the staff members at the panda base who we met through James, Yuen Bo, invited Eileen and I out to dinner with him and his friend. We were on our way home waiting for the bus, but we thought why not! We drove into the city and went to tea and dinner at one of the most beautiful and fancy restaurants I have ever been. We were definitely not prepared for a restaurant this nice as we arrived in our work clothes! We had tea for a few hours before having dinner which gave us a time to bond. Once it was dinner time, we couldn’t believe how much food we were being served! It’s customary in China to order many different types of dishes and share with the entire table. The spread that we had before us was enormous! I don’t think I’ve ever had that much food in front of me before, even at Thanksgiving! We tried many different foods, from beef, pork, chicken, fish, vegetables of every kind, dessert, and we even tried jelly fish! It was such a nice dinner as we were able to feel like we made friends only a few days into our trip. Everyone we met here has been so kind to us already and this really set off the beginning of our trip and exceeded our expectations of the Chinese people!
We have also made friends with a family who owns a bun shop
on the corner of the street we pass every morning on our walk to the metro. We
usually stop to get buns in the morning for breakfast and sometimes in the
afternoon as they have such a wide selection of homemade treats! A few weeks
into our trip and waving at this family every time we saw them, the owner of
the shop, Lisa, wrote us a note wishing to communicate with us and become friends!
Her note was so sweet, and we were so excited that she liked us as much as we
liked her! This led to us becoming friends on WeChat and being invited over for
dinner. Lisa cooked us a whole spread of food, with the main course being crayfish.
Her sister and son were so sweet and such a joy to get to know. It has been a
defining moment in my time here as we have become friends, both learning from
each other and about our different cultures. I truly think that we have made
some life long friends.
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| Eating the homemade dinner Lisa made for us! |
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| Lisa, Xuan Xuan, Eileen, Xiao Yan, Me and Miranda! |
Our first weekend we went to visit Jinli Street which is a
marketplace with various types of vendors and food booths tucked away into beautiful
Chinese architecture. We had many different types of food from sesame seed
dough balls, grilled and spiced squid, as well as a type of ice cream called Eggloo
in a soft waffle cone. We visited many different types of shops that had
traditional Chinese crafts, ceramics, wood carvings, and more. The area was
beautiful as we crossed bridges, walked under lanterns, and went down alley ways.
There is one section of the market place where there was a large collection of
colored bags with red string. We saw that you could buy a bag based on wellness,
health, marriage, and more where you would write down a wish and hang it on a
tree. I got a wish bag for wisdom and got to hang it on a tree which was a very
special moment. It was a great first weekend!
The Sichuan Museum was filled with beautiful art and historical artifacts from Chinese and Tibetan cultures. The exhibits ranged from calligraphy to pottery to stoneware to crafts! We’ve had a few more experiences such as visiting the giant Giant Panda climbing on top of a building, getting to help make a Louis Vuitton purse, visit Wenshu Monastery, go to the movies, shop at a Tibetan market, visited many markets and malls, and a bookstore. So many things have happened it’s hard to go into detail about how amazing everything is!
We’ve renamed our weekends to “Western
Food Weekends” where we eat traditional, Chinese food throughout the week, but
splurge on more “American style” foods on the weekends. There is a handful of
different Western restaurants scattered throughout Chengdu and we have eaten at
Mike’s Pizza, Element Fresh, Grandma’s Kitchen, and Peter’s Tex Mex (along with
the occasional fast food…). These Western restaurants are usually in the expat
part of the city, so there’s always a ton of malls and shopping areas
surrounding the area. One part of the city we’ve gone to is Caotang where we
went to Peekaboo Cat Café and Sichuan Museum! The cat café was amazing as we
enjoyed a coffee and dessert while being surrounded by cats.
The Sichuan Museum was filled with beautiful art and historical artifacts from Chinese and Tibetan cultures. The exhibits ranged from calligraphy to pottery to stoneware to crafts! We’ve had a few more experiences such as visiting the giant Giant Panda climbing on top of a building, getting to help make a Louis Vuitton purse, visit Wenshu Monastery, go to the movies, shop at a Tibetan market, visited many markets and malls, and a bookstore. So many things have happened it’s hard to go into detail about how amazing everything is!
These are just a few of the experiences I’ve been lucky enough
to have through this internship so far and I can’t wait to see what else is in
store! We have been approved for husbandry at the Panda Base, so we will have
more opportunities to learn from the staff and keepers at the base in the
upcoming weeks. It’s crazy to think that we have about a month and a half left
in China. The time has flown by and we are trying our hardest to make the most
of it. These past few weeks have already changed my life and I can’t wait to
see what else is in store and how it will change the trajectory of my life. Here’s
to the next few weeks! Zaijian!
-Lindsey Keehn
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| This was the very first panda I've ever seen in real life, taken on our first day at the base. This is Ya Zhu. |
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| Mao Dou and Qi Yi playing |
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| Fu Shun (left) and Qi Yi (right) hanging out in a tree. Can you see Qi Yi's little "mohawk"? |
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| Ya Zhu chilling in the pool |
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| A panda at Dujiangyan |
