PANDAMONIUM STRIKES AS CUB AND MOTHER ENJOY NEW TOYS

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Giant panda cub Yun Zi and his 19-year-old mother, Bai Yun, were like two kids in a candy shop at the San Diego Zoo on Friday. After more than two weeks of renovations, the pair returned to the Giant Panda Research Station habitat to find new scents, new logs to climb, and a great big pile of dirt to roll in.

     "This should be called the black bear exhibit," exclaimed an onlooker. "Look, I'm a grizzly," joked someone else.
     Admittedly, after five minutes of wrestling in a fresh pile of soil that was deliberately placed in the center of the exhibit by keepers, Yun Zi and Bai Yun looked more like their bear cousins than a critically endangered species from China.
     Other new items in the panda exhibits are Chinese elm trees, shrubs and sod, thanks to donors to the Zoo's "animal care wish list," an online shopping list created by keepers of enrichment items to keep animals stimulated and healthy. Items on the list range from $5 to $5,000. The current list is seeking enrichment items for birds.

     Panda exploration continued when even momma bear tested the new climbing structures by hanging upside down while reaching toward her 1-year-old cub. Yun Zi raced up and down the logs, sliding head first and then backward.

     "I haven't seen Bai Yun play like that in years," said Kathy Hawk, San Diego Zoo senior keeper. "Yun Zi is going to sleep for days."

     The 100-acre San Diego Zoo is dedicated to the conservation of endangered species and their habitats. The organization focuses on conservation and research work around the globe, educates millions of individuals a year about wildlife and maintains accredited horticultural, animal, library and photo collections. The Zoo also manages the 1,800-acre San Diego Zoo Safari Park (historically referred to as the Wild Animal Park), which includes a 900-acre native species reserve, and the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research. The important conservation and science work of these entities is supported in part by The Foundation of the Zoological Society of San Diego.