Calgary Zoo Provides an Update on their Giant Panda Move

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: September 26, 2020 10:30 am

Photo Credit: The Animal Facts

Calgary Zoo has shared an update on their giant pandas Er Shun and Da Mao. In May Calgary Zoo announced that the pandas would return to China as Covid-19 disrupted the bamboo supply for these animals.

Each panda requires up to 40kg (88lbs) of bamboo each day. They may spend up to 12 hours of their day eating.

Despite the zoo working to get the pandas back home to China where bamboo is abundant they have been slowed by delays in acquiring the international export permit required.

In August the zoo announced that they were racing against time as their available bamboo supply was set to run out in September.

With export permits yet to be arrived the zoo has announced that they are now working with a number of suppliers across North America to access a reliable source of fresh bamboo which can be fed to the pandas.

In a release Calgary Zoo described this process as an ‘all-consuming, expensive process.’ Despite this they say they are “committed to doing anything and everything we need to, to ensure the health and well-being of our cherished giant pandas.”

Export permit approvals are now underway and the zoo is hopeful that in the near future they will announce the date that the pandas will be able to fly to China.

Learn more about giant pandas here – Giant Panda Fact File | The Animal Facts

Learn more about Calgary Zoo on their website – Calgary Zoo