All Life Is Local: Still Life with Robin....and Pandas!

by Peggy Robin

I have seen the newest superstars as the National Zoo. Although I'm a long-time Zoo member, I passed on the special member preview period due to weather (and some laziness & procrastination on my part) and so went just this past Wednesday around 8:30am. It was not at all crowded and both pandas were out in their yards, frisking around, eating bamboo, and generally being adorable. Well, that's their job, isn't it? These two newcomers are very good at it!

I took a few photos with my cellphone camera and have created an album in my Google Photos that is set to "public sharing" -- click on this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/RUcmE8zWPEvCYrTW8

I have also started an album the photos section of the Listserv:

https://groups.io/g/clevelandpark/album?id=300421

It's open to anyone to add photos, so please feel free. My old cellphone camera is not the best, and I know we have some splended photographers among our vast Listserv membership.

A few tips for your visit:

You need a general admission pass to enter the zoo. Get yours here: RESERVE YOUR PASS
Once you enter the zoo, it's quite a long and winding path down to the panda exhibit. Wear comfortable shoes!
The pandas are sent out in their yard when the zoo opens at 8am. By late morning they may be napping, so the earlier you get there, the better.
Weekends are always crowded. If you are free to visit on a weekday morning, that's the thing to do.
How to tell them apart: Bao Li, the male, has some gray patches on his rear end. Qing Bao, the female, doesn't. (Plus, the enclosures are marked with their names.)
Bao Li and Qing Bao are not the only two pandas at the Zoo. They are the only two GIANT pandas. Don't miss the two little red pandas, which you will see in their enclosure just outside the entrance to the panda house. They're very cute too!
And don't miss the displays of photos and information panels on the walls of the panda house. If you read them all and retain what you've learned, and then you end up on Jeopardy with "Pandas" as one of the categories, you will be sure to ace the category!