Pandamania: Getting Up Close and Personal With the Giant Fluffy Bears
By • May 15, 2025 0 458
I could feel the humid mist on my face as I inhaled the fresh scent of Sichuan mountain air. But it was the loud panting noise that grabbed my attention, louder than a large dog but softer than a dragon. I stared fixated at a massive black and white bear just feet away from me. The panda, E Mei, named for a holy mountain in China, stood up on it hind legs and playfully waved as it tumbled around its enclosure at the Dujiangyan research base in China knowing that feeding time was minutes away.
After years of visiting the National Zoo in Washington and spying its famous pandas from afar, seeing (and hearing) one this close was incredible. The panting, my expert guide Alex Xia explained, was because pandas, like dogs, are unable to sweat, and their fur is so thick, they have to pant like their canine counterparts. Hearing this intimate sound was an eye-opening revelation.
The arrival of two new pandas, Bao Li and Qing Boa, created a sensation and caused a surge in visitors since their January debut. What would you do to get an intimate look at these cute and cuddly creatures?
In Southwest China, home to four panda research centers, enthusiasts have the opportunity to volunteer for a day and get a behind-the-scenes experience. While it may sound glamorous – activities range from mundane (cleaning) and gross (analyzing panda poo).
The hub for panda tourism is Chengdu, a city of over 20 million people. It’s also famous for spicy hot pot and the heartland of Sichuan cuisine. Chinese people adore their black and white national treasures. Panda statues, murals and décor fill the streets and themed merchandise is available in gift shops, boutiques and even supermarkets.
When Alex picked me in the early morning, he brought me a breakfast of panda Oreos and a can of Coke with an image of an animated panda eating hot pot. Perhaps not the most nutritional subsistence for the long day ahead, but adorable nevertheless.
After arriving at the mountainous Dujiangyan research base and getting geared up in our neon-green volunteer vests, our first task was “cracking” bamboo.
We gathered in a courtyard with a stack of two-inch thick bamboo stalks piled in the center. The volunteer instructor, Jack Liu, demonstrated the process. He gripped a long stick tightly at the bottom and held it in front of him, like a Kung fu fighter wielding a sword, but instead of fighting off an enemy he raised his bamboo stick high in the air and smashed it forcefully to the ground, splitting it into slivers.
The bamboo is split to protect the pandas’ teeth. Once it grows to a certain thickness it becomes difficult for the pandas to break it down into edible portions. Doing this over long periods of time can wear down their teeth.
Slamming the bamboo to the ground and watching it splinter was a healthy way to release my recent air travel frustration and wake me up from my jet lag.
After the bamboo was split, zookeepers carried it away for the hungry pandas, while the volunteers swept the area picking up all the loose ends.
As zookeepers cleaned out the enclosures, Jack brought us a bucket of panda poop to play with. There were turds of various shapes and colors for us to hold and inspect. The large light-yellow feces were from eating bamboo stalks, while the smaller darker pieces came from leaves and bamboo shoots. Some excrement had specks of orange from carrots, which the pandas are fed as a treat.
Between tasks, we were given time to visit pandas. Around 46 pandas live here and about 20 are accessible to visitors. Imagine a zoo where another adorable panda awaited you around every turn.
The enclosures give viewers a chance to see them in great detail. The pandas’ fur was spiky from the recent drizzle and as they scratched themselves, I could clearly see their individual claws. I was able to take portraits using only my iPhone.
One of the first pandas I glimpsed was Bao Yuan, the twin brother of Washington’s Bao. Their mother, former National Zoo resident Bao Bao, gave birth to twins two years ago. However, the brothers did not grow up together, with Bao Yuan being sent to live with a foster mother. While twins are pretty common for panda births, it places a huge burden on the mama bear. Firstly, it’s difficult for the mother to produce enough milk for both babies. And secondly being Bao Bao’s first birth, she was not experienced enough to care for two babies. In the wild, only one twin survives in many cases.
I also got to see the twin of Qing Boa, as she ravenously munched on bamboo shoots while her enclosure-mate frolicked in a tree. The pandas here seemed more curious and active than pandas in US zoos. Possibly because their enclosure spaces and home reserves are rotated to avoid boredom.
Another volunteer duty involved making special cakes, which are the animals’ main source of protein. We learned that while pandas are often assumed to be herbivores, their digestive tract is similar to carnivores. In the wild, they eat other animals in order to survive.
The cakes were forged from eggs and soybean for protein along with corn and rice flour. The mixture is formed into four-inch rounds then cooked in an oven. The finished product reminded me of some keto bread I tried once, it smelled like dirt and was heavy as a brick.
The highlight of the day was feeding the cakes and treats like carrots and apples to the pandas inside their eating enclosure. Although volunteers are not permitted to do the hand feeding, we were able to watch a pro interact with his animal friend.
Author Jody Kurash takes photos of two pandas panda at Dujiangyan Panda Base, in Mt. Qingcheng Town near Chengdu, China, Sept. 28 2024.
The strong bond between keeper and bear was immediately evident. They connected playfully and the panda, Ya Xiang, gladly followed the keeper’s instructions, standing up and joyfully fetching his treats. Hearing the gentle chewing noise and soaking up the palpable human-animal connection was magical.
The last task was preparing food for the elderly bears. Dujiangyan serves as a retirement home for senior pandas. Former Washington residents Tian Tian, 27, and Mei Xiang, 26, are living out their golden years here undisturbed in a private area away from tourists. Their ages are the equivalent to 81 and 78 respectively in panda years.
Like humans, many pandas lose their teeth when they age, so they are fed a special porridge. Volunteers help prepare this senior sustinence. Given a pile of leafy bamboo branches, our job was to remove the leaves, inspect them for evidence of bugs or disease, then cut the healthy ones into 1/8-inch pieces.
Pandas living abroad are still treated like VIPS in China. The Smithsonian’s panda webcam was fervently followed by many Chinese netizens who tuned in to see how their beloved treasures. When DC’s furry diplomats returned to China in 2023 up to 400,000 stayed up late to watch the event via China’s webcam.
If you want to follow the progress of pandas that have returned to China from US Zoos, Alex hosts weekly zoom-like virtual tours from China’s panda reserves. Since leaving DC, these cubs have grown and some have started their own families. Tai Shan, the oldest, has two boys and Bao Bao has a girl and twin boys.
A panda bear eats bambo inside at Dujiangyan Panda Base, in Mt. Qingcheng Town near Chengdu, China, Sept. 28 2024.
Volunteer opportunities can be arranged for visitors in good health between the ages of 8-70. I booked my adventure through https://www.mypandatours.com. Potential volunteers must arrange the tour several days ahead to complete the registration process. I recommend going with a private guide as many of zookeepers only speak Mandarin.
For virtual panda tours go to https://www.mypandatours.com/collections/all/products/virtual-tour-travel-with-alvin-to-visit-pandas Alex speaks English fluently and has an in-depth panda knowledge which made my trip a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
