Hi everyone. Sorry it has been a while again since my last blog. We have been so busy over here!

Hope you all enjoyed watching the video clip of Matt and Chris, two of the other panda keepers, taking Wang Wang’s temperature. He is such a good, well behaved panda! And yes he does love his food! Seems he would do anything for it... Funi is exactly the same as well, she loves her treats. We use panda cake, that I have previously spoken about, and carrot and apple for training and enrichment. Wang Wang loves it all, however Funi refuses to touch the carrot! She is an apple girl all the way! As something different we give them  apple and carrot ice blocks for them to play with. They both love them, especially Funi….but again if we have put carrot in them it will be left! She is a real cutie with it…picking it up in her paws and holding it tightly so she can get to the apple.

Wang Wang and Funi are still enjoying the Australian bamboo that we are offering. Their favourite bamboo species are Pseudosasa japonica (Arrow Grass/Bamboo) and Bambusa Oldhamii (Oldhamii). No matter what is going on, if they have these types of bamboo they could not care less! Funi has even ignored her cake when she has been munching on Oldhamii!

So I thought maybe it was time to introduce all of you to more of the panda team….the other keepers that work over here at the Panda House. As far as full time panda keepers there is 3 of us. I am the senior keeper that makes sure everything is running smoothly and that the pandas are happy and healthy. This is made really easy by the other staff that work over here as well. There are two other full time keepers, as well as a lot of other staff!

Let me start with Jason Copeland… what a guy! You may see him driving around Adelaide in the Wang Wang and Funi Ute. He is our wonderful bamboo horticulturist! He works full time as our Panda horticulturalist, growing and sourcing bamboo for Wang Wang and Funi. He seems to live and breathe for these two and works tirelessly to ensure Wang Wang and Funi have the best bamboo they possibly can. He works such long hours to ensure he is happy that they have what they need. He does not sleep until he knows that he has given 120% to the day! So thanks Jason all of us really appreciate it and so does Wang Wang and Funi!

Matt….Where to start. A rock and Mr Reliable when it comes to his job. Always willing to work his hardest, gets in there and does the job… no messing around. Matt is one of the other full time panda keepers and it is so nice to see him getting a good relationship with Wang Wang and Funi as well. He already knows their individual personalities and their likes and dislikes.

Steve… Well, Steve is the other full time panda keeper but has been away on holidays! He has worked with them for a week and comes back his holidays this week…so I am sure you will all see him on the Zootube shortly as well!

Next let me mention Jason Hakof. Jason is the Assistant Curator of Carnivores/Ungulates here at Adelaide Zoo. He is also such a hard worker, maintaining staff, rosters and of course all the animal related issues as well! Busy man! He is a wonderful supervisor to the panda team and allows us to all do our jobs easily and efficiently… always there to help if we need it. He does work over on pandas for one weekend a month to help us out and I think he loves it too! Who wouldn’t love working with these two pandas?!

Chris and Angela are other keepers that help us out over here as well. Chris is the “class clown” that makes everyone laugh - Luo Bo (the Chinese keeper) and Mr Huang (a Chinese researcher) think he is hilarious! Angela is new to the team as of last week but I am sure she will be heading over here a lot more in the future. She is a hard worker and always trying to help us out.

So I hope that helps you all and gives you a bit of an insight about the hard working team that look after these beautiful animals. No doubt you will see all of us on the Zootube in the future!

Simone