Panda Zookeepers

So alarm went off at 6.30 and we rather groggily got ourselves up and dressed. Went into the Club Lounge for breakfast which was decent, cereal toast, bacon and other more oriental dishes. And coffee! Ed lovd the curry dishes for breakfast with rice.

Finished about 7.40, packed a rucksack then headed downstairs to get a cab as reception last night had warned it could take 45 minutes or so to get to Ocean Park. Cab journey was fine, though cabby scarily multitasked quite a lot whilst driving, sorting out his wallet etc and took corners at some fairly tight speeds. But traffic was good so we got there in about 25 minutes at 8.15.

Nothing was open then, so we sat on a bench and waited. It was already very hot and incredibly humid. Kids started complaining as tiredness and humidity combined. The toilets were opened about 8.30 and provided some respite as they were partly air conditioned.

A minute or two after 9 the chains were unlocked and we climbed the steps up to the main entrance area and met our panda conservationist outside the conservation hut. She helped us sort out the tickets which, due to the date change took a bit longer than planned. We were still into the park just before 9.30, over half an hour before it opened at 10 to the general public.

We went to a classroom and got changed into our panda keeper overalls. All loose items (watches, wallets etc) were removed, presumably so they didn't get left in the enclosures. After a couple of bigger sizes were obtained, we were kitted out and went into the back area of the panda enclosure. We met one of the keepers who talked to us throughout the time about the pandas. We were taken into the kitchen area and Ed weighed some fibre biscuits that the pandas would be fed later. We then made apple and bamboo kebabs, Ed chopped an apple into quarters and we each had one which we sliced into chunks and skewered onto a bamboo leaf skewer. Apparently pandas love sweet things like apples. They also get some other fruits to supplement their main bamboo diet. We were shown toys that the food is put in to enrich the panda’s lives by making them find it.

The moment then arrived, out of the kitchen, a door was slid back and behind a cage door was Le Le the panda. A keeper showed how he is trained to touch a padded stick with his nose and hold the bars with his paws. Good behaviour is rewarded with a piece of apple. This was needed so that the pandas could move properly if a vet needed to examine them.

Le Le then went into the next door enclosure where there were some big scales and he was weighed. We guessed around 200lbs, but he was actual about 120lbs, normal for an adult male (females less at 90). We each took our skewer and in turn held it through the bars for Le Le to nibble the apple pieces then eventually grab the whole stalk and eat it. We had hand fed a panda - not many people can say that!

We then went into the enclosure and laid out some piles of bamboo. Back outside then Le Le was let out. He hunted for the bamboo and then sat down to eat - photo time!

Backstage with the red pandas next. We had seen the pair at Whipsnade before, but not as close as this. They use their tails for balance and also like a scarf to keep warm in winter. There are also different species of red panda that live in different areas and are different sizes.

Back to the panda enclosure and whilst Le Le was outside eating his food we cleaned up the old bamboo and swept up his poo! Finally we saw the bamboo cold store - 2 deliveries of fresh bamboo a week from China, each panda gets through about 30kg a day (eating about 20 of it). They like different types of bamboo depending on the season.

Our visit was over and we changed back into normal clothes then spent some time with our original guide explaining the problems pandas now face and some of the conservation work being done. A big thing is to stop using bamboo chopsticks - probably more aimed at the Eastern rather than Western visitors. We chose our panda photos, but decided to leave purchasing more (cuddly!) stuff until later in the day to avoid carrying it around.

After a much needed drink we looked around the rest of the park. Two more much older pandas are in a different section, we saw the oldest panda in the world, 37 next week. This is equivalent to over 100 years in human terms.

We visited the aquarium, went to get a map and were entertained by a balloon artist, who somehow put a nail through a balloon, then got Ed to try with less good results. We tried the carousel, but for some reason (possibly because Ed was bad at getting on the Orca) I had to sit with him. The ride was pretty slow and certainly didn't warrant the seatbelt I had to wear.

Then got the big cable car to the Summit area. Saw a Sea Jelly exhibit with lots of crazy jellyfish (lots of tanks and mirrors and UV lights made it hard to walk around as was quite disorienting), then into the shark exhibition - pandas aside this was the best bit, lots of big sharks and rays in the large tank.

Some food then, fried chicken, then Tash and I went on the Pirate Galleon ride, good as ever. By now we were getting tired so headed back over the cable car to the Waterfront area. We, of course, revisited the panda shop and got various cuddly pandas, red pandas and other souvenirs, then went in for one last look at Le Le, this time just as normal customers, before heading out.

Joined the queue for taxis, the short one was no good as was only for going to Hong Kong island, not through the tunnel to Kowloon where we were staying. The much longer queue for 'tunnel' taxis moved slowly as about 1 in 10 cabs were coming our way. Took about half an hour to get in one, then another 30 minutes to get back to the hotel. Tash and Ed complained about the fact they were leaning on each other, then 10 minutes into the trip things went quiet as they fell asleep - leaning on each other’s shoulders!

Back at the hotel the Club Lounge had a great array of food and drink, which we devoured. Then went up to the roof top pool on the 42nd floor. Nice pool and hot tub. Then back via lounge drinks fridge to room, in bed by 9.30, ready for tomorrow.Read more