Due to a fresh bamboo shortage, two giant pandas came back to China from Canada this morning two years ahead of schedule.
Er Shun and Da Mao, the two giant pandas, started their journey to Canada in March. 2013, and were due to stay in Canada for ten years according to the agreement between the two countries for goodwill.
While in Canada, Er Shun gave birth to twin cubs named “Jia Panpan” and “Jia Yueyue” in October 2015, in which “Jia” stands for “Jianada” (Canada) in Chinese.
The pandas, adult female Er Shun and adult male Da Mao, were expected to be at the Calgary Zoo until 2023, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic there were issues sourcing a sustained supply of bamboo for them to eat.
The Calgary Zoo said staff worked with the San Diego Zoo and Suncoast Nursery to arrange weekly shipments of fresh bamboo, but the process of finding the right bamboo has been expensive and time-consuming.
When the Calgary Zoo shared our challenges in getting fresh bamboo shipments for our beloved giant pandas and made the difficult decision to send them home to China 3-years earlier than expected, @Lufthansa_Cargo stepped up to get them home safely. #GetThePandasHome #PandaExpress pic.twitter.com/PAIoY0TG2v
— Calgary Zoo (@calgaryzoo) November 27, 2020
Captive pandas are fed on bamboo and require a small amount of fodder, fruit, vitamins, and some trace elements. Although their digestive tract is similar to carnivore, 99 percent of its diet is bamboo.
An adult panda eats at least 15 to 20 kilograms of bamboo every day and night, according to data from Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
Pandas have a great demand for the amount of bamboo and have specific “requirements” for the variety of bamboo.