Next up were another pair of pandas I was looking forward to seeing – Yu Ai 渝爱 and Yu Ke 渝可! I had hoped to see them still living together but in late December they were separated as Yu Ai had an eye condition and it was decided to separate them for treatment. They were only born in 2022, so are 2.5 years old, on the young side to typically separate twins, however on my visit (February) Yu Ai‘s eye was looking much better so it looked like the treatment of her condition was going well.
Yu Ai is the younger female twin while Yu Ke is the older male twin and they were born to Er Shun, her first pregnancy back in China after her time in Canada. It’s great to see her continue her reproductive years and perhaps there are more cubs to come for her. Yu Ai and Yu Ke are still neighbours with each other and have very fun yards to play in – Yu Ai is now in the yard with a giant wooden car, so that’s a fun enrichment option to play with! Alike the other yards, lots of wooden climbing options and different toys to interact with.
Yu Ai
I saw most of Yu Ai in the morning time – she was outside and eating on the platform when I arrived and was super chilled out about it despite the huge crowds! In fact she actually spent almost all the time I saw her eating^ She’s so so cute, even moreso than she comes across in pictures. And her eye is looking much better, with just a little discolouring to her fur. She was relaxed on a high platform when I first saw her, lounging back and munching on bamboo shoots – in fact she mostly got bamboo shoots when I was watching her. When I next saw her she was still going on the bamboo shoots, but sitting in a lower down stone basin, perhaps this is a water fountain in the warmer months. It looked like a great spot to sit and had the perfect edge for leaning back against. Later in the afternoon when neighbour Mang Can Can was playing, she even was up on a platform and looking over to him, so cute! Yu Ai now is in the yard with Mang Can Can‘s car, I didn’t see her in it, but it’s a great feature piece to a yard.
Yu Ke
Where I saw Yu Ai in the morning, Yu Ke seemed to be more of an afternoon panda and made his appearance after lunchtime – this worked out perfect for me so I could see both easily, but they are neighbours, so there are some good spots right between both yards that make for perfect viewing of either panda. He also liked to make use of his stone basin for sitting in to enjoy bamboo shoots, but in the classic panda pose of back to the people XD A view I am very used to! Luckily I was there later in the day when the keeper was carefully placing out some food enrichment – there were lots of cut up pieces of fruit on sticks which were dotted around branches and on the platform near the front of the yard. When Yu Ke was then allowed in he headed straight for the front to get some of his treats, the delicacy used to pull off the fruit was amazing and for the pieces where he also got the stick he pulled the stick out of his mouth after getting the fruit off. I’ve not seen this type of enrichment used for pandas before and I think it’s a great idea – it’s likely this is alternated with providing the fruit on a table for them. Yu Ke is just as cute as sister Yu Ai, they have the most adorable and loveable round fluffy faces that are incredibly recognisable. I sure hope I get to see these two again =)
