In Beijing, the ins and outs of keeping pandas

As the clock shows that it's lunchtime, Ma Tao, a panda keeper at the Beijing Zoo, prepares lunch for one of its giant pandas, Meng Er. Bamboo shoots, carrots and steamed cornbread are among the servings. After feeding his charge, Ma places trimmed bamboo in the outdoor area as another panda, Meng Meng, walks over and tucks into the meal.

"First, you should respect and cherish the giant panda. I guard their lives with my life," said Ma, 51, who has been a keeper for 32 years.

Preparing daily meals for the pandas takes time. Ma has to take into consideration nutrition, as well as their different eating habits.

In addition to bamboo and bamboo shoots, Ma also prepares apples, carrots, eggs and steamed cornbread to ensure the pandas get a balanced and nutritious diet. He cooks millet porridge mixed with minced beef for the older and younger pandas.

Apart from tending to pandas, Ma's job also entails improving their living environment at the zoo, which has been designed to simulate their natural habitat.

"We sow grass and plant trees to create a more suitable and natural habitat for them. Their feces and urine are placed in different panda houses, allowing them to sense each other's messages," Ma said, adding that the outdoor playground is also equipped with hammocks, perches, pools and bunkers to increase activities.

Ma and his team also conduct behavioral training. Pandas are trained to open their mouths, stretch out their hands and lie sideways to ensure they are able to cooperate with the veterinarian during physical examinations, and they are able to undergo treatment without anesthesia.

"A panda keeper should be calm and quiet and have good observation skills," Ma said. "I monitor, weigh and record information about their feces. Through the daily accumulation of data, we know if they are healthy."

"We interact with the pandas every day, and they are familiar with our voices and smell, which creates a sense of trust between us," he said.

Ma deems the pandas at the zoo akin to family members. "The way they look at you is very similar to how family members look at you."

Ma knows each panda's personality by heart; Gu Gu is handsome and smart, Meng Da and Meng Er are simple and honest, and Bai Tian is quite shy.

"It is like raising a child. The moment of their birth, when they open their eyes and their first steps are all etched in my heart," Ma said.

Back in the 1990s, he would remain at the zoo for almost three months to stay with the pandas during breeding season.

Ma was scratched by one of the pandas a few years back, which has left a scar on his right hand. However, he sees this as trivial.

"To be a qualified panda keeper, you must have love, patience and a sense of responsibility," he said. "I try my best to help pandas live better lives. That's my responsibility and mission."

Xinhua