After a 15-hour flight from Beijing, giant pandas Ya Ya and Le Le seemed relieved to scamper from their crates.

Ya Ya

"They came right out and started inspecting the dens. Then they dove into the bamboo," says zookeeper Janet Cooper.

The giant panda bears' arrival at the Memphis Zoo in April has caused a tremendous stir. Visitors cluster in front of the exhibit space to observe and snap pictures. Some bring bamboo stalks from their gardens in hopes of feeding the endearing creatures. Zoo attendance has shot up 46 percent.

Only nine institutions outside of China have giant pandas. The Memphis Zoo joins the San Diego, Atlanta and Washington zoos in this elite category. The black-and-white bears are among the most critically endangered species in the world. Less than 1,000 live in the wild in China's mountainous regions.

Ya Ya and Le Le's viewing area is part of a $16-million China complex that includes a 50-foot pagoda, cultural pavilion, garden and other Chinese animal exhibits. They will remain at the Memphis Zoo for 10 years.

"To say our lives have changed is an understatement," says wildlife biologist John Ouellette, who accompanied the precious cargo sent by FedEx Express. "We went through all the clinical symptoms of a new parent: 'Are they sleeping too much?' 'Are they eating too much?' 'Are they moving around enough?' Because of their demeanor and personality, you think of them as kids," he says. He is the zoo's giant panda field research coordinator.

"Ya Ya is a little spoiled. She has a neat little temperament and is very special. The best way to describe Le Le is deliberate. When he eats, he eats, and when he sleeps, he sleeps to the point that we can't wake him," says Ouellette. The giant pandas like the taste of Tennessee-grown bamboo and consume 20 to 40 pounds daily.

Ya Ya keeps her eye on a spectator while munching on bamboo. The giant panda arrived at the Memphis Zoo.

During an interview, the zoo staff allowed me inside the physiology laboratory and the Panda Kitchen. A walk-in refrigerator is filled with mist and stacks of fresh bamboo. Stuffed bears, children's artwork and Chinese lanterns decorate the computer area.

"We keep track of everything. We spend a lot of time watching these animals. We can actually tell you how many times she chews something versus how many times he chews something," says Ouellette. Sometimes the staff prefers to monitor by camera instead of in person. "If we go into the observation area, we may disrupt what they are doing," says Cooper, team leader of the China exhibit. Veterinarians Dr. Peng Zhenxin and Dr. Yuan Yaohua from the Beijing and Shanghai zoos assist the Memphis Zoo staff.

Zookeepers access the bears' domain via a short corridor from the kitchen. It is outfitted with scales and a metal "squeeze cage" that are used to monitor their weight and physical condition. The bears move freely between the public viewing area to secluded yards and dens.

"They are acclimating very well," says Cooper. "Technically, we don't 'play' with them. We do at least two training sessions a day. Le Le needs to build up his back leg muscles a bit. We make him do deep-knee bends."

The giant pandas are learning to open their mouths so zookeepers can inspect their teeth. For ear examinations, they lean ears up to openings in cage mesh. "We try to teach them to forage," says Cooper. She places fruit for hide-and-seek games, an activity to relieve boredom.

They smell like sweet bamboo and have fur similar in texture to a German shepherd's, she notes. Do they get a weekly shampoo to keep fur clean and fluffy? Zookeepers spray them with hoses, a departure from the natural order. "In the wild, they would be washing themselves off by walking through wet vegetation."

"Le Le and Ya Ya have a whole repertoire of vocalization. They honk, they squeak, they do a high-pitched bleat," says Ouellette, doing his best to imitate his furry charges.

Often visitors are surprised at the small size of the bears. They aren't giants; they weight 160 to 170 pounds each and stand about 5 feet tall. "A lot of people comment on how easy it is to observe the bears in our exhibit. They are so close," says Cooper. She recalls an incident in which a little girl put her face up to the glass. "Ya Ya made a beeline and stuck her nose right up against the face. The child was absolutely speechless."

Visit to China

Crowds line up to see the giant panda bears, but actually there's much more at the three-acre China exhibit in the middle of the Memphis Zoo. Visitors enter the courtyard through a portal guarded by two Beijing lion marble sculptures. In the guest hall, they watch a short film and then move into the Hundred Flower Garden with a pond and cascades. Chinese animals in this area include Asian small-clawed otters, white-cheeked gibbons, Pere David's deer and white-naped cranes, plus a variety of colorful pheasants and waterfowl.

In a children's area, youngster follow the paw prints of a giant panda through a bamboo grove. A carousel depicting scenes of China, a garden teahouse, research station and the Bamboo Market gift shop appeal to people of all ages.

"The China exhibit immerses visitors in the history, culture and wildlife of China. It was built to create a more complete experience for the visitor," says Dr. Chuck Brady, president of the Memphis Zoo.

"It's almost like a visit to China," says zoo spokesperson Jennifer Coleman. Building materials, such as roof tiles and ornamentation for building interiors and exteriors, were shipped from Hong Kong. The bright red-and-green guest hall, resplendent with panels, ceiling tiles and large lanterns, reflects the architectural styles of southern China. The giant pandas' pavilion features charcoal gray Suzhou roof tiles, typical for northern China.

Planning and construction of the China exhibit swung into high gear in April 1999 when the Memphis Zoo received a coveted letter of intent from the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens. The Memphis Zoo agrees to pay $1.1 million per year for the opportunity to host the giant panda bears. James R. Sasser, then U.S. Ambassador to the People's Republic of China and former U.S. Senator of Tennessee, facilitated meetings to forge a research exchange between the Memphis Zoo and Chinese officials.

"Jim Sasser was an intricate part. He is very well respected in China and thankfully used his relationships to help his hometown," says Coleman.

Surprisingly, mating the two pandas isn't the goal of their visit here.

"The focus of our research is related to bamboo," Ouellette says, explaining that one of the reasons the species is so threatened is its total dependence on bamboo, a plant with low nutritional value.

"Do we hope to have a panda baby? Yes. It would give us an understanding of how her diet changes with the demands of carrying and caring for the baby."

The research is carried out in state-of-the art facilities behind the decorative pavilions. Ouellette says the giant panda's habitat on the steep slopes of China is very similar to the Southern Appalachians "Except where we have rhododendrons as the understory, in China they have bamboo."

"We hope that our conservation and research effort will have far-reaching effects on the worldwide effort to save the giant panda," says Dr. Brady.

Linda Lange may be reached at 865-342-6433. She is travel editor of the News Sentinel.

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