GIANT PANDA BIRTHDAY SEASON BEGINS AT ZOO ATLANTA

Details emerge on four elaborate cakes planned for Lun Lun, Yang Yang, Xi Lan and Po

ATLANTA, 2012-08-30 — /travelprnews.com/ — “Ace of Cakes,” you could be trumped. “Cake Boss,” you may be demoted. The behind-the-scenes machinations of the giant panda keepers at Zoo Atlanta may not have landed a prime-time reality show, but the race is on to create confections worthy of four of the city’s most famous non-humans.

Animal care professionals have released two preliminary sketches of the “cakes” planned to commemorate the birthdays of the Zoo’s resident giant pandas, beginning with Lun Lun’s 15th birthday on Saturday, August 25. The three-time mother, likely with 1-year-old son Po in tow, will enter her habitat to find a festive surprise. Described by its designers as “floral and feminine,” the creation will feature two tiers of sugarcane, apples and bananas; a topper of leafy bamboo pieces; and a middle tier doused with diluted elements of three of Lun’s Lun’s preferred scents: mintflavored Listerine, vanilla extract and Tabasco.

On Thursday, August 30, Lun Lun’s second-born, male Xi Lan, will turn 4 while enjoying his own custom design. Xi Lan’s cake will feature bamboo, sugarcane and sweet potato pieces, with scents of cinnamon, classic Listerine and Tabasco. The cake-making will continue for the 15th birthday of male Yang Yang on September 9, followed by Po’s second birthday on November 3.

“It might seem odd to offer giant pandas scents like Listerine and Tabasco, but this is actually fantastic enrichment for them. Scent is a primary mode of communication for this species,” said Rebecca Snyder, PhD, Curator of Mammals. “They enjoy exploring and anointing their bodies with various scents, and the bears here have shown us that they do have their favorites.”

Lun Lun will receive her cake at 2 p.m. on August 25 in her habitat in the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Giant Panda Conservation Center. Xi Lan is scheduled to receive his at 2 p.m. on Thursday, August 30. Stay tuned for times and details for the birthdays of Yang Yang and Po.

“We’re very proud of the creativity and ingenuity shown by our animal care professionals, and the giant pandas’ birthdays are just one way to showcase some of those efforts,” said Dwight Lawson, PhD, Deputy Director. “Enrichment is a critical component of animal stewardship at Zoo Atlanta, and as our Members and guests will be able to see, it’s as much fun for the visitors as it is for the animals.”

 

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Keisha N. Hines

Director of Public Relations and Communications

404.624.5980 – office

404.309.2238 – cell

khines@zooatlanta.org

Simone Griffin

Public Relations Coordinator

404.624.2809

sgriffin@zooatlanta.org

About Zoo Atlanta
An accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Zoo Atlanta inspires value and preservation of wildlife through a unique mix of education and outdoor family fun. From well-known native wildlife to critically endangered species on the brink of extinction, the Zoo offers memorable close encounters with more than 1,500 animals from around the world. A slate of new up-close-and-personal experiences opened in spring 2012: giraffe feeding, permitting guests to hand-feed Earth’s tallest living land mammals, and Wild Encounters, three new behind-the-scenes adventures with African elephants, giant pandas and Komodo dragon. Other highlights include the nation’s largest collection of western lowland gorillas, the nation’s largest zoological collection of orangutans and a global center of excellence for the care and study of vanishing reptiles and amphibians. The Zoo is open daily with the exceptions of Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Keeper talks, interactive wildlife shows, education programs and special events run year-round. For more information, call 404.624.WILD or visit zooatlanta.org.

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