Thursday is the big day that the
San Diego Zoo finally opens Panda Ridge to the public. While the pandas arrived in San Diego on June 27, they've been off habitat as they quarantined and adjusted to their new San Diego lifestyle. The zoo made extraordinary measures to make sure nobody was getting sneak peeks or disturbing them in that time...putting windscreens across the entire Bashor Bridge, adding railings to prevent looking over, staffed the area with two guest ambassadors from open to close, erected walls around the habitats, closed off half the overflow seating for Treetops Bistro, closed the stairs at Bashor Bridge into the Canyon. They would even go so far as closing the Skyfari for "regular maintenance" whenever the pandas were exploring their yards.
So naturally starting last week, dignitaries, media, researchers, volunteers and employees began run-throughs for the viewing. On Monday, I got the chance to see them with a friend who is a donor. We had a 4pm viewing time but got wind that they were letting people in ahead of their time, so here I'm going to divulge my recommendations for seeing the pandas.
First of all, I do not know how they're running the time-ticketing vs the paid-viewing. But let's assume you get a ticket and a time slot. Before you even go to the zoo, plan ahead!!! The pandas are behind 8-10' high glass that is about 4 feet in front of the walking path. Any given time of day there will be reflection. I am intentionally posting my photos with heavy reflection so you can see how it looks. I wear ALL BLACK and brought a black long sleeve light jacket I use, as well as a cut up black shower curtain that I usually use for sitting. The people wearing flashy, bright and printed clothes couldn't see jack shit except everyone else's reflection. This was a late afternoon viewing, so I knew what to expect in this area after months of spending hours shooting the baby red panda, Pavitra.
Second, I did not get one single worthy phone photo, even with my fancy new camera. If you're only bringing your phone, snap a pic or two and then just enjoy the viewing. I shoot with a pretty entry level camera, a Canon 90D and a 75-300mm lens. There are zoo regulars shooting with cameras and lenses worth $5k, $10k, $25k dollars and more. Don't try to compare your photos to their photos. Let them hobby and you enjoy your time.
Last thing I'll say is that for this special donor preview, we had a 30 minute window, plus the extra 15 minutes we went in early. The public timed viewings will only be 15 minutes. Still, I heard a statistic that the average person spends 90 SECONDS at each animal at a zoo. They want to see, snap a selfie, maybe record a video they'll never watch, and move on. This is why the entitled maniacs get all pissed off when people don't get out of their way...their kids are cuter than you and deserve to get the best view the second they walk up to the habitat even if you've been waiting minutes or hours for that one special moment...All this to say...don't be rushed along. There will be lots of people saying "Share The Bear" but you have a window of time for the entire habitat. When Xin Bao went up to her hill, I checked out Yun Chuan (4 yo male), but he was fast asleep, so I went back to Xin Bao (3yo female) and got to see her basically rolling in her bamboo with joy, which was pretty special to watch. But note the glare. It is harsh and everywhere, even when I blocked the yellow posts with my jacket and plastic and sat on the ground to get under the bamboo reflecting off higher on the glass. I was able to hold my black plastic up so my friend in a fully mechanized wheelchair could see the pandas when most other people couldn't see at all. I don't know what the policy will be like for the public, but I would HOPE that strollers are not allowed, as people bring
WONDERFOLDS the size of my childhood day bed and think everyone else has to yield to them. The pathway was not expanded in any parts, but there is a lot more room for the first habitat with Xin Bao, who got the space of the former Takins, versus Yun Chuan who got the space of the red pandas. And speaking of red pandas, KOLA is back. Make sure to look for him snoozing high up in his tree on the right as you first enter the habitat.
Obviously I'm so glad the pandas are back, but the zoo is going to be BONKERS and there are going to be a lot of disappointed people who only catch Xin Bao on her hill or Yun Chuan in one of his 4 hour naps. Be patient. Be a member. Don't put all your expectations into amazing views in one 15 minute visit. San Diego Zoo is posting a ton of
PROFESSIONALLY shot photos and videos on their social media, where they can get behind-the-scenes and BEHIND-THE-GLASS footage. Just enjoy watching these super cute creatures. And if you're disappointed, just head next door and see much rarer animals, the
Amur Leopards, or go up and visit the
Guam Kingfisher who is COMPLETELY EXTINCT in the wild, and realize that conservation goes a lot further than just this hot panda summer. Photos after the jump.
