Pit and Paule keep cool

With surprising strength and agility, young panda Paule clambers up the robust tree trunks and pulls himself onto the wooden platform. His brother Pit, meanwhile, is more interested in the fresh bamboo and chomps on the lush green leaves with visible delight. By now, the twins are out of their baby years and able to confidently explore their outdoor habitat.

However, as Pit and Paule kept choosing to take their frequent naps in the blazing sun rather than the shade of the trees, the climbing structures in the outdoor area had to be adapted. Young pandas are not yet able to regulate their body temperature on their own, so the keepers constantly had to fetch the two bears from their favourite sunbathing platforms and bring them into the cooler indoor area. To address the problem, the wooden planks that made up the sunny platforms were removed. “To ensure the panda brothers can enjoy sweet dreams at a pleasant temperature, even in the summer months, an alternative climbing and sleeping facility has been created in the shady part of their 1,000 m² outdoor habitat,” explains Zoo and Tierpark Director Dr Andreas Knieriem. On their first test climb, the cubs sniffed and explored every nook and cranny of the new structure. At a little over ten months old, Pit and Paule now weigh 22 kg each and almost have full sets of teeth. Their diet is still mostly milk, but they are already enjoying biting into fresh bamboo stalks. When the twins are fully grown, each of them will consume up to 20 kg of fresh bamboo per day.

When Berlin’s zoos reopened in late April, tickets could only be purchased online. Now, individual day ticket desks have been opened at the Zoo and Tierpark for visitors with no internet access. After all, a visit to Berlin’s zoological gardens should be open to everyone, especially in the current situation. Naturally, the Berlin Senate’s rules regarding hygiene and conduct also apply at the Zoo, Tierpark and Aquarium. Wherever possible, visitors must maintain a distance of at least 1.5 metres from all other people.