Here's a wonderful blog entry about some enrichment item left with the pandas Bai Yun NameBai Yun Chinese Names白云 Stud Number371 Date of Birth1991-Sep- SexFemale Current LocationSan Diego Zoo Born atWOLONG MotherDong Dong - #358 FatherPan Pan - #308 and baby Zhen Zhen NameZhen Zhen Chinese Names珍珍 Stud Number694 Date of Birth2007-Aug-03 SexFemale Current LocationCCRCGP Bifengxia Born atSan Diego Zoo MotherBai Yun - #371 FatherGao Gao - #415 .

The nights are getting cooler here in San Diego, and because of its location, the Giant Panda Research Station at the San Diego Zoo is coolest of all, literally and metaphorically. It’s always around ten degrees cooler here than up at the Zoo’s entrance and it stays cooler longer into the day because of the shade of the canyon walls, the trees, and the surrounding bamboo.

Perhaps it was that little nip in the air, but a few mornings ago Bai Yun NameBai Yun Chinese Names白云 Stud Number371 Date of Birth1991-Sep- SexFemale Current LocationSan Diego Zoo Born atWOLONG MotherDong Dong - #358 FatherPan Pan - #308 and baby Zhen Zhen NameZhen Zhen Chinese Names珍珍 Stud Number694 Date of Birth2007-Aug-03 SexFemale Current LocationCCRCGP Bifengxia Born atSan Diego Zoo MotherBai Yun - #371 FatherGao Gao - #415 were up and about for a good part of the morning - not usual, especially for ZZ. They sat side by side, eating bamboo until they’d had their fill, then Bai sauntered around the exhibit, looking for the last bits of vegetable and biscuit. In time, ZZ hot on her heels, Mom happened upon an enrichment box that had been left there by the keepers. We could see that it had been stuffed with shredded paper; her level of interest in it had everyone intrigued. Were there treats inside, or a favorite scent? Bai Yun NameBai Yun Chinese Names白云 Stud Number371 Date of Birth1991-Sep- SexFemale Current LocationSan Diego Zoo Born atWOLONG MotherDong Dong - #358 FatherPan Pan - #308 wrestled with the box, grabbing it and tearing it open, when it exploded into a rain of paper and a huge cloud of…cinnamon!!

Brown dust flew everywhere as she rubbed the scented paper all over her face, head, and body, rolling over on to the cub, much to ZZ’s unhappiness (We could hear the muffled yelps of protest from under Mom’s furry rear end!) Bai Yun NameBai Yun Chinese Names白云 Stud Number371 Date of Birth1991-Sep- SexFemale Current LocationSan Diego Zoo Born atWOLONG MotherDong Dong - #358 FatherPan Pan - #308 ’s nose was brown and her rear was brown as she and the cub reveled in the paper. It was such a generous portion of spice that it could be smelled in the viewing line, and the obvious enjoyment of the pandas was contagious; guests were grinning from ear to ear.

A bit of a chill, the scents of the fall, rolling in the leaves - uh, paper –all that was missing were the pumpkins! But heck, it’s early. Who knows what kind of treats the rest of the season will bring to the pandas in the form of (very scientifically validated) enrichment?

Ellie Rosenbaum is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo.