DC's panda cub Bao Bao, startled by "hot wire," hides in tree
WASHINGTON -- The National Zoo in Washington is reassuring fans of the panda cub Bao Bao that she's doing fine after spending the night in a tree.
Members of the public can watch a live feed online of the zoo's pandas. When they saw that Bao Bao was in a tree overnight and still there by Wednesday afternoon, they posted worried inquiries on the zoo's Facebook page.
In a Facebook post to allay their fears, the zoo says Bao Bao climbed the tree after touching a "hot wire" used for animal containment Tuesday afternoon. Zookeepers say Bao Bao's reaction was predictable and she's "perfectly fine."
Bao Bao, who turned 1 in August, is only the second panda born at the zoo to survive to her first birthday.
The zoo released this statement on its Facebook page Wednesday:
For everyone wondering about giant panda cub Bao Bao, she chose to spend last night outdoors in a tree. Staff determined that Bao Bao touched a 'hot wire' in her yard yesterday afternoon. This is a safe warning system used by Zoos for containment. Her reaction was to climb up a tree where she feels safe. This behavior is predictable. Bao Bao is perfectly fine and like all Zoo animals, she is still learning the boundaries of her habitat. Keepers decided to give Mei access to the outdoor yard overnight and she choose to stay with Bao Bao, a likely scenario for a mother panda to stay with her cub in the wild. A keeper stayed overnight in the panda house just in case they decided to come inside. The staff are adjusting the pandas' routine today and are confident that Bao Bao will come down when she is ready.