Chinese giant pandas stuck in Canada as fresh bamboo supplies run low

The coronavirus pandemic has upended Calgary Zoo’s access to the fresh food, and their regional source is drying up

Pandas eat the plant almost exclusively and chew through about 40kg per day

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The Calgary Zoo is struggling to find a consistent supply of fresh bamboo to feed its two giant pandas on loan from China. Photo: Calgary Zoo

Published: 7:14pm, 6 Aug 2020Updated: 8:49pm, 25 Nov 2020

A zoo in Canada is desperately trying to secure travel documents so two giant pandas can return to China after the coronavirus pandemic severely disrupted their access to fresh bamboo.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the Calgary Zoo said flight cancellations and slow delivery times limit the supply of bamboo, and it often arrives in poor quality.

The unpredictable bamboo supply is creating worries at the zoo that the pandas, named Er Shun and Da Mao, may run out of food. They are currently in good health.

“We believe the best and safest place for Er Shun and Da Mao to be during these challenging and unprecedented times is where bamboo is abundant and easy to access,” Calgary Zoo president Clément Lanthier said.

The Calgary Zoo is struggling to secure proper documentation to ship two pandas home to China after the coronavirus pandemic severely disrupted their food supply. Photo: AFP/The Calgary Zoo

Giant pandas feed on bamboo almost exclusively, and each adult chews through about 40kg (88 pounds) of the plant every day. The zoo still has access to fresh bamboo from the western Canadian province of British Columbia, but it expects the supply will run out in September.