Fans of Moscow Zoo’s two giant pandas, Ding Ding and Ru Yi, are able to keep an eye on them via live webstream during the pandas’ first winter at their new home following their arrival from China, zoo managers have revealed.
The pair are reported to be settling in well, and more than 20 high definition cameras have been installed at the zoo by Hikvision, a leading camera manufacturer based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.
The cameras are equipped with some of the most advanced monitoring technologies available, the company said, giving fans all over the world constant access to their daily lives. Even in the dark of night, the cameras are still able to capture the pandas’ movements clearly.
Broadcasting began with a physical examination, which was shown live, to mark their half-year anniversary at the zoo. With help from keepers from China and Russia, Ru Yi was weighed, did some squats, had his teeth examined and had a blood sample taken from his paw.
The pandas are now the zoo’s “biggest stars”, said Svetlana Akulova, general director of the zoo.
She said the pair are healthy and full of curiosity and enthusiasm. They have adapted well to life in the Russian capital.
Ding Ding and Ru Yi live in the Chinese Fauna Pavilion, and wake up early every day to have an open air bamboo breakfast. They play with educational toys like balls, tumblers and plastic rollers, Akulova said.
“We hope the livestreaming will help avoid overcrowding in the pavilion, and, most importantly, protect the animals from unnecessary stress,” she added.
“It is not enough to spend the whole day looking into the bears’ open air cage in order to become acquainted with their unusual habits. Online streams will facilitate the process, providing an opportunity to see the pandas looking for hidden treats, eating fruit ice and playing every day.
“Besides, those who live outside Moscow and cannot visit the zoo will have an opportunity to watch the pandas live. Pandas at the Moscow Zoo are a long-awaited event and a great delight for us that we certainly wish to share,” she said.
Ding Ding, born in 2017, and Ru Yi, born in 2016, arrived at the Moscow Zoo at the end of April as part of an international program for giant panda preservation, protection and research, and they will remain at the zoo for 15 years.
The June opening ceremony for the panda house was attended by President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
“We are very proud of our part in the initiative aimed at protecting nature and studying rare animal species like the giant panda. It is one of the most important scientific activities of the zoo,” Akulova said.
The panda cams can be accessed at https://moscowzoo.ru/about-zoo/live-stream/
