Bao Bao the panda is assimilating well in China. (Photo : Getty Images)
The keeper of Bao Bao the panda, Marty Dearie, wrote an update of Bao Bao's well-being on the Smithsonian zoo website. Dearie said that the panda is adapting well.
He reported that Bao Bao was able to adapt well on the long flight from Washington to China. Bao Bao was reported to sleep and eat well while in flight.
"Bao Bao is settling in China at the Dujiangyan panda base. Our 16-hour direct flight aboard the FedEx Panda Express was smooth and Bao Bao did really well," Marty reported.
He added, "She ate and slept the entire way to Chengdu, just as we expected. All the weeks of acclimating her to her travel crate paid off."
Bao Bao needs to stay at Dujianyan to slowly adapt to Chinese climate. Her bodily functions will be assessed while in the base.
The keeper wrote that Bao Bao is also undergoing training sessions and reviewing skills that she learned in the U.S.
Marty wrote, "Bao Bao also participated in training sessions and performed behaviors that we taught her over the last few years without missing a beat."
Bao Bao's American companion said that the panda does not understand Chinese but is now able to understand gestures from Marty's colleagues.
"Our Chinese colleagues use very similar, or the same, body gestures to communicate to pandas what we need them to do," he said.
Bao Bao has not issued with eating, according to Marty. He said that the U.S.-born panda is happy with the bamboo in China given to her by the new keeper.
"True to her character, Bao Bao was very independent and began taking food from her new keeper immediately," Marty said.
Bao Bao took an interest on the carrot that was offered to her by the new keeper but didn't show any interest in the panda bread.
