National Zoo’s panda cub and family celebrate Halloween with pumpkins, snack-o-lanterns
WASHINGTON - The Smithsonian's National Zoo helped their newest giant panda cub and his family celebrate Halloween with some not-so-spooky treats over the weekend.
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The Zoo's 10-week-old giant panda cub received a pumpkin as enrichment for Halloween. (Smithsonian's National Zoo)
Zoo officials say Tian Tian and Mei Xiang enjoyed a 'snack-o-lantern' treats made of shredded carrots, applesauce and diluted apple juice pressed into a pumpkin using a Jack-O-Lantern-shaped mold. The 10-week-old cub was given a pumpkin as a fun enrichment item.
Animals receive pumpkins on Halloween because it gives them something new to smell, touch and investigate, Zoo officials say.
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The Zoo's 10-week-old giant panda cub received a pumpkin as enrichment for Halloween. (Smithsonian's National Zoo)
Zookeepers say Mei Xiang's appetite has returned to normal and is spending time in the yard of her enclosure. They say mom also brought her cub out of the den and onto the rockwork section of the enclosure known as the 'playpen' over the weekend. The 'playpen' area is a flat section of rockwork where Mei Xiang also sat with her other cubs. They spent about an hour and 40 minutes in this spot, and after the cub nursed, they both fell asleep there.
Tian Tian (left) and Mei Xiang (right) received "snack-o-lantern" treats made of shredded carrots, applesauce and diluted apple juice for Halloween. (Smithsonian's National Zoo)