Toronto Zoo’s picky pandas cheerfully chomping on McMaster’s donated bamboo

Last fall, we reported that McMaster University's Biology Greenhouse would be shipping its excess golden bamboo, usually destined for the compost pile, to the Toronto Zoo's giant pandas, Er Shun and Da Mao — for free.

Yesterday, CTV News reported that the gifted bamboo has, in fact, been offsetting some of the zoo's costs.

Even though McMaster's bamboo is a different variety than the one Er Shun and Da Mao are used to, the notoriously picky eaters seem to enjoy their locally-grown meals.

"It is a new type of bamboo we found pandas enjoy that we didn’t know that they liked before because they are so particular about their diet," zoo worker Karen Alexander told CTV News.

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The picky pandas' meals cost the zoo more than $500,000 a year. Every week, the Toronto Zoo ships approximately 600 to 900 kilograms of bamboo from Tennessee.

Er Shun and Da Mao go through 90 to 100 pounds to bamboo per day, tossing much of it aside.

"They'll just reach back and they'll take a piece and they'll sniff it and if they like it, they'll eat it, if they don’t they'll throw it away – it's quite comical to watch," said Alexander.

While McMaster can only ship excess bamboo a few times a year, the local shipments are still valuable.

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"It is fantastic because if something happens with our transportation ... or there's a strike, or there’s a flood ... we love that we can give [McMaster University] a call and say 'Hey, can we please get some of your bamboo?'" Zoo nutritionist Jaap Wensvoort told the Hamilton Spectator last September.

"Hey, everyone likes a panda and they're an endangered species … we're just doing our part to help out," Yeas said.

Have you been to the zoo to see Er Shun and Da Mao in action yet?