This very un-panda like animal is actually the Red Panda. I didn’t even know such a type existed and when I saw them they were so unlike the usual pandas. These looked cuter, I thought.

Some of the panda enclosures had play pens like this where the animals could amuse themselves. I was reminded a lot of the Singapore zoo, which has similar play pens.

For some reason there were a lot of peacocks on the walkways!

The pandas are not caged. They are given their own grounds filled with bamboo and are separated from the public by a moat and fence. Looks like they were enjoying their breakfast.

As you near the panda’s environment, you are greeted by some cute signs like these.

As you enter you are greeted with long walkways shaded by glades of towering bamboo on either side. We went early in the morning at around 8.30, to catch the pandas during their feeding time. Apparently, they eat only in the morning.

Last weekend I visited the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. A little away from the city, it’s one of the most famous places in the world where you can see giant pandas, including the rare red types.