{"id":183,"date":"2015-08-19T14:47:38","date_gmt":"2015-08-19T12:47:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/?p=183"},"modified":"2025-09-10T09:02:40","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T08:02:40","slug":"giantpandas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/schonbrunn\/zoo\/giantpandas\/","title":{"rendered":"The Giant Pandas"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/pandasmall.jpg\" alt=\"Panda bear photo\" class=\"wp-image-12818\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/pandasmall.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/pandasmall-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Vienna has plenty of rare sights, but perhaps none rarer than the two Giant Pandas found in Tiergarten Sch\u00f6nbrunn (the Vienna zoo). Here&#8217;s how to see them&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A lovely bear-friendly enclosure near the main entrance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reopened in 2025 with a new panda pair<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Yep, pandas really do top the cute scale<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Book <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/tiergarten-schonbrunn-tickets-l141990\/?partner=visitingvienna&amp;tq_campaign=LG_ZooVenue\" rel=\"sponsored\">Vienna zoo tickets<\/a>* and skip counter queues<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>See also:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sightseeing\/palace-of-schonbrunn\/vienna-zoo\/\">Zoo overview<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/schonbrunn\/zoo\/information\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"186\">Visitor &amp; ticket tips<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/schonbrunn\/zoo\/animals\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"176\">Animal highlights<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"where-are-the-pandas\">Where are the pandas?<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/pandamay2025a.jpg\" alt=\"A male panda\" class=\"wp-image-83351\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/pandamay2025a.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/pandamay2025a-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Still a rarity outside of China, Sch\u00f6nbrunn&#8217;s male panda <em>He Feng<\/em>; press photo \u00a9\u00a0Daniel Zupanc)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Around 1900 wild bears still survive in the bamboo forests of China. A very few live outside China in zoos, with Vienna one of those exceptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To find our pair of monochrome wonders, make your way through the park at Sch\u00f6nbrunn to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/schonbrunn\/zoo\/information\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"186\">zoo&#8217;s main entrance<\/a> in the northwest corner of the complex. After the&nbsp;ticket barrier, go straight ahead down the tree-lined avenue in front of you,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To your left is a kind of visitor centre, then a long building with koala bears and, after that, the Giant Panda enclosure: a building with a large outdoor area beyond it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The enclosure reopened to the public in mid-May, 2025 with an improved, extended layout and a new design reflecting the Chinese origins of the bears.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/pandamay2025enclosure.jpg\" alt=\"Inside an animal enclosure designed with a Chinese style\" class=\"wp-image-83352\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/pandamay2025enclosure.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/pandamay2025enclosure-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The visitor part of the interior of the panda enclosure; press photo \u00a9&nbsp;Daniel Zupanc)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Lan Yun<\/em> and <em>He Feng<\/em> (both born in 2020) are the occupants of this refurbished home, having arrived from China in April, 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The previous long-serving panda pair returned to China in late 2024 to spend their twilight years in their country of origin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Incidentally, another enclosure between the polar bears and the rainforest house provides a home for pandas of a different kind: the red version.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/pandamay2025.jpg\" alt=\"Female giant panda eating bamboo\" class=\"wp-image-83350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/pandamay2025.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/pandamay2025-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The female panda <em>Lan Yun<\/em> enjoying a snack; press photo \u00a9\u00a0Daniel Zupanc)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-panda-backstory\">The Panda backstory<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Back in 2003, the Chinese government gave <em>Yang Yang<\/em> and <em>Long Hui<\/em> to the Republic of Austria. Actually, &#8220;loaned&#8221; is a better word, with the zoo participating in the international panda breeding and research project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the subsequent 20+ years of panda cooperation with China, Tiergarten Sch\u00f6nbrunn has seen the birth of the first naturally-conceived cub in Europe, organised various expert workshops, and contributed to research on a host of scientific topics (such as facial recognition and verbal development in the animals).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Yang Yang<\/em> actually had several cubs, most recently twins in 2016. Like all her offspring, <em>Fu Feng<\/em> and <em>Fu Ban<\/em> found a new home back in China.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/pandasyangfulong.jpg\" alt=\"Panda mother and cub\" class=\"wp-image-59885\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/pandasyangfulong.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/pandasyangfulong-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(<em>Yang Yang<\/em> with her first cub, <em>Fu Long<\/em>; press photo \u00a9 Daniel Zupanc)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, the father of all these cubs, <em>Long Hui<\/em>, died in December 2016. His replacement, male panda <em>Yuan Yuan<\/em>, emerged for public viewing at the end of May 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The arrival of the original bears was a major event for Austria and saw the outbreak of a veritable pandamania. When the panda enclosure opened to visitors for the first time, half of Vienna descended on the creatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><em>Ad:<\/em><br><\/div><div data-tiqets-widget=\"discovery\" data-cards-layout=\"horizontal\" data-content-type=\"product\" data-content-ids=\"974071,976418\" data-partner=\"visitingvienna\" data-tq-campaign=\"DA_ZooTech\"><\/div><script defer src=\"https:\/\/widgets.tiqets.com\/loader.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The post office brought out special panda stamps, the Chancellor welcomed them in person, and they featured on TV and radio stations throughout the land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not that the pandas themselves seemed too bothered by the fuss. They were invariably found either sleeping or eating and viewed human proceedings with a gentle disdain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you do want to see the pandas, don&#8217;t worry about long queues now. Unless you visit the zoo on a hot weekend or public holiday, you should have little trouble getting a good view of them (assuming they are around and active).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The exception is, of course, if another cub appears. Because there is no magnet for zoo visitors quite like a baby panda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"fun-fact\">Bonus fun fact<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/yawningpanda1.jpg\" alt=\"A yawning panda \u00a9\u00a0Daniel Zupanc\" class=\"wp-image-43086\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/yawningpanda1.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/yawningpanda1-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(I can&#8217;t decide if the panda is yawning or just happy or yawning *and* happy; press photo \u00a9 Daniel Zupanc)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As mentioned, Sch\u00f6nbrunn Zoo participates in plenty of research initiatives, and one recent example involved a study of animal yawning times and its relation to brain capacity and activity (yawning cools the brain).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to researcher Margarita Hartlieb, the giant panda yawn lasts an average of 4.28 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So now you know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The zoo has more than just pandas, of course. Discover some of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/schonbrunn\/zoo\/animals\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"176\">other animal highlights<\/a> there.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Vienna has plenty of rare sights, but perhaps none rarer than the two Giant Pandas found in Tiergarten Sch\u00f6nbrunn (the Vienna zoo). Here&#8217;s how to see them&#8230; Where are the pandas? (Still a rarity outside of China, Sch\u00f6nbrunn&#8217;s male panda He Feng; press photo \u00a9\u00a0Daniel Zupanc) Around 1900 wild bears still survive in the bamboo [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12818,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-183","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-zoo","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=183"}],"version-history":[{"count":33,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":85705,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183\/revisions\/85705"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12818"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}