The “unbearable” wait is over after two giant pandas made their debut at the Smithsonian National Zoo in D.C. on Friday. With the new bears comes a new exhibit along with renovations to the free online Panda Cam, a system of over 40 cameras.
“We’re excited to be able to share that again,” said senior curator Bryan Amaral. “Because that actually allows people around the globe to watch the pandas, which is pretty cool.”
The cameras are monitored by volunteers, who switch between the dozens of live camera feeds to provide the best angles for viewers.
Beyond entertainment, the Panda Cam system helps zookeepers track the pandas’ behavior.
“For us, we always are looking for ways to improve the care we provide,” said giant panda curator Michael Brown-Palsgrove. “We like to see where they’re spending time. Do they have favorite spots? What we can do to provide the best care we can?”
Once the pandas near sexual maturity, which likely will not happen for a few more years, zoo staff will monitor the camera feeds for signs that the pandas are ready to breed.
The Panda Cam is live from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. After hours, the feed will loop footage from the previous day.
