When visitors gather at Ocean Park’s Giant Panda Adventure enclosure, they may well spot Mandy Yan, the senior supervisor for zoological operations, dressed in overalls and playing behind the glass with giant panda twins, "Elder Sister" and "Little Brother".
The panda twins love the toy ball in her hand and run towards her. She smiles cheerfully and picks them up as if they were her own children. The twins are by no means lightweights, but Yan's seemingly wiry frame has a lot of strength and she interacts with them effortlessly, although sometimes a strand of her hair will flutter to her cheeks due to the vigorous movements. But she doesn't mind, and her smile is full of compassion.
The Giant Panda Adventure enclosure serves as a shared habitat for the panda twins and their mother, Ying Ying. Since March 21, the twins have been greeting visitors alongside Ying Ying. The park said Elder Sister and Younger Brother have entered a new stage of their growth, and will start to explore new things. By staying close to their mother, they can learn knowledge that humans cannot teach, such as distinguishing scents.
Visitors clustered in front of the glass at the Giant Panda Adventure enclosure are captivated by the playful interactions between Yan and the panda twins. Children are amused by the panda twins’ rounded appearance, while adults are moved by Yan's interaction with her charges, sometimes breaking into cheers and laughter.
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Yan has been working at Ocean Park Hong Kong for ten years, and she started her career as a keeper thanks to a passion for taking care of animals. During the past decade, she has taken care of many different species, such as red pandas and baby otters. Of course, there is also the giant panda that she has been working with for almost all her time at the park.
In fact, Yan has been taking care of Ying Ying for about eight years, overseeing her Ying Ying’s breeding program as well as her daily life. Yan’s contribution made her relationship with the giant panda inseparable and has become a part of her life.
During the week following the birth of "Elder Sister" and "Little Brother", Yan and all the staff were very nervous because panda twins are vulnerable in infancy, losing weight and becoming susceptible to illness.
Luckily, "Elder Sister" and "Little Brother" have not suffered any serious illness. Thanks to continuous support from the experts from Giant Panda Adventure, and Yan’s tireless care, the panda twins are active and healthy.
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Ocean Park Hong Kong requires keepers to provide objects for environmental enrichment to suit the panda twins’ habits, so that pandas can display their own natural behavior, thus avoiding stereotypes. A tree, a ball, or a swingall allow the panda twins to release their energy in a sensible way so that they can enjoy a better rest.
If kindness and empathy are superpowers, then every Ocean Park keeper should be a superhero as far as the panda family is concerned. Observing visitors’ passion for the panda family, Yan gets excited as well even she is simply doing her daily job. “For me, the times I spend with the pandas are all good memories in my life, I cherish every moment I have.” And Yan breaks into a smile, as if the panda family is irreplaceable.
