The secret behind Giant Panda’s insatiable bamboo appetite

Bamboo grown at SA Water’s Bolivar Wastewater Treatment Plant and irrigated using recycled water from the plant is continuing to provide an important food source for Adelaide Zoo’s pandas, with hundreds of tonnes grown and delivered to the zoo since 2009.

The eight-hectare plantation at the SA Water site in Adelaide’s north supports a healthy and varied diet for the zoo’s four panda residents, starting with Wang Wang and Fu Ni and now new pair Xing Qiu and Yi Lan.

SA Water’s Senior Manager Water Expertise Dr Lionel Ho said the partnership with Adelaide Zoo highlights the importance of water management in protecting wildlife and promoting ecological sustainability, and contributes to the conservation efforts aimed at supporting the Giant Panda population globally.

“First planted in 2009, the bamboo is harvested up to three times a week and trucked to Adelaide Zoo for the hungry pandas’ consumption, meaning the crop is as fresh as possible,” Lionel said.

“We’re told that for Xing Qiu, that equates to about 30 kilograms of bamboo a day, which is about 10 kilograms more than the average panda’s bamboo consumption, so through the use of recycled water, we’re pleased to be able to provide enough to satisfy his appetite.

“The plantation has used about 60,000 kilolitres of recycled water over the past three years but through new approaches for improved sustainability, it looks to be reduced this year to around 35,000 kilolitres.

“The recycled water is treated to a level that meets agricultural standards, enabling it to be used for irrigation and supporting various ecological projects, including the cultivation of bamboo for the pandas.

“Using recycled water from our Bolivar facility ensures a stable, reliable and fit-for-purpose supply to help grow the bamboo forest and other tree species that support the zoo’s monkey and koala populations, among others.

“The plantation started in 1997 as a eucalyptus-focused site to feed the zoo’s koala population but was repurposed when Adelaide Zoo welcomed its first Giant Pandas, Fu Ni and Wang Wang in 2009.

“The Bolivar bamboo plantation has since grown into the heart of Adelaide Zoo’s panda care program, able to grow and sustain several bamboo species to ensure a varied diet for the pandas.”

SA Water’s ongoing partnership with Zoos SA also involves the supply of water to eight waterholes at Monarto Safari Park that supports a range of animals such as the Nile Hippos, Southern White Rhinos, and the new elephants Burma and Permai.

“This partnership helps to improve animal welfare and local biodiversity, and it highlights the role water plays in sustained conservation,” Lionel said.

“The partnership between Zoos SA and SA Water remains integral to the success of the plantation which has cultivated a sustainable system where the land is carefully managed to provide the animal population with what they need.”

Contact: Tara Miko

Phone: 0448951418

Email: tara.miko@sawater.com.au