Contact: Sondra Katzen Public Relations 708.688.8351 [email protected]

Red Panda Tree Facts

(Note: Photos of the red panda tree during and after construction, may be downloaded at www.CZS.org/PressRoom.)

To ensure the highest level of animal care at Brookfield Zoo, Chicago Zoological Society staff create stimulating and dynamic habitats, known as environmental enrichment. The zoo’s enrichment program is a zoowide team effort that helps meet the diverse needs of more than 450 species, including the red panda.

Each enrichment initiative must meet several criteria to ensure success: . The enrichment must be safe for the animal to use. . The project must satisfy the needs of the animal, helping to stimulate both body and mind. . The enrichment item must fit into the immersive theme of each animal habitat.

. The tree in the red panda’s habitat replicates a bonsai tree and measures 13 feet tall and 35 feet wide.

. The tree weighs 10,000 pounds, or five tons.

. The Chicago Zoological Society’s exhibits crew built the tree in-house with input from the Animal Programs Department. It took four months to construct the tree. However, the planning process and development of the feeder devices, building prototypes, testing, etc., which involved nearly 20 staff from a variety of departments, took about a year.

. A clay model of the tree was first fabricated. The scale ratio of the model and the actual tree was one inch to one foot.

. How was the tree constructed: . The tree is built on a structural steel frame consisting of H beams, I beams, and a square tube. . Over that, the shape of the tree was created by hand bending steel rebar in hoops and rings. These rings are connected to each other with long horizontal or vertical lengths. . The tree was then covered with two layers of plastic mesh. These layers are placed on either side of the rebar to encapsulate the tree form. The rebar and mesh were connected with thousands of wire ties. . The tree was covered with three different types of concrete. The first layer was a structural coat applied to the base of the tree. The second layer is a scratch coat that covered the mesh and solidified the entire form. The third layer is a textured coat. When this layer was applied, exhibits staff also texturized the bark pattern. . When the concrete dried, the tree was wire brushed to remove any loose bits or sharp edges. Staff ran their hands over the entire tree to feel for any areas that may have needed to be smoothed. . The entire tree was painted black to fill in the deepest bark texture and to give a deep dimensional look. Additional colors of different shades of brown, gray, orange, and green were applied with spray equipment, as well as a variety of brushes and textured rollers. . There are also artificial pine boughs and some epoxy branching details.

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. The tree has many nooks and crannies for animal care staff to place food items in. Additionally, there are built-in crevices to accommodate eight timed feeders—seven are electronic and one is mechanical. . The electronic feeders are about 6 inches wide by 12 inches long and 3 inches high. . They are made of stainless steel and plastic materials so they can withstand the varied Chicago weather. . Within each feeder, a small bowl contains primarily nonperishable food items such as bamboo shoots, grains, and raisins. . A computer program created by one of the lead animal care staff triggers a trap door above each bowl to open at random times throughout the day. The door is opened by an automotive door-locking mechanism. . The mechanical feeder, located in the trunk of the tree, is made of PVC pipe, stainless-steel parts, and a wind-up clock mechanism that is housed inside a cooler. This feeder is primarily for perishable food items, including fruits and vegetables. . To operate the mechanical feeder, animal care staff place food in four PVC tubes located vertically in the cooler. At the bottom of each tube is a small trap door that, when triggered, releases food items down through another tube and out the base of the tree.

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