How to Become a Giant Panda Specialist

Jana Biedenweg ’20 oversees the welfare of the first giant pandas to come to the U.S. in two decades

By Bridgette Ramirez

Jana Biedenweg at the San Diego Zoo — Jana Biedenweg ’20 stands in front of Panda Ridge at the San Diego Zoo.

When the San Diego Zoo prepared to welcome the first giant pandas to enter the United States in 21 years, Jana Biedenweg ’20 was one of the first to meet them. Biedenweg is a wildlife care specialist at the zoo with experience ranging from mountain lions to gray wolves to black bears. Her expertise led to her selection as a caretaker for the zoo’s two new pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao.

Last June, Biedenweg went to Bifengxia Panda Center in China to learn how to best care for Yun Chuan and Xin Bao. Biedenweg worked with their care specialists to familiarize herself with the bears’ personalities.

“Xin Bao is very inquisitive and explores her whole habitat, while Yun Chuan is more goofy and enjoys playing in his pool,” said Biedenweg. “They are a joy to work with every day!”

A Special Bond

Biedenweg did not anticipate a career like this when she was an organismal biology major at Pitzer College. She thought she would go to veterinary school. However, thanks to her coursework, the pre-veterinary club, and internships, she discovered other possibilities.

“Through gaining experience working with animals in a medical setting and a wildlife care setting, I saw that in wildlife care you are able to gain more of a bond with the animals,” said Biedenweg.

Yun Chuan, a panda at the San Diego Zoo — Yun Chuan chews on bamboo. (Photo courtesy of San Diego Zoo)

Her hands-on approach to animal care aligned well with her curriculum. Pitzer’s organismal biology major teaches physiology, ecology, and evolutionary biology through experiential research and fieldwork. Biedenweg experimented with courses such as animal behavior, vertebrate physiology, and herpetology. The research tools and learning she gained at Pitzer proved foundational.

“My coursework exposed me to different aspects of biology and animal science that I still use every day in my career,” she said.

Biedenweg has also found her undergraduate education useful as she pursues a master’s degree in biology through Miami University’s Project Dragonfly. This program features online courses, conservation action, and immersive learning with scientists and experts around the world.

Playing a Part in Species Conservation

Biedenweg contributes to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s research. Their care specialists have studied giant pandas’ olfactory communication, hearing, and reproduction and male-female interactions. Their efforts have supported an increase of giant panda births worldwide.

Xin Bao, a panda at the San Diego Zoo — Xin Bao curiously looks around her habitat. (Photo courtesy of San Diego Zoo)

“We need to conserve species and their habitats in order to maintain healthy ecosystems,” said Biedenweg. “There continues to be a lot of human-caused environmental issues, so anything I can do to help combat that feels important.”

Now, Biedenweg has the privilege of helping the new giant pandas flourish at the San Diego Zoo and building her repertoire of wildlife conservation in ways she’d never imagined. If it weren’t for the friends and professors at Pitzer who encouraged her, Biedenweg wouldn’t be where she is today.

“My time at Pitzer has greatly influenced my life,” she said. “I gained a confidence in myself during college that allows me to be more creative and try new things in my career.”