Taipei Zoo

Many visitors have come to see the two Giant Pandas at the Taipei Zoo, the flagship species under conservation, but often left asking themselves “which one is Tuan Tuan, and which one is Yuan Yuan?” Well, to answer that question the Taipei Zoo has come up with six ways.

One way to differentiate the pair is to look at the shape of the black patches around their eyes. Yuan Yuan’s are distinctive rounder and with the lower portion more protruding, whereas Tuan Tuan’s eye masks are narrower. One can also tell who’s who by looking at their ears too. Yuan Yuan has ears that contract inward partially at the root, shaped like a girl wearing her hair up in buns on top of her head; some also said her ears look like spoons. Tuan Tuan on the other hand, has ears that are broader at the base, more shovel-like. The width of their snouts and the shapes of their nose tips are different too. Tuan Tuan’s snout is wider and shorter, and he’s got a bigger nose; Yuan Yuan’s snout is narrower and longer. The marking on Tuan Tuan’s furry vest is narrower and shaped more like the English letter V; Yuan Yuan’s is broader and has a more rounded shape. Tuan Tuan walks with less of a wiggle, but makes bigger gestures eating bamboos. Yuan Yuan on the other hand, makes a bigger sway when she walks but eats more lady-like. Tuan Tuan’s tail is shaped like a blunt triangle, while Yuan Yuan’s is an acute triangle.