The facility staff at Scotland’s Edinburgh Zoo has more than its share of unique challenges maintaining the various habitats of almost 100 different species — not to mention the human visitors.
But recently, members of the cleaning staff were given a new wrinkle when they were forbidden to wear their brightly colored vests around the pandas, according to The Independent. Staff and contractors have been told not to wear high-visibility clothing because of concerns that garish garments might kill a romantic mood for Tian Tian and Yang Guang.
The giant panda breeding program has had five disappointing years. The two pandas have been on loan from China since 2011 but have yet to produce any cubs since arriving in Scotland.
To put the furry couple at ease, a contractor that provides cleaning, security and waste disposal services the zoo has told its employees not to wear their brightly colored vests. Interserve's staff has also been asked to use brooms instead of leaf blowers to cut down on romance-killing noise. Interserve has worked for the zoo since 2013.
Asiatic lions are also among the animals said to be put off by fluorescent clothing and excessive noise. Additional mood enhancements are being made to the enclosure that houses the pandas, which will return to China in three years. Tian Tian and Yang Guang are the UK’s only giant pandas.
Earlier this year the zoo announced it had halted the breeding program so it could “further assess the incredibly complex and unpredictable” process.
This Quick Read was submitted by Cathryn Jakicic, Healthcare Industries Editor, FacilitiesNet. For more about hospital campuses and other medical facilities, visit https://www.facilitiesnet.com/healthcarefacilities.
