Substitute Panda Cam

There's a baby panda at the National Zoo. The Substitute Panda Cam first ran during the federal government shutdown from October 1st to October 16th in 2013. During the shutdown, the National Zoo's panda cam was taken offline, much to the dismay of its loyal following. Substitute Panda Cam helped capture priceless panda moments while zoo staff were on furlough and panda learned how to survive (mostly) on his own. The Substitute Panda Cam is back in 2020 (after returning in 2018 and 2019) as we're in shutdown status once again, this time from a pandemic.  Created by Jordan Baker. Contact: jordanbakerIP [at] gmail.com Twitter.com/pastepunk

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Well, someone's been busy during all this downtime...

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Unable to make his usual trips to the dry cleaners, Panda sought fresh linens via robot delivery.

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On the 50th day of quarantine, Panda truly began to miss his regular grooming schedule.

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"Yes, 38kg of the orange bamboo, please. No I do not wish to add an egg roll or soup. Please leave outside the gate. The zebras will handle payment."

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Panda's pursuit of an arts and craft project was less than embraced by Manatee's concern against microplastics.

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A little bit of yoga helped Panda get through the work day.

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"Is everyone here? Who just joined? If you're the heavy breathing walrus, please put yourself on mute."

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Panda was well prepared when the teleworking baboons in the next stall over made sauerkraut for lunch...

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Tired of being told that Panda only sees things as being black and white, Panda sought help from author Ezra Klein.

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It was hard enough for Panda to get used to the idea of teleworking after the National Zoo shut down for the Covid-19 pandemic, but his disappointment over the design of his new exercise therapy ball was almost too much to bear.

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Panda busked outside the zoo today with his alpenhorn. Bystanders were generous, but one guy scoffed, ‘it’s no didgeridoo...’

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On day 34 of the government shutdown, Panda played pin the tail on the capybara. 

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To combat the unsettling ennui, Panda finally got around to shredding some old tax documents.

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With strategic reserves at the National Zoo dwindling, Panda was trying to get comfortable on his new CVS receipt bedding.

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With the Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) closed for business, Panda’s new craft beer venture was delayed indefinitely. (h/t to beerlabelizer.com).

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With EPA superfund work at a standstill, strange new friends were suddenly appearing in Panda’s water supply.

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Panda and his newly declared non-essential friend Beaver played video games. Meanwhile...