Smithsonian Channel Launches First VR Title

Smithsonian Channel and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo have collaborated on a virtual reality experience that puts viewers into the yard with the giant pandas.

Pandamonium: A Virtual Experience combines up-close access to the giant pandas, Bei Bei and Bao Bao, with the broader story of the National Zoo’s work with their Chinese colleagues, which has played a pivotal role in solving the secrets of panda breeding and helping improve the species’ status from “endangered” to “vulnerable.” Now, on the heels of Bei Bei’s move to China, panda enthusiasts can experience the world of these charismatic animals unlike ever seen before.

The virtual reality experience is available at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo beginning Friday, November 29, at the annual Zoolights Festival.

Pandamonium: A Virtual Experience follows the movements of Tian Tian and Mei Xiang with their offspring, the then 3-year-old Bao Bao and 1-year-old Bei Bei. The film traces the zoo’s success in using artificial insemination to produce three panda cubs and creates a virtual family album that enables panda fans to relive the cubs’ stories. Over the course of a 10-month filming period, filmmakers were able to capture behind-the-scenes footage of pandas and their keepers preparing for and celebrating significant milestones, including Bei Bei’s first birthday and Bao Bao’s final physical exam before her February 2017 trip to China.

Throughout the experience, viewers hear insights from panda keepers about what it’s like to work with and train these beloved creatures, and how each panda expresses a different personality. From within the panda yard, viewers will also see how the zoo has crafted special design features to mimic the pandas’ natural habitat in China.

Pandamonium: A Virtual Experience is a Smithsonian Channel-Smithsonian’s National Zoo production with Run Riot Films. Executive producers for Run Riot Films are Chris Tuss, Josie Swantek and Dave Adams. Executive producers for Smithsonian Channel are David Royle and Charles Poe.