Yesterday morning, the bears were late in getting out on exhibit; a very special enrichment was being prepared for them that required them to be extra patient. Staff members from the San Diego Zoo’s Giant Panda Reserach Station, Sun Bear Forest, and the Horticulture Department all convened to paint the panda area green.
Not using paint, of course. Thanks to a generous donation from a group of panda enthusiasts known as FLOP, staff placed a carpet of sod down over most of the public viewing areas. Areas that didn’t get sod had a little extra coat of mulch. The process of getting their new “carpet” in place meant the bears had to cool their heels an extra hour, but boy, was it worth it!
If you tuned into Panda Cam at 9 a.m. yesterday, you got to see Zhen Zhen’s joyful response to her new “toy.” She sniffed about, then rolled on, rubbed against, and ran on her sod. She got dirty rolling in the mulch and moist grass. The presence of the carpet stimulated playful behaviors, and she crawled all over her mother, Bai Yun. Of course, while momma may have been impressed, she saved her playtime until after she had wandered about and found all the biscuits and veggies set out for her by the keepers.
Panda keepers picked just the right day to place the sod. Gao Gao came back out on exhibit. Betting he would have a more mellow reaction than Su Lin, the keepers were rewarded in that Gao Gao sniffed about a bit and seemed comfortable on his new grass couch, but he did not destroy the sod immediately. He’ll be on exhibit for a while before Su Lin rotates into that space…time enough, we hope, for the grass to take hold before her playful paws dig into it. If she had entered the exhibit yesterday, she might well have pulled the sod up in a romp across her yard.
We are taking bets on how long the sod will last. Zhen Zhen will probably get a wild hair and do a little damage sooner rather than later. Gao may be gentlemanly and have little impact on his new greenery. Su Lin…well, even if it does take hold before she gets
there, it probably won’t take long for there to be a few “bear” patches in the grass.
Suzanne Hall is a research technician at the San Diego Zoo.
I knew something was up when I was watching Bai and Zhen yesterday having so much fun, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. Zhen was very dirty so I was looking for a dirt pile or rain. My eyes just didn’t notice the new grass in the enclosure. It looks great! FLOP and your staff are to be congratulated. It is an enrichment for the pandas but maybe they will leave some of it alone and it can take root. Only time will tell.
I visited the pandas in Thailand and Hong Kong in January and they all had sod in their yards. They are indoors, but with glass roofs, so I imagine it needs to be replaced regularily.
Are these the type of things the money gets spent on when people “adopt” an animal at the zoo?
Moderator’s note: Yes, money donated to our adoption programs is used for animal enrichment items such as this. For more information about our Adopt an Animal and Wish List programs: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/adopt/index.html
animals are funny the way they respond to anything different in their living space. I guess everything must smell different to them no matter what it is! you wouldn’t think the smell of sod and bark would be so exciting would you? although, I will say I love the smell of fresh mowed grass in the spring and summer!
pleasant odors can be very stimulating. the smell of food, perfumes etc. naturally, animals have an even keener sense of smell! Bai and ZZ thoroughly enjoyed their enrichment! hopefully, it will last awhile!
Hi Suzanne – Thank you for explaining what occurred early yesterday morning. Fortunately, I tuned in at about 8:40 AM yesterday while Bai Yun and Zhen Zhen were nuzzling side by side in their “loft”.
As I mentioned in the previous blog, #11, I couldn’t figure out what was the cause of the bear’s excitement. It was so much fun watching them as they joyfully rolled around while sniffing the ground. At the time, I thought they found a mud puddle because their fur looked like so dirty.
Later in the afternoon I saw Gao Gao. He was covered with dirt and peacefully napping. Su Lin is another case
I am looking forward to her reaction to the new ground cover when she is switched to the front exhibit.
Ah, mystery solved. Thanks, Suzanne. I so look forward to the updates. Rose, #3, I didn’t see ZZ nuzzling Mom; I saw her while she looked like she just wanted to annoy Mom. It was so funny. It still amazes me how many of us are panda junkies. And how much SDZ (especially), ZA, and NZ are so much a part of my day. I can sit and watch Baby Boy Cubby sleeping, and be perfectly happy. And it probably helps my blood preassure.
Thanks for another fun & informative update, Guess our beloved pandas know when anything new is introduced in their areas. How lucky they are at our zoos.
I love watching panda moms with their cubs – was watching our ZA cub squirming all over this afternoon. He was making pretty good progress when Lun appeared, picked him up, gave him a fast licking all over & then put him down beside her & when he moved she gently but firmly put her giant paw on him!!!! He was not going anywhere.
Margaret – sorry to hear about your job – not a good time – glad we have our pandas to help our days.
After your post I decided to watch the time-lapse cam. What fun they had enjoying the new lawn. I liked the panda taking a nap in the dirt/mulch: It was a nice new bed. I can’t wait to see how Su Lin decides to redecorate her new carpet when she gets back to the front exhibit space.
We are so blessed to be able to see events even after they happen on time lapse here at the SDZ site. Thanks for having that as an option for us pandaFANatics who can’t leave our computers on all day.
Love, Joy
YUKS!!! Missed this one, you all! Was out all day doing stuff yesterday. Hope it’s on regular or time lapsed video! I’m always on the lookout for the pandas to do some crazy fun stuff with their toys! Apparently, they love their grass! Just got on the SDZ pandacam and saw Gao Gao eating his big stalk of boo. Hey Meerkats, that was a great close up of Gao’s face today (5:30pm EST)! He is one handsome guy!
Got on the AZ panda page and cam to check in on cubbie. The update today tells the story of this little guy trying to do a little bit of crawling now. Oh boy! Next step, walking and running! He is now officially at 8 pounds! WOW!!! That’s alot of cub to handle!
Memphis Zoo’s new website still has some errors on it, and they are still trying to get those bugs out. So, I couldn’t get on the panda keeper logs and pandacam links to check in on Le Le and Ya Ya. Will probably get in touch with them on Monday to see what they can do to get this straightened out.
Well, gonna go and get back on the pandacams. Will check back later!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
PS: Prayers going up for the families in the Monticeto/Santa Barbara area dealing with 2 major wildfires and some of them losing their homes. Not a good weekend at all for them!
ZA reports that they have seen their cub “crawling” – he managed to get all 4 legs under him several times & manage to move an inch before collapsing with exhaustion – oh, dear, LunLun & ZA staff the fun is about to begin again – though think Lun may not be as protective this time as her cub has been removed daily for weight checks. But again, watching male pandas, they seem to cling to mom more – don’t they fascinate us & all the zoos are gahering valuable info.
- check out you tube — ” Lun Lun Tries to Sleep 11-15-08″ & see what a mommy panda goes through with her cub
Hello, pandaholics!! More video alerts; these are “must see” clips, don’t miss them. Sign on to youtube and search for the following:
Video Alert #1 = “Lun Lun tries to sleep” Nov. 15/08 – 7 minutes of poor mama Lun trying to get some shut-eye but prince cubbie won’t let her. Hilarious!! Great music!!
Video Alert #2 = “Mei lan discovers the stability ball” Sept 12/08 – our princess having a “ball”!! she sure takes after daddy Yang.
Video Alert #3 – “pop goes da panda” – Nov 4/08 – another one of Lun trying to sleep without any luck.
Video Alert #4 – “lun and cubbie” – sort by date added – there are several clips with this title, all of them worth watching, including some of nessie15′s reposts with mei lan and lun lun.
Well, that’s it for now, until I discover more in the days to come. Enjoy, everyone!!
ZA is now reporting the cubs weight in kg’s – to convert to pounds – multiplly kg x 2.2 = lbs
Hello panda lovers, it’s me again, with two more video alerts:
#1 – search for “Dreaming Meilan” Nov. 16/08. A tender look at our Atlanta panda princess having a nap on the logs, looking every bit like a diva in her boudoir. Lovely music.
#2 – search for “Panda Twin Cubs, Aihin & Meihin” Nov. 15/08. Beautiful scenes of the twin cubs sharing their bamboo so lovingly with a playful nudge here and there. These are the twins born to Mei Mei in December of 2006 in Wakayama, Japan (Mei Mei died in October). The twins turn two on December 23.
Enjoy!!!
Monday, around 8:00 am California time, and Mei and Tian look like they are participants in an MMA bout. So funny!!!! It’s the first time I’ve ever seen them act that way. I hope others had the joy seeing them.
Hi! Got on the SDZ pandacam at a little after 9am PST (12noon EST), and saw ZZ way up on a tree branch getting herself settled down to take a nap up there! One of the few times I’ve been able to catch ZZ on the cam in the last few days. I think that’s the highest I’ve seen her in a tree so far.
Checked the AZ pandacam, and saw Lun and her baby boy all snuggled together napping. He’s continuing to gain weight, too!
Prayers going to everyone who have lost homes in the 3 major devastating wildfires in the LA/Santa Barbara/Riverside County areas. Heard on the news this morning that the Santa Ana winds have finally calmed down enough for the firefighters to get a handle on these fires. Unfortunately, one of those fires may have been arson. That’s sad. Also concerned about any wildlife in those mountains that were affected by the fires. Hope they were able to get away from the danger.
Well, gonna go and get back on the pandacams. Will be back later on!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
#13 Linda – I’ve watched Mei & Tian playing together many times – they had quite a long bout today – wish Tai & Lani had playmates. All research says giant pandas are solitary aniamls but one wonders when we see Mei & Tian at the NZ.
Has anyone heard how Tai Shan is doing? I know he has had a “slight” gastro problem, but he does
not appear to be his old self – curling in a fetal position. Has he gained any weight?
I just learnt that one of the two starving pandas that came down to a village for help has died. So sad. Lets hope that this doesn’t happen again and that the wild pandas can relocate to sufficient bamboo supplies to get them through the winter.
Rosemarie Getty, I was on the NZ panda page just a couple of days ago, and they have a new update up for everyone to read. Tai Shan has gained alot of his weight back–he’s up to 181 pounds. Yes, he did have some problems with his GI tract and also had something similar to acid reflux in his esophagous about a couple of months ago. The vets put him on antibiotics which helped in clearing that up. This condition was discovered when Tai had his full physical exam at that time. He is doing much better, eating like an elephant, and being a normal 3 year old panda. Also, pandas go thru this so-called summer slump when they don’t eat as much as they usually do during the summer which causes them to drop down in weight a little bit. Now, they are eating alot more with the colder weather coming in eating bamboo leaves and stalks. So, don’t worry about Tai. He’s been doing alot better now.
Got on the AZ panda page and cam, and finally watched little Mr. Fuzzybutt do some crawling! He was moving out of cam range when Mom came in and scooped him up. Now, she’s laying down on her side with the cub sandwiched between her and the screen wall, and he’s getting some lunch milk. Cute! Can’t wait to see when he’ll start his walking, running, and climbing skills! Also, the update written today said that they are going to start doing weight checks on the cub on Tuesdays and Fridays from now on since he is doing so well in his weight gains. But they will still do the regular daily updates about the cub, Lun, Mei Lan, and Yang. When you watch the pandacam at nite, there is one cam in the regular den that has the night illuminator on it so that we can see Lun and the cub at nite. In the other rooms where the cams are at, there are no night illuminators on them, and that’s why those rooms are a little darker which makes it a little bit harder to see the cub at nite.
Gonna get in touch with Memphis Zoo to see if they got their new website straightened out. I would like to get updates about Ya Ya and Le Le.
Gonna go for now. Will get back later on, but I’m going to get back to the pandacams again!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
Rosemarie #16 On the NZ webpage for the pandas they say Tai is doing ok and eating better now and that he is a healthy boy. Like you I sure hope so. Lun Lun sure is taking her little boy on a lot of trips now I don’t think he is ever home very much anymore. lol Everyone that the panda canyon in SDZ seems to be doing just fine and that is great.
This coming Thursday I’ll be going to the zoo in my area which I’m a member of to see all the Holiday lights they have up. This night is for members only it should be real exciting I can’t wait to see all the animals and lights. This is the Columbus Zoo in Ohio I wish I was able to come to the SDZ but health wise and money I doubt if I’ll ever make it so I’ll just have to settle for the webcam. I did make it to the AZ last year at Thanksgiving time to see the cubbie’s big sister Mei Lan what a beauty.
Oh My Gosh! Watching ZZ right now (1:30 pm California time), and I swear she looks like she’s 6 months old. It must be the camera angle, but it brought back sweet memories. She just looks so tiny!
Rosemary (#16) – his appetite does appear to have picked up (from the latest NZ updates) but no news on weight gain. He may be sleeping curled up because it’s cooler?
Rosemarie #16,
The National Zoo has issued several recent updates in which they highlight some details of Tai Shan’s recent GI issues. Please know that the staff of the NZP is a highly trained, very skilled group of professionals who provide all of their pandas the best possible medical and husbandry-specific care.
Look to their website for further updates on their pandas’ medical welfare.
Beautiful, stunning close-up shots of Miss Zhen Zhen up in her hammock eating a huge stalk of bamboo. She is so lovely, cute and cuddly — just want to snuggle up next to her and have a snooze in the hammock with her. She’s just a doll!!
Tra la–it’s about 10:20 SD time, and Bai Yun and Miss ZZ have been eating and playing and frolicking for almost an hour–nothing like a little picnic in the moonlight!
So many delightful close-ups, thanks to the CO (Meerkats?) it’s a pleasure to watch the SDZ Panda Cams. ZZ is so cute when she sits on the branches and does her acrobatic tricks. I never get tired of watching her and her parents and Su Lin.
Tai is doing very well, eating, sleeping and playing. He has wonderful keepers, vets and other staff members who watch over him with loving care, just as we have here at the SDZ.
I hope that the giant pandas in the U.S. will get to stay longer than originally planned, due to the earthquake last May that displaced those who were living in Wolong. Since many of the Wolong pandas were taken to other research centers and zoos for the time being, maybe we’ll be able to host “our” pandas longer. We can wish for it, anyway!
Do the pandas at all 3 zoos eat the same diet? I often see the ones at National Zoo eating what looks
like a burrito or wrap? Also, why aren’t the keepers ever on camera. When Tai Shan was little, a
keeper would often be seen , holding an apple on a stick, trying to persuade him to come down. But now,
even when a keeper is behind a mesh screen, the camera shifts away. Also, do the pandas at San Diego
Zoo come inside every night?
Thank you Suzanne for a wonderful story about panda green. It would have been so much fun to watch the family play, but I missed it.
Tai is my first baby, I am worried sick about him too. Thanks Suzanne again for the comforting note.
About the Alanta prince, he is just getting cuter and cuter everyday. I want to handle him like the way his mom did, kiss and squeeze.
Hi! Talked with Memphis Zoo yesterday, and the new website they have was done by an outside source, not them. The person that I talked with told me that he will get in touch with that webmaster to get this website redone so that we can get on there and use the links, especially those links that go to the panda keepers and pandacam. He also said that the pandacam has been down lately, and they are working to get that fixed. I’ll keep checking the MZ website to see if it is working like it should and let you know.
Just spent some time on the AZ pandacam, and they have a great closeup of little Mr. Fuzzybutt stretching, yawning, moving his legs, and mostly sleeping. Also got on the SDZ pandacam, and the cams were moving all over the place. They were on Su Lin, Bai Yun, Gao Gao, and finally on ZZ way up a big tree! I think she’s taking after Su Lin and Mei Sheng on the climbing the tree as high as she can go skills! She looked very comfy on that fat branch she was on. On the NZ cams, very quiet. Mei Xiang and Tai Shan were both napping.
Lee, Vancouver, sorry to hear about one of the wild pandas passing away that the village was taking care of. That’s a huge loss on the wild panda population, and like you, I hope that there are not any more wild pandas dying up there with winter coming in.
Gonna get going and check the pandacams again! Check with you all later!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
#16 Rosemarie – I wondered if Tai was sleeping all curled up in the fetal position because he is getting ready to pass a mucus stool. ZA mentioned in one of their updates that when the pandas do this, they sleep more and all curled up. Just a thought!
It’s always such a pleasure to read the panda blog updates! Thanks so much for taking the time to share this information with us. It’s obvious that the SDZ pandas (and the NZ pandas and the ZA pandas and the MZ pandas) are under the care of dedicated, knowledgeable, panda-loving people! Please know we appreciate your care for the pandas and their fans!
GREAT job Meerkats this morning around 8:30 of ZZ climbing the tree!!!!! Thank you.
We were watching the panda ‘s 4:01 am (michigan time) the big panda played with the eucalyptus branches and played the flute and fife.. then it started playing the Violin!!! lol it was really chowing down
Chow–
From pam and Dylan
Thanks to the Meerkats for wonderful shots of Zhen Zhen and Bai Yun just now! I think I saw the two of them eating leaf-eater biscuits. After Bai Yun finished hers, she went over to Zhen Zhen and grabbed one of ZZ’s hand! I think Mama Bai Yun is pretty adamant about having the snacks all to herself!!!
Aaah… there is something very sweet about the shots this afternoon of Big Daddy Gao Gao napping on his new lawn, with his resting on one of the rocks by his pool. He really looks very relaxed, completely comfy and just one big happy guys. Good for him!
#26 – rosemarie getty – what you are seeing the pandas at the NZ eating are probably frozen treats – the staff wraps the treats up as an enrichment item & if you watch the pandas they love them. As for not seeing the staff on the cams – NZ said the staff had the right to privacy. but when Tia was little many times the cam was on him as his poor keepers tried to entice him down from his tree or in at night. Every now & then you’ll see a keeper at ZA or the SDZ working in the pandas areas.
I’m having a time with the ZA & NZ panda cams – they both say “ready” but am not getting any live feed – any suggestions will be appreciated as I’m in withdrawal. Thanks
Did any of you were watching the panda cam at AZ between 2PM and 2:30PM Atlanta time yesterday (Thursday)? I had the impression that I was witnessing the first fight-play bout between Lun Lun and her little fellow. I have noticed lately that Lun Lun often is putting him on his back and sometimes hold him in that position with her paw as she is trying to force him to free himself and turn around. They did not mention anything about it in the update today.
Yesterday afternoon I saw ZZ trying to eat/do something with a big stick of large bamboo. She kept turning around and turned around the bamboo as she wasn’t sure how to attack it. At one point she even gave me the impression she was literally going to sleep on it, but either it was too uncomfortable or she was too hungry but she resumed trying to eat it. She was so funny.
Conversation with Gao Gao #48
Tourist: Hello, Gao Gao.
Gao Gao: Hello, Mr. Tourist.
T: Now how’s Mei Sheng doing with his balance beam design?
G: Oh, here’s another one of his diagrams.
T: Now those pouches…
G: Oh, you mean the ones along the sides of the beam?
T: You don’t mean to play billiards on a balance beam, do you?
G: Not quite.
T: What do you mean by that?
G: At first, it was Mei Sheng’s idea.
T: Huh?
G: Like for tossing in wowotou or leafeater biscuits…
T: What?
G: An especially difficult feat when doing a tumbling pass.
T: Huh? Biscuits?
G: Well, there were discussions to incorporate props into the competition.
T: Oh.
G: But so far, we’ve only agreed to add biscuits as part of the routine.
(Later…)
Tourist: Hello, Zhen Zhen.
Zhen Zhen: Hello, Mr. Tourist.
T: I see you’re partial to ribbon when it comes to rhythmic gymnastics.
Z: Well, I originally suggested the black and white checkered flag.
T: Oh, like your hammock.
Z: Yup.
T: So let’s see your routine.
Z: Well, but I think I’d like to wait a little.
T: Huh?
Z: I have yet to incorporate the biscuit into the routine. (crunch)
I’m not sure if this video was listed above but on you tube if you put in Lun and cubbie, with the date of November 17th, there is a short, really funny clip. The last half made me laugh out loud. Be sure to have your speakers on.
Thanks Linda #38, I had missed that one. While I was on YouTube I saw “Bai Yun and Zhen Zhen 11-15-08″ in which she also handled 2 big and large segments of bamboo without actually eating any of it, at least not on that segment.
Moderator: Is ZZ able to eat such big bamboos yet or will she need bigger and stronger teeth?
Danielle, #39, I need to actually work!!!! So in checking your Bai & ZZ video, I found “snack time.” It was so adorable — a bunch of cubs getting a snack then getting into the water. I could sit here all day, and do searches, and be out of business!! So I thank everyone for your listings.
WOW! I am just being treated to amazing close up shots of Zhennie up a tree. I don’t often get to see her like this. When the first shot came up on pandacam she was looking right into the camera. “Ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille.” Thanks Meerkats or SDZ staff for these fantastic pics.
Su and Gao have switched places again, yes??
Moderator’s note: Yes they have. We’ll make the change on Panda Cam.
#19 – Pam T – tell us about the lights at the Columbus Zoo – we lived in Columbus when Jack Hanna became director of the zoo & what a job he did- only problem was when it was decided the zoo’s female elephant was pregnant – hubby & I became elephant watch volunteers – this went on for months until we moved to Cleveland – but moved back to Columbus a year later – opps, poor elephant was never pregnant.
…. but we’ve had SDZ Joan Embry & Columbus’ Jack Hanna – the animal ambassadors have been appearing on TV shows promoting the many endangared species.
Hi, I never thought of turf until you installed it, but I want to compliment you; It looks 100% better and more natural.
It sounds as though our Pandas had a fine time with the new addition to their ‘world,’ and I hope you got some photos and maybe some videos of their reactions … I don’t see any yet though.
[:~D]
I’ve been seeing a lot of pictures of ZZ on flicker, and there’s some where at first glance I thought ZZ was bai yun, she’s so big now! Hopefully Ill be able to go see her before she is seperated, I was lucky enough to go to ATL zoo in the summer when lun lun was expecting, and, boy it was my first time seeing a panda, and they’re not all that”giant” lol.
Well…I e-mailed ZA and never heard back, so I guess they don’t mind the screen caps I’m doing! I so wish I could see a Panda in person (still trying to convince hubby to do that), but for now this will do.
I have a Flickr site. Search for user name spurs0101.
That should get you there, and I hope you enjoy the cam-shots.
ZZ is getting BIG. I saw Mei Lan on the ZA cam today. I know they have to “grow up,” but the young years are so fun to watch. And then there’s Yang Yang, who’s always fun to watch!
Happy Thanksgiving to all here, to those who care for these special creatures, to the “Meercats” (still haven’t figured that one out), and, of course, to our beloved PANDAS!
Once I finish one cross stitch project, I’m starting on the Panda Mother and Cub!
Happy Turkey Day to those who celebrate it.
–KK–
Yep — that’s our girl Su Lin up in the tree. Gosh, she sure is beautiful and no doubt enjoying our cooler weather. Almost feels like fall here — bring on the pumpkin pie! Hope she enjoys the new turf — and leaves some for big daddy to enjoy when they switch spaces.
Wow — I don’t know. That branch must have velcro on it — because I cannot figure out how Zhen Zhen is sticking to the branch. She looks completely comfortable — but it also looks like she could roll off of it at any moment. What a clown!
#43 Maureen The lights were fantastic at the Columbus Zoo over 3 million lights a lot of them were LEDs and a wonderful light show also at the lake. To top it off it also snow which really made it beautiful it was cold but I’m so glad we went anyway.
I was looking on youtube and seen a video of Mei Xaing, Tain Tain and Tai Shane it was so cute but sad to. Tai was on the inside fence and mom and dad were just outside of it together. They were looking at each other Tain walked on but Mei stay and Tai kept Chirping at her, he looks so sad sometime by himself.
Boy AZ cubbie is getting so big and so is Miss ZZ and Miss Mei Lan they all grow up so fast just like our children.
I hope all you Panda Fans have a great Thanksgiving holiday.
I just lucked out an logged in as little prince at ZA was doing his afternoon back leg exercises and actually got a grip and propelled himself forward. Whoopee!!!
I remember watching Mei Lan and Zhen Zhen try to walk and their awkward motions as they finally got their rear legs under their plump tummy. Once they got it “in gear” off they went and there has been no stopping them since.
It is an awesome experience and I am very thankful that we have been given these opportunities into the development of these majestic animals.
Happy Thanksgiving one and all.
Love the sod. It looks so good. Got a really great shot from overhead a little while ago. I bet the pandas enjoy it too.
While eating a late lunch, I entered Atlanta panda cub in seach at you tube. Surprisingly, there were a couple of new ones just posted. The baby boy is growing so fast, and is so adorable. And a really cute one of Mei Lan eating her boo as only Lannie can.
It is so amazing to watch these little pandas grow up day by day. I notice that the Atlanta cub seems to sleep in place, while Miss ZZ always seemed to be inching around in a circle, not quite crawling, but squirming and moving around and around. And Miss ZZ is getting so big and so beautiful.
Happy Thanksgiving, pandas, fans, and keepers everywhere!
To All Panda Fans – Panda Tales is coming to town!
For everyone who has been waiting – in the December issue of ZOONOOZ, there is a reminder about “Panda Tales”. You will be happy to read that Panda Tales will be televised on PBS, nationwide, throughout December.
Check your local listings for dates and times.
My son, who lives on the East Coast, mentioned that it is going to be televised as early as Nov. 30th at 8:00 PM.
It will also air again in San Diego on Dec. 7th at 8 PM.
I haven’t been “panda watching” for a few weeks so maybe somewhere along the line you’ve answered my question. With all the trouble in China is it possible that the young bears in the US will be staying here longer?
For those who might be able to catch it – “Panda Nursery” is the name of the episode of “Nature” airing tonight on PBS station WPNE (in Wisconsin) at 8:00 CST. I don’t know more about it other than that the shots they showed promoting it are adorable and that I’ll be watching. As luck would have it I only saw the promo in the wee hours of this morning. Hmm, one more little thing to be thankful for.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Rose N #53, Thank you so much for the info about Panda Tales. I live on the east coast{ N.J.} and have been waiting to see it. I was just watching Bai and Zhen Zhen in a wrestling match, what fun they were having. Our system has been down for 4 days so I wasn’t able to get anything on the computer. I would like to wish all of you, bloggers, friends and all the keepers and staff a Happy Thanksgiving.
Rose N. #53–you got my hopes up, but it still doesn’t look like Panda Tales will be shown in NYC on either of our PBS stations. Drat!! I’m still going to have to wait for the DVD!
Adorable pictures of Bai and Miss ZZ inside this morning.
My husband is the “voice” of our local PBS station, and he inquired when Panda Tales would be aired; the local affiliate evidently isn’t airing it. I’ll have to rely on all of you for a play by play.
Happy Thanksgiving………..to all. Especially, our “kids.” I am very “thankful” we have them in the US.
Panda Tales: I live in Ithaca NY and can watch 2 different PBS channels, one is showing Panda Tales on Dec 7th 10:20PM, the other does’nt have it on their program. Go on your PBS web site and choose programs A-Z and click onto “Panda Tales” if listed and it will give you the time at which they will show it if they do.
As for “Panda Nursery”, I went onto the “Nature” on PBS and there is nothing on that episode. Are you sure it is part of “Nature”?
#54 -Pat Owens – Regarding the possibility of “our cubs” staying in the US longer – from what I understand there have not been any negotations announced yet – but let’s hope until China can get Wolong rebuilt & other panda reserves able to accomodate all those in need – that we’ll be able to extend our loan agreements & enjoy our pandas for a couple more years.
“Panda Nursery” was fabulous! I was mistaken about it being part of the PBS series “Nature.” It was in fact a special presentation aired this evening on WPNE in WI. It wa filmed at Wolong. The original air date was 12/20/2003. It was produced in cooperation with National Geographic. Some of you may have seen it in the past but it was new to me. It centered mainly on the birth and raising of a pair of male twins. I can’t wait to show it to my grandchildren. BTW “Panda Tales” will be airng on WPNE on Sun. Nov. 20 at 7:00PM CST and again on Tues. Dec. 2 at 12:00AM CST.
Frances #57 & Linda #58 and Liz #55 – Don’t give up, your PBS station may “pencil in” “Panda Tales” at the last minute. Each PBS station makes an individual decision as to when to finalize their TV schedule. The scheduling for the month of December is not complete and I’m sure that “Panda Tales” will show up in the listings as they gradually fill in all their vacant time slots. Check your listing daily because things change.
Liz #2 – Thank you for letting us know about “Panda Nursery”. I checked my local listing and at this time it is not being aired in San Diego. However, I’ll keep checking. While checking, I did notice that “Panda Tales” will start airing in San Diego on Nov. 29th.
A Very Happy Thanksgiving To Everyone!
I found out that “Panda Nursery” is not an episode of “Nature” and it will be shown only on one of the 2 PBS channels that I have access to, it will be shown on Thanksgiving Day at 8PM.
On the AZ web site, there are 2 new pictures of the little fellow in the update, and another new picture in the photo gallery. He is so cute.
I rarely see ZZ and Bai Yun eating together but from what I had read on this site, I thought ZZ had to fight for her share and hide it up in the trees. I was therefore surprised to see them 2 days ago sitting very close to each other and munching on big bamboo sticks while sitting on bamboo branches with leaves. I am also wondering why they choose to eat the big sticks instead of the leaves…
Thank you SDZ for always letting us know which panda is in which habitat. Can anyone give me a clue on the NZ cams? I obviously know when I’m watching Tian and Mei together. But I can’t determine much of the time who I’m watching. Especially when one is up a tree or going something else in the yard. Am I just dumb????
To #64, Linda. I have always been aware that Tai Shan is on Camera 2 while Tian and Mei are on Camera 1. There have been times though when I think that the opposite is true.
Thanks Mary Lou #65. Makes us truly appreciate SDZ. Speaking of which, Su Lin is cracking me up (11:30 San Diego time). What is the block she’s playing with?
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone at SDZ who takes such wonderfully loving care of the precious pandas. You bring so much joy and enrichment to all of us who watch the cam and read the blogs.
Hi Suzanne – My goodness, Su Lin is full of vim, vigor and vitality at this moment, 11:33 AM. She’s climbing high up in her favorite tree, which scares me. Then she races back down. Su Lin continues running through her exhibit, playing with a “box”, rearing up on her hind legs, jumping, and rolling over and over. Next, she checks out the inside of the hollowed out tree and leaves immediately. She is in constant motion – running and splashing through her pool. It is 12 Noon and Su Lin is still very active. A group of visitors is enjoying her gymnastics!
What a great aerial view of her exhibit. The grounds look so green and beautiful. Perhaps Su Lin is still enjoying the wonderful aromas from her new “carpet.” Many thanks Meerkats for the close-ups while keeping up with our happy and playful Su Lin. She is so much fun to watch.
I was just watching Bai and Zhen eating together, 3 p.m., Wednesday. Bai was keeping an eye on two large pieces of bamboo and Zhen was eying them as well. Zhen did a somersault away with one of the pieces. Don’t think Bai even noticed. What a clever girl.
To All: A Very Happy Thanksgiving!
To: Meerkats: Thank You VERY much for all the GREAT Pandacam views! The close-ups of Zhen in her tree have been spectacular! Also, I do adore watching Gao Gao as he has his dinner in his bedroom! What a cute guy!! And Su Lin and Bai Yun….beauties and even a bit ‘wild and crazy’!
Hi, you all! First of all, have a great Turkey Day with families and friends! Just don’t eat too much turkey and dressing!
Haven’t been in touch the last few days because I’ve been busy with things around the house and a couple of appointments. But, I have been on the pandacams from all of the zoos except Memphis Zoo (who still has a very problematic website!). Been watching AZ’s little cub moving around, sleeping, and curled up with his mom. He’s over 9 pounds now, and he has at least one baby tooth coming in now. On the SDZ cam, been watching Su Lin, Gao Gao, Bai Yun, and little ZZ. I’ve been catching ZZ in her tree off and on either playing, sleeping, and/or eating. She’s always the cutie! On the NZ pandacams, Tai Shan, Mei Xiang, and Tian Tian are doing their usual normal everyday stuff! Haven’t seen Mei and Tian doing their wrestling bouts lately, but I’m sure I’ll catch them soon enough.
SDSU won their last football game of the season last weekend! YEA!!! Hopefully, next season will be better!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!!!!!!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
Guess I’ll just have to keep bugging my PBS stations–neither of the panda shows are scheduled here in the city.
This Thanksgiving I am wildly thankful for the pandas, at SDZ and everywhere else, and thankful for all who care for them. Happy Thanksgiving, all!!!
Happy Thanksgiving to all the pandaFANatics out there!
I am so thankful for all the people who care for these wonderful animals and who manage the technology to share them with us moment by moment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here’s to extra yummy honey boxes and biscuits, Gobble, gobble!
Love, Joy
Happy Thanksgiving to all the pandaFANatics out there!
I am so thankful for all the people who care for these wonderful animals and who manage the technology to share them with us moment by moment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here’s to extra yummy honey boxes and biscuits, Gobble, gobble!
Love, Joy
Happy Thanksgiving to all the pandaFANatics out there!
I am so thankful for all the people who care for these wonderful animals and who manage the technology to share them with us moment by moment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here’s to extra yummy honey boxes and biscuits, Gobble, gobble!
Love, Joy
Happy Thanksgiving to all the pandaFANatics out there!
I am so thankful for all the people who care for these wonderful animals and who manage the technology to share them with us moment by moment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here’s to extra yummy honey boxes and biscuits, Gobble, gobble!
Love, Joy
Rita#69: I saw that too. Actually I had a lot of fun watching ZZ and Bai Yun from 2 pm to 3 pm, first they had a fight/play session, and then they ate sitting next to each other, ZZ stealing small pieces of bamboo from her mom, then snatching that bigger piece before going up in the tree to eat in peace. I am still not sure if she can start on a large un-split large stick of bamboo, which might be why she is stealing smaller pieces from Bai.
I had to laugh when I read the update about Tai Shan. First I was happy to read that he is doing well, even though he is still not eating as much bamboo as he should, he is eating a lot of fruits and other goodies, but to read that he likes honey dripped on everything… He may have learned English as I did, reading Winnie the Pooh….
Hurray!!!! Just found out Panda Tales IS going to be shown on my local PBS affiliate. Already programmed it into my DVR.
Happy Thanksgiving all. Hope you had a great day. Thanks to the SDZ staff and meercats for all of your work with our very favorite black and whites.
Linda #75 – I am very happy to hear the great news. I know you will enjoy watching Zhen Zhen during her early days and be pleasantly surprised to see how much Zhen has grown. Happy viewing!
Hello all you panda lovers! I hope those of you in the USA had a wonderful Thanksgiving. It looks like our panda prince Tai Shan had a good one. Don’t miss the two new videos on youtube. Search with:
“Tai Shan Eating Treats” and “Tai Shan on Thanksgiving” both posted late last night. It is so great to see Tai enjoying his boo! And licking the honey off his treats!
Also search for “Hong Kong Panda” from November 22 – that pair always has such enjoyable play sessions – they are so crazy!!
Today, I had a great close-up view of ZZ asleep on her tree branch. She is getting so big and so beautiful!
Hello, it’s me again!! Just saw the newest video on youtube of our ZZ and Bai!! Oh so sweet are those two together!!
Search for “Precious Moments with Bai Yun and Zhen”. It was just posted yesterday – includes great views of the “fuzzy butt”. Enjoy!!
Thanks #79 Pandafan for the info on the Precious Moments on youtube. How lovely they are. Bai looks at ZZ so lovingly, then goes in for the play bite! Mind you, it doesn’t help when ZZ actually puts her paw in Mum’s mouth!
Just watched Gao Gao eating away and Bai covered in the sawdust (?) sleeping over her favourite branch. Have to say I haven’t managed to catch them so much over the last week, they’ve all been sleeping when I’ve looked in, so it’s been nice to see them today.
I have a stupid question. I was just watching ZZ on a branch which appeared to be pretty high. I was holding my breath. I know pandas are good climbers, but do they (she) ever fall off? Thanks for your patience in my asking. It’s my job to worry!
Wow! I just finished watching “Panda Tales” on PBS, and it was great! I recognized just about all the staff members, and of course, our star pandas! Well done!
Did Su Lin and Gao Gao change places early, or am I just losing track of time?
For those fans in the New England area Rhode Island’s PBS station is airing “Panda tales” staring our own Zhen Zhen tonight at 8:00pm and will repeat the program on Monday, December 1, 10:00pm
The Boston station WGBH is showing the program at various times from Wednesday December 3 to Sunday December 7.
Happy viewing
Thanks, pandafan 78 & 79 for the heads up on the videos.
Right now I’m watching Bai Yun and Miss ZZ together –it looks like they’re sitting in a hot tub, although theirs is filled with bamboo instead of water. Cute cute cute!
#72 Francis in NYC
I checked PBS site for Panda Tales schedule. Ch 13 won’t air it, but NJN (Ch 50 or maybe 57, 58) will on Saturday 12/6 at 3 pm.
Sometimes insomnia is not such a bad thing. This morning (Sunday) at 3:15am SDZ time I tuned into Panda cam to be gifted with almost an hour of Bai Yun and ZZ in an extened play session in and out of the trees! What a fun time they seemed to be having and what a great way to relax and enjoy for me.
PBS in Pittsburgh showed the program at 8PM EST tonight. I DVRd it and can’t wait to check it out.
#62 Rose N. – I did what you suggested and googled pbs local and then did a search of Panda Tales and there it was!! Showing on November 30 and December 8 in western Canada! I just finished watching the program – what a thrill!! It was wonderful to witness the anticipation of ZZ’s birth and how expertly Bai Yun brought her into the world. Then, there was ZZ at her cutest, climbing, trotting, playing, falling, sliding on the snow, nursing, squealing! It was a great hour of panda watching. All the pandas where featured including Mei Sheng’s departure and settlement in China, and of course, Bai and Gao and Su Lin. It was so nice to hear from the keepers, the vets, and Dr. Swaisgood several times throughout, but also sad to relive the terror of the earthquake earlier this year. My congratulations to the producers of the program on a job well done!! And a big ‘thank you’ to them for sharing the story of the San Diego panda colony!
I got to see “Panda Tales” over the weekend! Our local PBS station (out of State College, PA) aired it on Saturday morning. It was WONDERFUL!! It was cute and funny and touching and sad….needless to say, I cried more than once during the show. I hope everyone gets to see it. It was so cool to not only see our beloved pandas but to also actually see and hear from the panda keepers, Dr. Swaisgood, the veterinarian at the Zoo, etc. I loved the music, too. Zhen Zhen is definitely a star!
My daughter was flipping channels on the TV yesterday and she yelled “pandas” and it was Panda Tales. We are lucky in Vancouver to get PBS from Seattle and also from Detroit. It was the Detroit station that had it on at 4:00 local time. I had checked the Seattle station and it wasn’t listed but completely forgot the other one.
I was lucky to be in San Diego in September to see the original airing of the show but loved seeing it again. Hopefully they will repeat in during December and other panda fans from this area will get a chance to see it.
Just checked the panda cams and saw a new one: C32 – looks to be another view of classroom/off exhibit area? Moderators?
Moderator’s note: The main panda exhibits (normally shown on cameras 1 through 7) are being remodeled this week. Bai Yun and Zhen Zhen are in the classroom exhibit, which is open to our guests this week and shown on cameras 27, 28, and 29. There is also an off-exhibit area not accessible to our guests where Gao Gao is this week, shown on cameras 30, 31, and 32. Hope this helps!
Where is Su Lin???
Moderator’s note: She’s in her bedroom area this week.
Thank you, P Wong #86–I had to search through the channels, but I think NJN is #165 on my cable service, and they are scheduled to show Panda Tales on Sat. Dec. 6th, as you said. My DVR is set–I would never have found it without your help. Can’t wait!
Dawn #87–I agree–those overnight “while everyone’s away the pandas will play” sessions are a special treat.
Now are my eyes deceiving me, or are Bai Yun and Zhen Zhen on C28 in the classroom area?
Moderator’s note: See comment #92.
LOL – did the new greening of the panda exhibits get ‘panda remodeled’ so quickly?
Thanks for the update.
Moderator- #92
Just curious, will there be an update on the type of remodeling? Is it holiday related?. Also, where is Su Lin’s exhibit at this time? Thank you.
and just where does Miss Su Lin get to stay while her digs are being readied for HER next remodeling project?
Just realized, this is ZZ’s first move to new territory (other than out of den/back and onto exhibit). I bet she’s having a blast with the ‘new’ areas and all the new (Gao Gao and Su Lin) scents!
Don’t know how many of you followed the diary of a giant panda researcher from MSU last year, but she’s returned to the Wolong area. http:slash slash special dot news dot msu dot edu slash panda slash journal slash journal_Nov20_08 dot php. This particular journal entry describes her trip from Chengdu to Wolong and what she saw along the way. (also has some pictures) As those of us who followed the earthquake last spring would expect, she has lots to report on the damage but also the wonderful spirit of the Chinese people. Her project is to try to collar some wild pandas so they can monitor the range of the panda as information in land planning use (supporting the need for panda range). They’ve already seen more recent evidence of giant pandas than they saw all last winter, so we can hope that they’re successful.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Panda Tales will air here in Austin tomorrow, so I’m really looking forward to seeing our beloved pandas.
Yay!! Thank you Rose (#62) & pandafan (#89)!! I found Panda Tales on the Utah PBS station scheduled for 12/2 and 12/7. I can’t wait to watch it. Thank you all for passing along all this important info!!
I love seeing Zhen Zhen get used to a new thing.(toy to her)Why switch Gao Gao and Su Lin so often now?Are they going to mate?
Darn! I just checked our area and Panda Tales was on one of the PBS stations….. yesterday! I am BUMMED!!!! I was home, I could have watched it! No listings for future… I’ll have to start checking!
P. Wong, i’m in central Jersey and checked our PBS schedule and we have Comcast cable. Panda Tales will be on Sat. Dec 6th at 3:00 pm on NJN our channel will be 23. so if you live close maybe you can find it. If any locals know where Woodbridge Mall is that’s the area I live in. YES there is a panda God. For that hour, no Phone call or visitors. Happy watching
Moderator #92, I guess the grass was such a hit in the back and front areas that the job is being finished this week in anticipation of the December holiday crowd. It is great to see the pandas rolling and enjoying their new turf. Thanks for updating why the camera numbers changed. I thought I must be losing it or seeing things.
I was fortunate to watch Panda Tales over the weekend. I was glad to finally hear people say Zhen Zhen’s name bacause I was never able to figure it out. Very good show, very informative.
Please, where is our beloved SuLin? I saw her briefly last week and you don’t have her listed on the camera locations at all. Missing her – Jeri
Another YAY!! The December wishlist is up! I bought Christmas gifts for the pandas and the polar bears. Hope they enjoy!!
Moderator’s note: Thank you, Kris! For others wishing to view the December Wish List for our animals, please visit https://www.sandiegozoo.org/sl/wishlist/
Kris #107, thanks for reminding us about the new wishlist. For once everything hadn’t ‘All Gone’ and I was able to get some things for my favourite animals – pandas, fossas, wart hogs and a few others and my daughter wanted to get something for the baby turtles. I hope all the animals enjoy their presents.
Moderator’s note: Thank you, Susan!
#98 Suzanne (the other one) – actually, ZZ and Bai were in the classroom area before. That is where ZZ made her public debut and where I was lucky enough to see her last January. Unfortunately for me, all she did was sleep up in her tree but I was excited to see her all the same. So she is back in some familiar territory with lots of new scents to explore. I am sure things like that are much more interesting to her now that she is older..
How did I get so lucky, Our local PBS station just added a second showing on Monday Dec 8th at 8:00pm, so besides Sat I can see it again, so everyone CHECK, CHECK and CHECK again.
Panda Tales success!!!! I finally tracked down another somewhat local PBS station that DID have Panda Tales! I got to watch it last night! Smiles, laughs, and tears (Lisa and her trip with Mei Sheng, Mao Mao…). Keep your eyes open everyone – it’s wonderful!
Zhen Zhen lover #101–Gao Gao and Su Lin are father and daughter, so they’re definitely not going to mate! One of the areas is off-exhibit and I guess they rotate them often so that zoo visitors have a chance to see both of them.
I don’t know if pandas get nostalgic, but I have been remembering things from when Bai Yun and Miss ZZ were in the classroom and “back yard” areas before–like when Zhen Zhen was just learning to walk and climb. Then she was off, and she would climb up so high in the big tree, and THEN she figured out how to get past the tree guards to go up even higher. Memories…
I was also happy to contribute a bag of sand to the pandas, via the Wish List–I hope they enjoy it!
Moderator’s note: They will indeed enjoy their sand, Frances. Thank you!
Conversation with Zhen Zhen and her Mom #1 (for me)
Panda Fan: Hey Zhen Zhen! Take my cell phone!
Zhen Zhen:Hi there! I guess I will take it….
Bai Yun: No! If you do you will eat it!
later…..
ZZ: Mom,I want the cell phone!
BY: No honey!
ZZ:Fine.
Conversation with ZZ,her mommy,and a panda fan.
Panda Fan:What are you doing Zhen Zhen?
Zhen Zhen:(whispers) shush,my mommy is looking.I secretly put bamboo in my hammock,so I do not have to nap.Instead, I will make a tent!
Bai Yun: Do I hear you whispering?
Zhen Zhen:No mommy!I was just telling the panda fan what nice uh, pants he has.
Bai Yun: O.K. ……..
Panda Fan: What?! Zhen Zhen! I do not have nice pants! These have holes!
Zhen Zhen: (whispers) It was just an excuse!
Bai Yun: My hearing must be failing because I think I hear whispering again.
Zhen Zhen: No mommy.I was just telling the panda fan what nice uh,ears he has!
Panda Fan: Bye Bye Zhen Zhen.
Zhen Zhen: Where ya going?
Panda Fan: To tell your mom that I like your new carpet.
Zhen Zhen: O.K.!
Thanks Frances in NYC!(number 112)I am glad they won’t mate.It is like musical pandas to them.Now Zhen Zhen is way up high in the trees!Did you get to witness little ZZ’s birthday party in August?
Guess what? I got to watch Panda Tales today!It was on last night on KCET.I loved seeing their snow day,and watching Zhen turn sumer salts when she was supposed to have a check up.SO CUTE!
It’s been the pits here – I googled our local PBS & PANDA TALES like several suggested & was thrilled to find it listed for 7pm Tues. —MAJOR PROBLEM IT WAS NOT SHOWN & NOW AM UNABLE TO FIND ANY MORE LISTINGS.. for others in the same boat check youtube “panda tales” – you will see a couple of minutes – better than nothing. AND if that’s not bad enough I am still unable to see the ZA & NZ pandacams- I get the updates & photos of our AZ & NZ but no streaming video – I have a call in to one of our local computer guruuuuuuszssss to try & get me some panda cams back.
I think the NZ was a little more concerned about Tai Shan’s weight loss & lack of appetite than they let on. While the SDZ was having great sucess with giant panda births I don’t recall much publicity until the MeiXiang gave birth to our beloved Tai Shan—was it the the fact the NZ had a ton of volunteers to watch the panda cams that recorded every move & sound & reported it on their daily update but Tai became the “holy terror” of the panda world. We were fortunte the NZ had cameras all over so whenever Tai moved & he was a terror & the cam captured it. And then we had another miracle – Lun Lun gave birth to our Lani.
We all know that Chinese tradition names their panda cubs at 100 day
c
Oh no! I was extremely lucky to find out that panda tales was on. Where is Lun Lun and Lani?
I just saw Gao Gao (Or Su Lin)on a log.It looked more like Su Lin but the cam information said it was Gao Gao.I took a postcard.(The main comment in my postcards is now Panda Claws)
It looks like most of the grass has been worn out and disappeared. Is that true? Too bad, because Gao especially seemed to like resting on the “carpet.”
Suzanne responds: That’s largely true. Bears are very hard on their exhibits. They have been known to uproot trees, destroy bamboo stands, dig giant holes, decimate climbing structures…all within minutes or hours. It’s part of being a bear and great fun for them!