It appears that the pandas’ birthday wish list is bringing forth good things. On August 12, Su Lin was most entertained – and entertaining – with what appeared to be a brown plastic doughnut, for lack of a better word. After a brief morning nap, she discovered this new wonder and attempted for some time to stick head, legs, rear end, all of the above through the hole in the center, rolling around the area in the process. It was great fun to watch, but after a time, of course, she retreated to that most “unviewable” of napping spots in the front left corner of her enclosure…but she took the new toy with her!
Many thanks to those who have remembered that as new and loud and exciting as the baby panda is, we’re housing the elder sisters and dad, and they are also still deserving of our love and attention.
Ellie Rosenbaum is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo.
Here’s a look at this month’s Wish List for our animals
Yea, Su Lin!! She had some fun with that doughnut! Hope you all got some picks and vids of Su and her doughnut fun! Didn’t get to see her doing her thing with it. That’s her late bday present from her fans!
You go, Girl!!!
Still can’t see baby panda! Whenever I get on the pandacam, I see Bai all wrapped up in her furry ball keeping him safe and warm. Just a few minutes ago, I did see some tongue licking action from Bai. She’s giving her cub a cleanup even tho we can’t see him!
Oh well, better luck later on or tomorrow to catch cubbie by himself! More patience needed!! :{–bummed!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
PS: Didn’t see Xi Lan on the AZ pandacam either today! Missing out on the cubs today!!
As excited as everybody is with the new baby, I really miss seeing Su Li and Zhen Zhen and for that matter, Gao Gao. Hopefully we will get some glimpses of the rest of the “family” soon.
Thanks for your wonderful information!
WOW, unbelievable views of the cub over the weekend. I have been GLUED to the web just watching and waiting for a view of the little cubbie. Now his/her coloring is changing and it is amazing to watch the day-to-day changes. What made me teary eyed was the shot of the cubbie’s two back feet laying on Bai’s paw. What a miracle of life and of nature. To be born so small to one so big, gentle and loving is just incredible.
One thing that is asked so often, but never responded to is…why is there no vocal sound except on the videos you release?
Thank you SDZ for letting us share in this wonderful world of Panda’s. God bless all your hard work and all the pandas.
Moderator’s note: We have addressed the audio question several times in our panda comments section, referring readers to this post: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/default/pandacam-audio/
How right you are Ellie, I adopted my Panda Family a couple weeks ago.. Oh rest assured we all love Gao Gao, Su Lin and Zhen Zhen as much as we did before little cubbie came along…. I think we are all just caught up in the moment of the new birth. It truly is a miracle, as is every endangered animal that is born. I think we all appreciate and respect the work that you all do at the SDZ, but you must excuse us all for being a little “star baby panda struck”
Su Lin was the first Panda I saw “for real”, it was an experience I will never forget, big brother Mei Sheng was next door but he was sound asleep…. Had to treck down to Panda Canyon 4 times to catch him awake.. lol Bai was still in the den with Zhen Zhen and Gao was in the back… I’ll be back and it would delight my heart to see Bai and Gao, to see these 2 beautiful animals that have given us all so much…
How nice it would be if there are pic’s out there of Su and her antics with the doughnut… I’m sure she delighted in playing with it…
Very happy that Su got a new toy and I hope we get to see more of her, ZZ and Gao on cam soon – I do miss them. I saw Su on cam briefly this morning and I have to say the new cams make her look even more beautiful and so much like her mama.
Watching Bai Yun with her cub and reading the posts on adoption reminded me of 12 years ago when I was working for a vet to put myself through college. An abandoned litter of kittens had come in, 3 of them. Two were adopted very quickly and the 3rd, the runt, languished and stopped eating after a day. After 2 days of watching him I decided that he was going to die by himself in a cage. And IF he was going to die he should die in an environment where he was cared for. I took him home. My Spitz Sadie took one look at this scrawny black thing with a puny tail, picked him up and put him with all 4 feet firmly planted in her food bowl. She groomed him, taught him to play and brought him up to be a beautiful long haired black cat with a glorious plume of a tail (we had our doubts about that tail, it stayed puny for six months). Squirt is now a regal, but lean, 12 year old cat. Sadie went to the Rainbow Bridge 9 years years ago but her legacy lives on in Squirt who happily adopts and teaches the foster animals who stay with us for a while. And in turn adopted and taught our new Spitz Diabla. The point of course is that we pass our mothering/adoption skills on…..and not just within a species. It is good to see that so many people are willing to travel outside their own environment to adopt those who need us, and that in turn we pass that on to others. Unfortunately, since I seem to be knee-deep in a feral cat colony at the moment, I cannot afford to adopt a panda. I am very glad that for now others can! Thank you all!
Moderator’s note: We applaud all, even 4-legged ones like Sadie,who help animals any way they can!
Marion # 6 — Thank you for sharing such a sweet story — please give Squirt a scratch behind the ear for me!
oh when, oh when, does baby get checked up, oh when, oh when, can that be?
With regard to adopting a panda, does adopting Hua Mei’s latest for a year count?? The baby was born on my mom’s birthday and I adopted her as a memorial.
Moderator’s note: What a wonderful memorial for your mother!
This morning beautiful Su Lin was ‘up and running’ before 07.00am Su was very happy and energetic, if that is what doughnuts do for her maybe I should also get one, on second thoughts I would be unable to perform her athletic doughnut movements!
Yesterday (16th) about 06.30am mamma Bai was very busy ‘topping and tailing’ her new cub, the Meerkats gave us extra special close ups of the washing process, Bai holds him(her) upside down while grooming and assisting with ‘toileting’ procedures – you get a ‘quick glimpse’ of the cub with Bai on the video for the 16th.
I have seen other grooming sessions, like many others I think he/she may be a brother for Sheng – the close ups in a young animal are often more evident in the early days, the its goes to ‘maybe’ ! however from what I think I saw it seems to indicate another boy – yipeee….
Pandafan#2–it’s up to Bai as to when she leaves the cub for long enough–but someone in the last blog stream researched and found that it was about 20 days for Zhen Zhen–so we have a ways to go.
I don’t know if anyone else caught it, but on Sunday at about 22:54 on the clock, I caught the funniest picture of Bai and the cub. Bai was on her back, her head under a branch of bamboo that she had brought into the den–which looked like a very fancy hat or a rakish fringed lampshade–and the cub was on her paw. She looked as if the party (or the cub) had been just too much! It didn’t last long and she soon assumed a more “normal” position–but it’s definitely worth looking for on the time-lapse.
I’m glad Su Lin got a new toy. I hope Zhennie did too–she’ll always be my favorite, because she was my first cub.
Thanks for sharing about Su Lin’s new toy. I love to watch her and her sister play and be zany. When you first said doughnut, my mind went to a small size ring, then I laughed when you mentioned she tried to get whole body parts through the hole and I laughed at the mental image of Su Lin stuffing herself into such a tiny space… almost like the Cinderella story. Thanks for the laughs, Ellie AND Su!
As an “oldest child” in my family I will NEVER forget the older ones when a new cub arrives. I eagerly look forward to more stories about ALL the pandas in the SDZ family!
Joy
Thank you BY for displaying your baby so often this weekend. I guess I just lucked out each time I checked in. I marvel at her mothering skills (especially with her baby being so tiny). Thanks again SDZ for your efforts in providing video for us panda lovers. It’s only been 12 days and the little one is growing so fast and getting his coloring.
Thank you moderator
. I am always surprised at what our quadruped family members can teach us. If only how to live in the moment!
Bai Yun makes me jealous. I wish I could snuggle with my kids under my chin all day! She’s one special momma bear!
the little guy was lying in momma’s arms, looking about, you could see almost all of him… his little Pooh Bear jacket starting to show! what a darling shot, i got several….wish i could share…it’s a moment all would just love!!!
Thanks for the fun update on SuLin – anytime she is not in a tree is a rare occassion.
AND OH MY, WHAT WONDERFUL CLOSE UP SHOT OF OUR LITTLE GUY ABOUT 9pm. He sure looks plump & healthy. By the time I screamed for my hubby to look Bai was back & the little guy was once again hidden from view. The Zoo staff will be watching Bai carefully for any indication they may be able to “swoop in for a quick cubbie exam” It all depends on Mamma Bai & how she feels leaving her cub for more than a quick bite. And mothers do vary with their time table. While the zoo is concerned about the cub’s health – from what we’ve seen he sure looks healthy – Mamma Bai does it again:)
Marion #6, what a great heart warming story. That is so cool. And Mary, #9, what a wonderful, thoughtful way to honor your mom. And to all those of you who have suffered recent losses or illnesses of loved ones, you can take comfort from all of us here who care. Thanks for sharing your heart ache, and I hope you know how many good thoughts and prayers are being sent your way.
LOVE the update. Su, my screen saver, is a funny bear. Is there a video of it? I would love to see it.
I saw cubbie this afternoon for a couple of seconds while Bai stepped out. Seems HE changed since yesterday. The pigment (bridle?) was quite prominent. What a treat!!!!!!!! Thank you, Meerkats.
For those who check on Lin Bing, watch around 8:00 pm Pacific. You’ll see the cubbie being put in the crib and being examined. While I couldn’t get their cam up last night, it happened several nights in a row. The best I can tell it’s around 10:00 am their time.
I’ll look forward to more updates………on all our kids. Thank you again, SDZ. I hope you know how much we appreciate you!
Moderator’s note: We may get some photos to share the next time Su Lin gets the “doughnut” to play with.
Just got though watching the cubbie, while Bai was likely replenishing herself with boo, water and biscuits. Healthy mom… healthy baby. Wow, cubbie has grown so much. Cubbie already has all the markings … from eyes, to ears, to the saddle and paws. Thank you Meerkats for giving us close-ups. So so cute!
My cuddles to Zhen, Su Lin and of course the handsome gent, Gao! Thank you, San Diego Keepers and Narrators.
The black markings are becomming visible on the baby! I can see the shoulder markings and a little on the legs. Bai was giving him a good clean-up this evening, and I got a good look.
Mary from Brooklyn #9, I adopted Hua Mei’s youngest twin Hua Ao last year, and just renewed my adoption. He is very cute. He looks like a stuffed animal. I He’s in Bejing now as part of China’s anniversary celebration.
Marion #6, that’s a marvelous story! Bless you for taking in the poor strays. What’s even more amazing is that, as someone referred to in a previous post, Bai Yun was not born and raised in a special den with shredded bamboo, but in a bare-floored room. Yet her instincts tell her what to do. I’ve often wondered if she was allowed to stay with her mother for the full year and a half, or if she was taken from her mom at six months, as now is usual in China.* If Bai Yun didn’t get the full amount of mothering herself, then the wonderful mothering she does would seem to be just instinct. But I’ll bet she whispered some panda secrets to all her dear cubs (as it says in that sweet poem by Pam G on Pandas Live On).
I sure hope there’s video of Su Lin and her doughnut! I love that darling bear, especially when she gets wild! She is just a charmer.
* I understand it: they need to increase the number of pandas, and they have enough cubs to have their panda kindergarten so the cubs still can get social stimulation.
p.s. Marion #6…Sadie is a true hero. Thank you so much for sharing her story. If more humans would be like this earth’s awesome creatures…..well, it would just be a much better place to live.
Su Lin was my first baby, so I’m partial to her. =) I wish I had seen her playing with her new toy.
Please be assured, Ellie, that we have not forgot about the other darlings, who go on with life outside Bai’s cozy little den. We are just temporarily distracted by the new addition to the family. We all miss seeing Su Lin, Zhen Zhen, and Gao Gao on the panda cams. But right now we are hungrily awaiting every little peek we can get of the new little one.
Thanks for the account of Sweet Su’s discovery of her special donut.
Fantastic sighting of chubby cubbie this morning, just before 11:00. Little chubby wriggled out from under the arm and chin of snoozing mama Bai. ‘He’ must have called her, because mom came awake to cater to his needs, then there was a full body view of wriggling chubby cubbie. What a precious sight!
Like the others, I miss seeing Su Lin and ZZ, and Daddy, I enjoy watching Gentle Bai with her baby, but, would love to see the others once in a while. Especially my Su Lin and her doughnut.
Thank you keepers for all you do.
# 6—–thanks for sharing your sweet story with us! animals never cease to amaze me with the things they do. some are ordinary and expected, and others are unusual and unexpected!!
how much does it cost to adopt a panda bear! years ago, my daughter gave me an unusual b-gift of a grizzley bear adoption from glacier national park. I received news letters about her and her cubs
my daughter also gives gifts in our names or others at Christmas time to worthwhile organizations in other countries. like money for chickens or goats, seeds, and money to dig water wells! neat huh!
it is sooo much fun watching bai and pee-wee ( when we get a peek ) baby is growing fast and looks extremely healthy and robust!! su lin and her new toy sounded like a hoot to watch. did any staff happen to take any video? when is health exam. going to take place? any idea? thanks!
Moderator’s note: In regard to our adoption program, adopting a panda fees range from $35 to $1,000, with benefits at each level. For more info, please visit https://secure3.convio.net/sdzoo/site/Ecommerce/1132815687?FOLDER=1090&store_id=1401
Marion #6, What a beautiful and heart warming story. Sadie sure was a very special dog, one that comes along once in a life time. I’m know she had a good life with you and her memory will be in your heart forever and bring a smile to your face when you think of her. Good luck with your feral colony, I have a small one too and our local animal control officer has been amazing giving me so much help spaying and shots. It does get expensive but it’s worth it.
I just saw Su Lin having breakfast:-)….
It’s been awhile since I have seen her, Zhen Zhen or Gao Gao on cam.
Mommy Bai Yun is an amazing mom.
Thank you, SDZ…..
As much as I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the new wee one and Bai Yun, I miss watching the other pandas, especially Zhen Zhen.
You are all doing a fantastic job, and I thank you again.
I saw some great glimpses of baby over the weekend. Bai had left the cub alone several times. just saw Su Lin and Gao on the cams this morning. thanks for showing them. sometimes we get so involved in the baby, but im sure we all miss the other pandas. I just saw a photo of a cub, one of twins born at a breeding center , in China on tuesday the article didnt give the mothers name. Thanks again to all the keepers for their care of the Pandas.
I saw some great glimpses of baby over the weekend. Bai had left the cub alone several times. just saw Su Lin and Gao on the cams this morning. thanks for showing them. sometimes we get so involved in the baby, but im sure we all miss the other pandas. I just saw a photo of a cub, one of twins born at a breeding center , in China on tuesday the article didnt give the mothers name. Thanks again to all the keepers for their care of the Pandas.
I saw some great glimpses of baby over the weekend. Bai had left the cub alone several times. just saw Su Lin and Gao on the cams this morning. thanks for showing them. sometimes we get so involved in the baby, but im sure we all miss the other pandas. I just saw a photo of a cub, one of twins born at a breeding center , in China on tuesday the article didnt give the mothers name. Thanks again to all the keepers for their care of the Pandas.
I saw some great glimpses of baby over the weekend. Bai had left the cub alone several times. just saw Su Lin and Gao on the cams this morning. thanks for showing them. sometimes we get so involved in the baby, but im sure we all miss the other pandas. I just saw a photo of a cub, one of twins born at a breeding center , in China on tuesday the article didnt give the mothers name. Thanks again to all the keepers for their care of the Pandas.
ZZ is really enjoying her boo!!! Chowing down!! She will always be my special panda in my heart since she was the first baby I watched grow up. Love you ZZ!!
I just got the most beautiful up close pandacam view of ZZ and I must say, she’s one beautiful panda! I hope Su Lin enjoys her new toy, too. It’s not easy being the big sisters.
Love to Big Daddy and his girls!
I have been giant panda watching for four hours and haven’t seen Gao-Gao… I saw his den, but he wasn’t there…Please extend my Hello to him and tell him that we miss him too. Su Lin is asleep while Zhen Zhen is still having her breakfast….
I hope you all, SDZ amazing staff, know how grateful we all are for the Live Cam you offer to all of us. Can’t thank you enough…..
Have a lovely, lovely day one and all.
Beautiful close up of dear Zhen Zhen, thank you, good to see her again, i still like waching new little one and mom, thanks for all you do for them.
Wow, I guess I’m not awake yet! I just tuned in to the blog and it said “Oh Boy, a New Toy!”….well, I saw BOY and my heart flipped over, for a moment there…
Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for the great shots of Zhenny this morning (and Sleepy Su), it is so good to see her again, that little cutie! Munch, munch, munch…Thank you! Thank you! My eyes feel better now…and now I spy a little one in mum’s paws…sleeping…look at that little arm and face…all’s well in the world.
Mary #9, you are a very special daughter to honor your mom that way.
Meerkats, thanks for those shots of our 2 young ladies. close-up was great, Zhen Zhen has grown so much and it’s good to Su Lin out of the tree.
Cubbie sure has been doing a solo show this morning, peering in and out of Bai’s sheltering arm. For anyone who hasn’t seen Cubbie up close, even the time-lapse video shows him/her well, starting about 9:45 am, Tuesday, Aug. 18, until about 10:05. It’s fascinating to see the white hair growing in over the dark skin pigmentation and know it will turn to black before we get to know Cubbie very well. Bai sure seems relaxed with this one, though. My first Panda Cam experience was with Mei Sheng, and even as a second-time mom she was visibly more fretful then than she is now. Cubbie can squawk a bit without her rushing to feed him, and I’m sure she’s teaching him to crawl inside her comforting semi-circle of motherhood to find the food source for himself. Oh, yes, you can tell I’m hoping for a “him” because I loved Mei Sheng so much, but whether Cubbie is male or female, the San Diego Zoo is to be commended for all the work it is doing in preserving this precious species.
Hi, you all! Just got a good look at little peewee on the cam, and HE HAS GROWN, YOU ALL!! He’s plump (thanks to mom’s great tasting milk!), and his black markings are really starting to show up more now. Then, Bai picked him up off of the nest floor and proceeded to clean him up. Now, she’s sitting up probably giving her cub some of that great milk that she produces everyday. Got a look at him at around 1:15pm EDT. Got to go and check my laundry but will be back later.
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
Yes! Thank you so much for checking in with the big sisters Su and ZZ–so nice to see them, too. And now there’s the teeny one nursing. I’ll never get anything done today!
Baby seems attracted to the camera! We got a postcard of it peeking out of momma Bai’s arms!
Bai seems to be taking yoga… she sleeps in really odd positions! I want to see more of Zhen because she seems to be getting ignored! Poor little girl!
Does anyone know when the first checkup is?
Marion #6, you are a lovely lady for what you do and Sadie sounds like she was a wonderful dog. Give Squirt a big hug from me too.
I wish I’d seen Su Lin with her doughnut, sounds hilarious. Saw Zhen Zhen a few days ago, haring around her enclosure like a mad thing. Maybe someone had smuggled a laptop into her bedroom and she was celebrating the birth of her brother/sister!!! I think I’d better go now….
Sure hate to put a damper on our fun here – but just got a google alert (about China’s giant pandas becoming extinct in two to three generations).
she’s still trying to have a go at it….. amazingly cute and funny, hope it does not become like the polar bear wearing the lid to the garbage can.
popped on ! right now someone is outside(not sure if it’s mama B) they are rolling, running and playing with a blue ball in the bushes! how funny to watch! they are having a good time!!
popped on ! right now someone is outside(not sure if it’s mama B) they are rolling, running and playing with a blue ball in the bushes! how funny to watch! they are having a good time!!
popped on ! right now someone is outside(not sure if it’s mama B) they are rolling, running and playing with a blue ball in the bushes! how funny to watch! they are having a good time!!
popped on ! right now someone is outside(not sure if it’s mama B) they are rolling, running and playing with a blue ball in the bushes! how funny to watch! they are having a good time!!
It’s 11:58 SDZ time and whichever Panda has the doughnut thing (the camera number says it’s Zhen Zhen) is having an absolute blast, running all over, playing with the doughnut, wrestling with bamboo trying to get at a treat ball, climbing trees, coming down — just maniac behavior. It’s hilarious.
Wow! Zhennie’s got a doughnut, too! And look at her go–zooming all over the place! Love you, Zhennie!
I just got off the cam. I laughed soo hard at su lin playing with her donut toy. she was trying to set her big rounded butt in the middle of the donut and would fall over backwards only to keep trying over & over again. it was hysterical to watch!! she seems extremely facinated with this enrichment toy! did zhen zhen also get a donut toy? have they ever had a toy in this shape before? I hope others had the cam on to view the play and fun su lin was having! this was a real hoot to watch! for once I tuned in at the right time!
Wow!! Panda Cam Jackpot. First, Zhen Zhen looking like a whirling dervish!! Admit it, someone spiked her water with Red Bull. Then a great close up of our “little boy”. I see a change coming with sightings. He looks like he has double his weight and size and Bai Yun will no longer be able to keep him hidden. It won’t be long till that first checkup arrives. Oh to be a Panda Keeper!! I’d scoop poop for a month if I got to hold him for one minute.!!!!
Oh, that is sooooo cute! They all deserve the best!!!!
Meerkats ROCK!!!! Great pix of baby today.
I am so glad that no one was in the office but me for the last hour or so because I haven’t got a thing done. What with watching Zhen Zhen with her donut and green ball and then the camera switching over to Bai Yun and the little one in such photogenic poses I am was mesmerized. I am going to work late tonight to make up the time but it was worth it.
The meerkats were fantastic again in switching cams at just the right time. Give yourselves a pat on the back from me.
Love the doughnut for ZZ. Made me laugh out loud!
Hi, I’m back! Been getting good closeups on the cubbie today thanks to the meerkats on the cam! Just watched the cam, and he is tucked under momma Bai’s chin and I can see his rump, hind legs, and tail! Now, that he’s getting a little bit bigger, we can see him a little more. Bai won’t be able to completely hide him anymore! That’s great for us pandacam watchers! YEA!!!
ZZ the Zoomer was not ignored today! I kept the pandacam going while I was in the laundry room getting my towels out of the dryer, and when I got back in my apartment, the cam had switched to a very lively ZZ playing with a nice sized doughnut! She was tossing it around, rolling all over it, put it behind her back, sat on it, pounced on it, and was just having more fun than a barrel of monkeys! She was enjoying herself a bunch! That is the most active I’ve seen Zoom Zoom in quite awhile. BTW, was there any kind of scent or sweet stuff on that doughnut? ZZ was just rolling it all over herself! ZZ had a very nice fun day for herself today.
Well, gonna get back on the pandacam now that it’s back on Bai and her cubbie. Back later on!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
PS: Patience on the cubbie exam, pandafans! The keepers will let us know when they have been able to get the cub for that first exam as soon as they can; still following Bai’s lead right now.
I am literally glued to the Panda Cam – it’s front and center on my computer. Not only do I adore watching the little cublet, it’s also fun watching the other pandas, especially now with the donut toy.
The baby has changed so much in 2 1/2 weeks – look at those beautiful markings! There is no doubt Bai Yun is doing such a marvelous mothering job… the cub is plump, contented, and certainly very well loved. Would that we could all do as good a job raising kids!
I’ve emailed all my friends with a link so they too can watch the cublet grow up. I’ve even posted it on Facebook! San Diego Zoo, you do us proud!
Love it, love it – I am enjoying Zhen Zhen’s turn to play with the brown plastic doughnut. I started watching her at 10:52 AM. She was “on the move” non-stop running, tumbling. throwing the doughnut all around. At 12 Noon, she decided it was time to cool off and jumped in her pool. She suddenly had another burst of energy and started climbing up and down the tree stumps. What a sight!
Earlier this morning, at 8:23 AM, I was so happy to see our sweet Su Lin enjoying her breakfast – fistfuls of bamboo. At 9:28 AM, Zhen Zhen was also enjoying some bamboo – I can’t believe how much she has grown. They are both so beautiful.
By the way, it is now August 19th in Bifengxia – Mei Sheng’s 6th birthday. Happy Birthday Mei Sheng, we are keeping our fingers crossed and hope to hear that you will soon become a proud daddy.
I also hope you receive many special treats today – love you.
Jeri #21, I was so hoping to Hua Ao when we were in Beijing in early July, but the zoo said they didn’t have time to give us the behind the scenes tour we were supposed to get. Life’s like that sometimes. Somehow, Olympic Park just wasn’t the same!
Tomorrow, Mei Sheng turns 6 years old!
I miss him so much!
Thanks Ellie for your wonderful post! I wish I could have seen little Miss Susie with her new enrichment toy. Can the cam operators post a little video for us? I’ve been enjoying watching her mom and baby brother/sister and miss watching Susie and Zhennie and daddy GaoGao.
Since we are glued to Bai Yun and her excellent mothering of her newest treasure would it be possible to supply us with some snippets of the activities of the others? I don’t want to miss a second of Bai and baby but I really do miss the big girls and big daddy too!!!
Tomorrow will make it two whole weeks since our newest precious cubby was born. Will you please, oh please, entice Bai out of the den long enough to have Dr. Meg do an exam on him/her soon, very soon??? I’m simply dying to know if our baby is a boy. Either way, I’m loving every minute of the cam with periodic moments when Bai Yun decides to get a drink of water and leaves the cub for a few….just cannot wait to know the gender and see a video of it’s first physical exam. I bet Dr. Meg is just as anxious too!!!
I hope Mei Sheng’s keeper is giving him a special treat today as it’s his birthday (at least in China time!)….I want to wish my special panda a big ‘ol HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Mei Sheng will always have a very special place in my heart as he was the very first panda cub I got to see grow into a grown man, er panda! What a special day that was.
I LOVE YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH MEI SHENG! I’M GOING TO COME SEE YOU AGAIN SOON NOW THAT I KNOW HOW TO GET TO BIFENGXIA. YOU ARE MY HERO PANDA! XOXOXOXOXO
Great views of our little chubby at 2:25+ San Diego time. Bai has stepped out for a bit, leaving the baby alone. Amazing how clear the arms/saddle, ears and eyes are … I’ve caught glimpses all afternoon of the rear legs and tail, which seem quite light colored yet. And now Bai is back (2:33pm). It is astonishing how quickly cubbie develops.
Earlier today, Bai was nursing cubbie with his (her?) face clearly exposed. Your camera-folks (great job, guys) pulled in tight and you could see the front paws/toes/claws in great detail. Cubby wasn’t sure about being so exposed, I think, because he (she?) covered his/her eyes. Clearly cubby has a sense of the light, even before the eyes open.
Please know that we do still cherish the older bears, even as we ooh and aah over the little one. Gao, ZZ, and Su are in the hands of great stewards.
Where is the link to the time-lapse videos now? Thanks for the info.
Moderator’s note: It’s located at the very bottom of the Panda Cam page. Here’s the direct link: http://outstream.camzone.com/panda.php?cmd=timelapse
Yes, it has been a very, beary day today… I couldn’t stop taking shots of Zhennie, she was actually ROMPING with her donut, it was hilarious, so glad she got one too! Then she’d stop, run around to her ball (in the bushes, a little hard to see her) falling about with it, then she’d run back to her donut. I hope some of the zoo guests caught these shenanigans…
p.s. i can’t find the right site to actually adopt a specific panda…only general info….HELP, PLEASE?
Moderator’s note: We’ve learned that you can adopt a specific panda, but not through our online form. Instead, please call 619-557-3914 and we’ll be happy to help you adopt the panda of your dreams!
#63 Moderator — thanks I totally missed seeing the link!
We were at the zoo today and saw the girls eating. Zhen Zhen decided to take a potty break just as I was trying to take a picture of her. Gao wasnt out on display today…was jut wondering why. Thanks to all the great workers at SDZ. PS..the weather is great over here better than Phoenix.
LITTLE CUBLETT “MOMMIE IS SLEEPING AND I’M NOT..I’M ON TOP OF HER PAW DECIDING IF I CAN GO ON AN ADVENTURE….MMMM LET ME SEE”
The cub sure is growing up fast. I can now see visibly the cub resting in the paw of Bai Yun, and rolling around too! (Round belly, of course!)
If the cam numbers are correct, we got to see ZZ playing with her donut today. It was fun watching her dash around.
RE: #64, after Zhen Zhen was born, you could specifically adopt her. Unless the site was changed since August 1, 2009, you can only adopt a giant panda cub, panda, panda family, or panda group. None of them have “names” to identify who you’re actually adopting but I’m assuming they mean only the ones at San Diego. Hopefully the moderator will be able to have more specifics tomorrow…..
Moderator’s note: We’ve learned that specific pandas may be adopted, but not through our online form. Instead, please call our adoption coordinator at 619-557-3914 and she’ll be happy to help you adopt any panda you’d like!
Help please – I know a couple of bloggers have quoted a Chinese saying about a world without the giant panda -I’ve not been able to find it but think we need to see it again soon.
Happy birthday, Mei Sheng!
Happy birthday Mei Sheng, hope you have lots of treats,still missing you, enjoy your special day sent with love.
Saw some great play time courtesy of ZZ yesterday. She sured looked like she was having fun with her doughnut.
Our little cubbie is growing so quickly. (HE) has a nice round belly. Bai is doing a great mothering job again with her newest cub.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mei Sheng, I hope you are having a glorious day in your homeland.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Mei Sheng! I hope you have a big tree to climb today! I miss you!
I just watched the time lapse cam from yesterday, it was neat to see other pandas and then switch back to Bai Yun and cubbie. The Meerkats deserve a gold star for keeping up on all the action!
Happy Birthday to our Big Boy Mei Sheng, we still miss you very much, but we hear you are quite a ladies man. The family has grown since you left and we are betting that the newesr addition is a new baby brother. Have a great day Pooper as you keepers fondly called you.
Momma Bai sure is one devoted mom! Happy Two week Bear-day to our new little one and Happy 6 year Bear-day to Mei Sheng!!
Today Mei Sheng is 6! I still remember where I was and what I was doing when he was born. My very first boy panda who has grown up to be such a sweet and handsome bear. May he truly be fruitful and multiply. Hope to see him next year.
just popped on den cam- mama is sleeping and clearly junior is awake and trying to get out from under her
protective paw! He is growing and growing. I have never witnessed this before so it is fascinating for me!
He looks like a small fuzzy puppy now with clear markings coming! too cool!!
Moderator’s note: It is a miracle, isn’t it? Welcome to our Panda Cam, cindy KC!
just popped on den cam- mama is sleeping and clearly junior is awake and trying to get out from under her
protective paw! He is growing and growing. I have never witnessed this before so it is fascinating for me!
He looks like a small fuzzy puppy now with clear markings coming! too cool!!
Moderator’s note: It is a miracle, isn’t it? Welcome to our Panda Cam, cindy KC!
just popped on den cam- mama is sleeping and clearly junior is awake and trying to get out from under her
protective paw! He is growing and growing. I have never witnessed this before so it is fascinating for me!
He looks like a small fuzzy puppy now with clear markings coming! too cool!!
Moderator’s note: It is a miracle, isn’t it? Welcome to our Panda Cam, cindy KC!
just popped on den cam- mama is sleeping and clearly junior is awake and trying to get out from under her
protective paw! He is growing and growing. I have never witnessed this before so it is fascinating for me!
He looks like a small fuzzy puppy now with clear markings coming! too cool!!
Moderator’s note: It is a miracle, isn’t it? Welcome to our Panda Cam, cindy KC!
Perhaps this has been asked & answered but I wonder if the mother could not care for her cub at what age could to cub be raised by humans & still survive. The baby is two weeks old day & so small & fragile. Wish we could hear them. Thanks.
Wow time flies!
I lucked out at 10:55 AM EDT and saw Lun Lun and Xi Lan “playing.” Lun laid on her back and let XL climb on top of her then she rolled forward holding him against her and hunched over in the same position Bai Yun was in at the exact same moment. It was great to see the comparison using Daniel’s multiple camera views. Bai Yun is looking down holding her tiny cub against her and you can’t see “him.” Lun is holding her BIG cub (almost 1 year old) against her and you can see this big panda cub body struggling on top of her rear legs. Too cute!
Looks like Panda mom school is in full swing today at ZA. Lun is being very rough with XL. He started to go up the angled log in the “Teepee” dayroom but stopped when he saw her coming and stood up against the log on his hind legs. She had just pulled him off and wrestled with him before she took a water break. I guess he decided he didn’t want to be yanked to the ground again so he made himself closer to the ground. She went at him head on in the mid section and rolled him to the ground. I think this must be defensive training for meeting other males in the wild (which he will not do but she doesn’t know that).
HAVE FINALLY BEEN ABLE TO GET A glimpse of Squeaky, who is now 2 weeks old! As most of you I am hoping for a boy. Speaking of boys, at 10:20 a.m. Tai Shan is sitting, , inside, enjoying his burrito, a/k/a a
frozen treat. What a sweetie!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MEI SHENG!
WISHING YOU A
~ ~ HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEI SHENG ~ ~
HOPE YOU HAVE A LOVELY DAY ~ WE ALL MISS YOU SOOO MUCH xxx
(YOUR MOMMA BAI YUN – HAS A NEW BROTHER or SISTER FOR YOU)
Something new or my forgetful memory?
It seems to me this cub is more restless when Bai is away from the den and that she returns much more quickly relative to the length of her departures with ZZ and Su Lin. Is it just that the images are so clear we can better see this cub’s restlessness? Is it an accurate memory that Bai was away for longer periods of time when previous cubs were this age?
How do others assess Bai Yun’s departures at this stage of the cub’s development?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MEI SHENG! I am sure that you have become a ladies’ man by now, the way you look, not to forget your charm. Thank goodness for the time lapse video. May be owing to the time difference I had not been able to spot the cubbie on its own so far. But the time lapse videos made it possible for me to join in the excitement of observing baby boy/girl growing up. The baby seems to be growing by the day, his markings are much more pronounced. There is now doubt that it will become a beautiful panda bear, and this is visible only after two weeks of his/her birth. Thank you Meerkats for doing such an excellent job! It goes without saying that Bai Yun is the most devoted (panda) mom I have ever seen. She is so caring….
On 23rd August “our” panda Fu Long will turn 2. This is the good news. The bad news, however, is that “my” baby will have to leave Schoenbrunn in November. So far he has not been separated from his mom Yang Yang. I wonder if this will happen at all, otherwise I would guess that it must be terrible for him to be “torn off” mommy in a few months’ time.
Ruth #87: Is there somewhere the details of Fu’s leaving are posted? I can’t believe they’d just send him to China like that without a proper weaning, seems unbelievable. He’ll be torn from his mother, his keepers and his home in one shot – seems to me the biologists wouldn’t do that as it would be traumatic for him to have to adjust to a new home, new keepers, new language and no mama all at the same time. I know from working with falcons myself that stress/fear can kill them, literally – I’d expect a panda cub would be no different and find it hard to believe they would do this.
I still get a little weepy when I read about our boy Mei Sheng. . . miss him so!! Happy Birthday poopers!!
Bai Yun sure is a study in intent care of a newborn helpless infant. She looks so patient and dedicated when she sits up peering down at her little fuzzy cub nursing and then quietly and efficiently gives him a great bath. It seems to soothe both of them for another nap. I notice that as the second week moves into the third, she seems to hold her head up higher as if she is not dozing during these sessions. Perhaps they are occuring farther apart as the cub grows more and is more adept at nursing on its own?
Lun Lun seems to have succeeded in wearing her “little boy” out. He is perched on his favorite horizontal log with his big piece of bamboo and appears to be fast asleep. Meanwhile hungry mom is on the ground in one of her favorite dining spots chowing down in peace and quiet to fuel up for their next encounter. They sure enjoy the coolness of the AC indoors during the hot humid Bermuda high that has hit the East Coast this week.
“It appears that the pandas’ birthday wish list is bringing forth good things. On August 12, Su Lin was most entertained – and entertaining – with what appeared to be a brown plastic doughnut, for lack of a better word…”
The wish list page made it seem like you usually pick the items yourselves and buy them with donated money. OTOH since you’re not sure what to call this particular toy, I’m guessing that someone else bought it and brought it to the zoo. That’s cool too.
“…Still can’t see baby panda! Whenever I get on the pandacam, I see Bai all wrapped up in her furry ball keeping him safe and warm…”
Same here. The time-lapse videos let me see the newbie, though.
Go watch them!
“…As an ‘oldest child’ in my family I will NEVER forget the older ones when a new cub arrives. I eagerly look forward to more stories about ALL the pandas in the SDZ family!…”
Check out the past months’ blog posts in the Elephant category. Ingadze was born around the same time Elephant Odyssey (with the elederly Asian elephants + Tembo herd) was publicized and opened, and the bloggers definitely didn’t forget the older elephants when the new calf arrived!
I have heard sad stories about some people adopting puppies or kittens then returning them to the animal shelters when they grow up, so it’s great to see SDZ/WAP promote the appreciation of animals both young and old and in-between.
“…Marion #6, what a great heart warming story. That is so cool. And Mary, #9, what a wonderful, thoughtful way to honor your mom. And to all those of you who have suffered recent losses or illnesses of loved ones, you can take comfort from all of us here who care. Thanks for sharing your heart ache, and I hope you know how many good thoughts and prayers are being sent your way…”
I wholeheartedly agree.
“…but whether Cubbie is male or female, the San Diego Zoo is to be commended for all the work it is doing in preserving this precious species…”
Yes! There’s still a less-than-1% chance the baby isn’t simply male or female (this happens to some other species including humans too) and the SDZ is still to be commended whether Cubbie is male or female or hermaphrodite.
“…He’ll be torn from his mother, his keepers and his home in one shot – seems to me the biologists wouldn’t do that as it would be traumatic for him to have to adjust to a new home, new keepers, new language and no mama all at the same time…”
Yeah, it should be more gradual! Anyone know if any of the panda keepers outside China and Taiwan speak Mandarin to the cubs so it won’t be as big a change when they get moved to China?
It would also be awesome if one of Fu Long’s future keepers could move to Schoenbrunn and meet Fu Long ahead of time so he wouldn’t be alone making the trip and be entirely unfamiliar with all his keepers in China, but I doubt Wolong or Bifengxia or wherever his destination is can afford to spare staff that way.
My first time writing to the Bloggers at SDZ. It’s my second year watching the Panda’s and lucky me…….caught the new Baby “Pee Wee” !!! I am just amazed watching Bai Yun and what a marvelous Mother she is!!! Soooooooo gentle and easy with the Babe!! Great Camera shots…..Thank You!!!
Moderator’s note: Welcome to the comment section, Carolyn!