Many of you have been asking about, and discussing, the public debut of Yun Zi. Yes, it is beyond the time that Bai Yun’s other cubs have been available for public viewing, and some of you are wondering why our little boy is not outside yet. Many have asked where he will be on exhibit. I know there is a lot of interest in seeing this cub, and I hope this update will answer your questions.
Until recently, Yun Zi has been a bit behind his siblings with respect to spending time out of the den. As I mentioned in my last post (Yun Zi Takes on the World?), Zhen Zhen was following her mother out on exhibit before Christmastime. We don’t know why Zi has been slower: because he’s a boy? Because his body size is so large compared to some sibs, making it a little tougher for him to move his mass around? Personality? This is where that individual variation I mentioned before has come into play.
About 10 days ago, Yunior started picking up speed in the behavioral milestone department. We have been pleased to see him out rolling around with his mother in the bedrooms and tunnels. We have watched him head out to the classroom area, which Bai Yun has access to during the daytime, and work on his climbing skills. His social play has picked up. He seems very ready to meet the challenges of being on exhibit.
But we can’t simply open the door and put him on exhibit for the public yet. Why? As many of our astute nighttime Panda Cam viewers have noted: Zi has a bit of a scheduling problem. He is up and at ‘em in the wee hours of the morning. Keepers have noted that when they come in at 6 a.m., he is often busily tumbling around. Unfortunately, the San Diego Zoo doesn’t open at 6 a.m. In fact, by the time grounds open, it has been our boy’s habit to be sound asleep in the den.
So the keepers have been working with Yunior to modify his schedule.They are training him to be up and ready to go at 9 a.m., when the Zoo opens. If he is awake when they offer Bai Yun access to the classroom, Zi will follow his mother to the exhibit. This is the goal. The Panda Team made the decision some weeks ago that we will not pick him up and place him on exhibit each day. We want him to get there under his own power so the experience is as pleasant and rewarding for him as possible.
Why not simply open the classroom now and cross our fingers that he’ll be out each day? I am sure all of you are aware how intense the public interest in this cub has been. What would we say to the guest who hopped a plane to come see Zi, only to be told, “sorry, he didn’t feel like coming out today?” No, we prefer getting him into a groove so that we can guarantee he will be available for viewing, so no one is disappointed.
I know it is frustrating to be this close to a debut for Yunior without actually seeing him in person. I know it may be confusing to see him out in the classroom on the Panda Cam and wonder how that meshes with our explanations of the past telling you he isn’t ready. Truthfully, he wasn’t ready. But now he is. We just need to get him on schedule. You have heard us say time and again that everything is “up to Bai Yun”…but in this case we deviate from that formula a bit because we know she will not have much concern with the idea of being in front of the public. In fact, her presence will go a long way toward comforting and relaxing Yunior when he first meets you. Our biggest concern is Yunior, because Bai Yun is already a pro at being viewed by her adoring fans.
And so it is that Yunior is now shifting his activity pattern to match our intended on-exhibit schedule for him. We are beginning to acclimate him to people by allowing employees access to the viewing area when Zi is out. In about two weeks (or so), he will be on exhibit in the classroom during morning hours only. Luckily, since he is debuting in the classroom, that means there will be three panda exhibits open in the morning, and nearly every one of our bears will be available for viewing!
In the meantime, I ask for your patience. It will be rewarded soon enough!
Suzanne Hall is a senior research technician with the San Diego Zoos Institute for Conservation Research.
He is so wonderful.. and all that pressure on such a tiny little bear!!! World famous… and all… and to be that cute on top of everything… poor bear… we just need to love on him…
I agree that he shouldn’t be picked up by people and put out on view. Let him get into getting there himself.
Here is a story about Yun Zi and Bai Yun.
Yun Zi
Bai Yun
Yun Zi: yeah I can climb to get away from mom.
oh no your going to chase me all over the Panda Exhibit (runs around and then pulls Yunior down again)
>:)
Bai Yun: get down (pulls Yunior down)
Yun Zi: but momma I want to climb
Bai Yun: NO now go play on a smaller branch
Yun Zi: No I like the high ones, or I am going to chase and poke you all over the exhibit
Bai Yun:
Yun Zi: ok I will hide
That was a funny one.
Terrific explanation, Suzanne. Thank you for your patience in “training” all of us as you train Yun Zi!
Dear Panda Team and Moderators: It just amazes me how you have managed to take care of these pandas and help raise five cubs without the help and expertise of some of the bloggers for all those years before we had a pandacam and blog site. Maybe that’s why you have your job at the zoo and we have ours, sitting. blogging and complaining……Keep up the good work. You know best.
Since it is unlikely that I will ever get to see Yunior at the SDZ, I have really enjoyed watching him in the classroom exhibit. While you try to let the animals live as closely as possible to their natural habits, you also have to structure everything to a certain extent. I was curious just how you are training Yun Zi to be awake when you want him to be?
I watch for each new blog, and I think your vids are of excelent quality.
Dear Suzanne~ Thank you for your informative discourse regarding Yun Zi’s appearance on exhibit. Thank you also for not “pushing” him into an activity for which he is simply not ready. I can see that panda babies are much like human babies in that regard and that there are individual maturation processes and timelines. It seems that our culture is always in such a hurry for everything. Please everyone… allow Yun Zi to develop at his own pace. We will all get to see him on exhibit soon enough and then before you know it, he will be flying off to China.
Panda Team, You are doing excellent by Yun Zi. Thank you. Please don’t let a man try to pressure you to put Yun Zi out before you believe he is ready. I trust your judgement. Thank you for wanting to make being out in public a happy experience for Yun Zi. I applaud SDZ for putting the animals’ well-being first place. I applaud the Panda Team for putting Yun Zi’s well-being first place. Thank you for wanting Yun Zi to be a happy and well adjusted panda. You are doing great by Yun Zi. Thank you so much.
Although I am as anxious as anyone to see Yun Zi, I agree he needs to become available to the public on his and his Mom’s time. As soon as I know he is out in the exhibit, my husband and I plan on a weekend trip to the zoo to see him. We, fortunately, live close enough to San Diego to do this. In the meantime, I love watching his antics everyday on the cam.
Your work is never done, is it Suzanne. The pandas come first and that is the way it should be.
Thanks Suzanne for a great blog. I think it’s quite obvious that Yunyun is his own little bear. I’m no expert but from watching the various panda cams – it’s quite evident to me that even though they all share certain traits, they also each have unique personalities and habits much like we humans do.
You are all doing such a wonderful job with the pandas and your consideration and respect for the feelings of all pandas involved – including our little Zhen Zhen and how she might react to being placed next to Bai on exhibit – shows your obvious care and love for these pandas. You all do your profession proud and it’s so comforting knowing they are looked after by people who really have a passion for their well being.
Thank you Suzanne Hall. You all are doing a wonderful job! I’m jealous for all of those who are going to get to see YZ’s debut. I’m planning a trip out in May though. I can’t wait!
We’ll exercise patience — as long as they are out by January 17th when we will be in San Diego (from VA)! Just kidding, we will enjoy seeing any of the Pandas when there. We have been loyal daily watchers of the little guy and the Mom since his birth. It has been a great experience for us. We are fascinated with the interaction between the two.
We hope he comes out soon so he can enjoy being a baby cub spending his days eating bamboo and sleeping and enjoying himself. He will be so happy… when he comes out to join the other cubs. You can do it Yun Zi
Moderator’s note: Yun Zi won’t be joining the other pandas; he will be with his mother only.
I think it’s great that Yun Zi is his own panda! It looks like he’s busy enjoying life, and there’s no hurry to grow up! What a cutie!!
Thanks for the thoughful update Suzanne. Just like in the human world, we all don’t mature at the same time. He’s cute as a button and just getting used to motoring around on his own. We should let him be a baby as long as he likes.
From 3,000 miles away, I am just happy to see him wherever he is. Better than happy. Will there be any more exams?
Moderator’s note: There will be occasional exams.
Thank you Suzanne for the update on what is going on with Yunior and being out on exhibit. Wow – a chance to view four pandas at once. Must, must, must get to SDZ to see them! Can’t wait to see the little guy IN PERSON out with Mama.
I received my Yun Zi adoption package just in time for Christmas. Husband carefully wrapped and placed under the tree for me to open on Christmas Day. What a pleasant surprise was inside. Yes, I had ordered it as I know where everything is on the SDZ site and he was lost! But everything was more than expected. The plush Yun Zi has a red ribbon around his neck that ways “San Diego Zoo, 2009, Yun Zi”. It is all so precious. Thank you SDZ for making available such a wonderful adoption package.
So happy for you Dennis Carney with the new job; and Lynn’s progress. Happy New Year to you!! It already sounds like it will be a good 2010 for you.
Moderator’s note: Thank you (and hubbie too) for adopting Yun Zi!
Good things come to those who wait! Yunior is obviously drawing out the anticipation for his public debut . He is such a smart widdle guy! When he does go on exhibit, the crowds will be huge to see him and Mommy Bai. I have a feeling when that day comes, Yun Zi is going to put on QUITE a show for his fans that will make up for all the waiting.
Oh patience, it is a virture. And Yunior is worth the wait for him to be happy and well adjusted! I sure have enjoyed watching him and Bai play together in the classroom area. He’s such a big boy, a big fluffy bundle of joy! Don’t grow up too fast our little precious cub!!!
XOXOXO
I think it’s marvelous how you are taking baby steps (no pun intended!) to get Yun Zi ready for his debut! The animals come first at the zoo! Thanks for all your tender loving care of Yun Zi and your extraordinary thoughtfulness on how to minimize any stress Chubby Cubby may feel once the public starts oohing and ahhing over him! I live in San Diego and WILL take the day off from work when he has his official debut.
OK, I truly wish we could all just try to settle down a bit and let the Panda Team handle Yun Zi’s debut in a manner that is appropriate for the wee toddler and his Mom. Both Momma Bai Yun and SDZ are very good at what they do
There is a reason SDZ is tops in the natural breeding of our beloved Pandas. Hee hee hee, personally I would like to see him stay roly poly and cute and in that den forever!
Thank you, Suzanne for your detailed info. We all are waiting anxiously for Yun Zi’s public debut. However, as always you are making the right decision. i. e. for Yun Zi and his well-being. Regarding the public I agree that it would be quite a bit disappointing for them not to be able to view Yun Zi. It reminds me of “our” Fu Long in Vienna who had more or less the same activity pattern like Yunior. At lunch time he was fast asleep in his den after he had been very active in the early morning when the zoo was still closed. And naturally at lunch time he was tired and not willing or able to present himself to the eagerly waiting public. So, we need to be patient and wait how Yunior feels about changing his activity pattern. But I am sure that it won’t be long before the “star” will shine in his whole glory.
Fantastic post, Suzanne. We all love Yun Zi and want what is best for him. The panda staff is taking great care of our little guy and we appreciate all you do, even if it means waiting to see him in person.
Aaah.. no worries little man, I up and at ‘em early too — then ready for a nap at 9 am also! But, your adoring human family is anxious to see you in person… so relax, sleep in a bit, and get ready for the real fun you will be having soon. So much to explore and trees to climb. You’ll love it — promise!! Now try and stay up late tonight — maybe catch The Late Show.
Thank you Suzanne for that wonderful update. As anxious as I am to see Yun Zi, I only want what’s best for him.
Hi!! I just saw a human reach out to pick up or put something down by Zi??? Camera switched really quick to Su Lin then… Was Bai in the classrom with the human? She had just gotten up and walked away before the human appeared…
Moderator’s note: The keeper would not go in the exhibit if Bai Yun was there.
Thanks for the update Suzanne. I am hoping that his sudden increase in behavioral milestones will continue, and that he will be ready and waiting for me on exhibit on Jan. 9 when I will finally get to visit the Gao family. If I have to see him on screen, I will still be happy to see his sisters live. But, my dream would be to see him live. So, little man, listen closely please. It is time to be up and out exploring your new world so we can see you away from the camera doing what panda cubs do best. Panda kindergarten is about to get in full swing, so fasten your seat belt and get ready for a terrific ride.
I plan to visit the Tian family at NZP tomorrow and say Bon Voyage to Tai Shan. It will be hard to visit the NZP in the spring with him gone. But, he will have a great new life in China, and that is where the girls are. So, all our US guys are about to embark on life-changing adventures. Yun Zi to explore the great outdoors and learn about visitors and being on exhibit, Zi Lan to be weaned and become his “own man, ” and Tai Shan journeys to China to find mate(s). And, we get to watch it all either on camera or in person.
I am so glad to read that the bear development is more important than than the public! He is a sweetie pie and if his body clock wants to play at night and sleep in the day that is okay with all of us viewing. lol He is a baby so lets not rush him. Let nature take its course.
P.S. As someone said recently, I love watching Bai Yun lie on her back and “roll” Yun Zi around on her feet. They both look like they are having so much fun. They are a joy to watch when they are in their play bouts. I hope he will continue to play with Bai Yun, more than his sisters did. I did not get to see Mei Sheng when he was with Bai Yun, but the girls did not seem to play as much as Mei Lan and Tai Shan did, and as Xi Lan does. I remember one of the keepers remarking that it was great to see Zhen Zhen initiate play with Bai Yun because it was usually Bai Yun who had to initiate play as Zhen and Su Lin got older and spent most of their time up in the trees.
Uh oh, his schedule is problematic! (Crazy boy, up in the wee hours of the morning!) 2 Questions for the Moderator:
1. Did the pandas get the presents we raised money for? (You know, the wish list?)
2. Does Yun Zi know how to somersault yet?
Moderator’s note: I’ll find out.
Camera is back on Zi… that nice human must have given him a red ball to play with. Now he is just too cute with it…
The Panda Team rules!! Keep up the good work…
Like children- Panda’s have their own schedules of growth and development!
Yun Zi is no different.
He’s so precious- I just went to check in on him and he’s happily playing with his roly-ball! C-a-UTE!
He’s worth the wait!
Thanks to the Panda Crew for your devotion!
Hi every one. Kathy #11 and Tiny #22 Echo youe messege. What is all the Hoopla about. Who cares when he comes out. Why can’t some just be happy with all the great things we get see. All the information at our finger tips. We have the joy to watch him prepare with all the action thanks to DoxieMom. What a wonderful thing to watch a be part of his new milestones. Why does anything have to be rushed? We view him every day. Whats the differance? My goodness, Bai is an expert. SDZ are experts. We are just here for the ride. So shhhhh on asking when. Just enjoy what is present now.
good explanations! We don’t want to see him all freaked out or scared in the exhibit. He come out on his own time and all must be patient..Like I try telling my 27mo old grand daughter
“I must be patient’.
I am treated to the lively actions of Yunior and one polar bear at the same time! Love watching Yunior play and interact with the big red ball. One of the polar bears is swimming happily in the pool.
Honestly, I think the animals live a very nice and comfortable life at the SDZ! It makes me jealous sometimes!
Hi and thanks for the update. I’ve noticed as well that Yun Zi likes to sleep in until 11 am but I can hardly complain, since on the weekends and holidays, I do the same thing! The little guy will be up and about and available for his fans to watch in person in good time, I’m not worried.
And I also wish all the best for Yunior’s first cousin, Tai Shan. All of these fine bears *should* grow up and become parents in their own right, so all that is best in them that we love can live on in their cubs. I for one and looking forward to photos of all the little Tai Shan Juniors, laying in the grass with their feet in the air!
If Yun Zi is not an early fellow, why don’t you open the classroom to the public in the afternoon? That way he wouldn’t not be forced into anything… Just wondering.
I see his fascination for leaves is cracking me up. My co-worker and I would love to see him playing in a big pile of leaves since that’s his favorite entertainment
Danielle #38,
We discussed that option, but we have a scheduling conflict there as well. This time, it involves keepers. Most staff leaves by 2:30 p.m., and that would leave less keepers to deal with any issues that might arise with the cub on exhibit – like one who refuses to come down from a tree to come in for the night. Much easier and safer for the staff if there are several hands to help out when contingencies like this arise. For this reason, until we are ready for the cub to be out all night long, we will limit viewing to AM hours when the staff is around to deal with a rambunctious cub!
I support the decision to move slower with Yun Zi. I have watched all of the cubs grow up on panda cam and it is clear that he marches to a different drummer. It is important to be sensitive to his needs and he will be on exhibit soon enough.
Thanks for the update! I have been content to see Yun Zi progress on his own timeline and am happy that he and Bai Yun are allowed to do things at their own pace. Yun’s long-term well-being is paramount! He’s such a little guy to have so many huge, human expectations on his cub shoulders. As someone else mentioned, we have four years to enjoy Yun Zi’s sparkling personality and charming face. To revisit one of my favorite sayings, “In Bai I Trust!” I also trust in the capable and loving SDZ panda team to get Yun Zi ready to meet the public!
Well written update, Suzanne. YOU and THE PANDA TEAM are very patient with Yun Zi’s adoring public. And thank you for “educating” us.
NancyB #5, yup!
Margaret #28, oh, lucky you. Tai was my first love. He will always, always have a great big special place in my heart. What a silly, silly boy. He will have a terrific time in China. Please tell him that Linda in Sacramento sends her love!
I remember reading a blog awhile back, saying that Mei Sheng was mating sooner than other males in China. Bai Yun was credited for her loving parenting. I believe that is true. I also believe that SDZ’s concern for the emotional development of the pandas, as we see exhibited here, might also be a factor. Mei Sheng is obviously a well adjusted panda, ready to take on life. The same will be for Yun Zi, he has his whole life ahead of him. Taking the time to make sure Yun Zi is ready for the public is wise. I appreciate SDZ for that kind of care and concern for Yun Zi and the other animals. It is also very refreshing to see such care and concern for their charge. We all know what happens to some of the child stars in life, because of the overwhelming pressure from being in the public eye. I am happy that Yun Zi is given a chance to grow up a little bit and be ready to be out in the public. I am happy that the keepers are not picking him up and putting Yun Zi out there before he is ready. I appreciate SDZ’s care and concern for Yun Zi. When we think about Yun Zi’s life, it is about more than just being viewed. By the Grace of God, Yun Zi will go on and have cubs of his and on and on. I am grateful that SDZ is cocerned about Yun Zi’s emotional development; so he will be as well adjusted as his older brother, and be able to go out there and take on the panda world.
34. Brandy
DITTO
excellent post
Thanks for taking such good care of Yun Zi.
Watchin Xi Lan play on the firehouse “ladder” in the ZA dayroom, and then pounce on Lun Lun, it is hard to believe that it was only about 13 months ago that Lun Lun was dragging him through the dayrooms giving him the “tour” shortly before his public debut. Bai Yun hasn’t resorted to such tactics yet in getting Yun Zi outside into the classroom in preparation for going on exhibit. It appears that Yun Zi might be a bit slower to move from Classroom exhibit to full stage in either of the “front” exhibits. He appears to want to take his time get use to new things. I remember reading that Mei Sheng was also slower to adjust to new situations than Su Lin. So, perhaps it is a male cub thing after all.
I have seen Xi Lan in action for many months since I got a job in September so I am amazed by how big his has gotten, how strong he is, and how independent he has become. When he dangled over Lun’s head until she leaned back and played with him, it reminded me of the “terror” Tai Shan was with Mei Xiang. How patient these mother pandas are, and what great teachers they are of life skills for survival in the wild. Although their cubs will not need to defend themselves from other pandas and natural enemies, their mothers are making sure they know what to do. It is an awesome experience to watch.
Thank you Suzanne for your reply. A rambunctious cub!!! Why would you think that our mellow fellow would turn into a rambunctious cub??? LOL
Like all children, and I know this has been said before, they grow at their own rate. Little Cloud, too, is a child of God….and deserves the continued, very best of environments he has…why change now? We don’t want a traumatized child on our hands, developing unhealthy traits.
Echoing so many of you, I love watching him for hours, roll around on his back, playing with his boo, entertaining himself, too precious. Too soon, he will be out and about. Keep him happy and safe as long as he wants, or we will eventually be sending in contributions to bail him out of panda jail as a juvenile delinquent!
Gotta nurture that boy in every way.
Congrats on the new job, Dennis and Best Wishes to Lynn. I haven’t been around as much lately as have a great deal going on in my life. So, being short of time I often just quickly scroll thru the comments. I have noticed tho that people are now posting links on the blog. This must be a new development as they used to not be allowed. No complaints tho. Maybe sometime I will have a chance to check out all the great stuff I hear that DoxieMom is posting!
Happy New Year Everyone!!
Moderator’s note: We allow links to social networking sites and to facilities that house pandas.
Thank you Suzanne for taking time during the very busy holiday season to write such an informative and unfortunately, much needed blog!! From day one I decided I wanted to enjoy each and every day with this cub without worrying about the next stage or milestone. I have the utmost respect in you and the San Diego Panda Team and in Bai Yun, an incredible panda mother!!
Just posted 1 new Tuesday videos of Yun Zi
(There should be a 2nd posted later today, if I can get YouTube to upload it successfully!)
The first is some ‘quiet’ play between Yun Zi and Bai, and then he has some alone time, just enjoying being a cub! Guaranteed to bring a smile to your face and forget the ugly weather outdoors!
The link for “Tuesday with Yun Zi!” is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GhOMC02p-Y
As one of Yunior adopted mothers I’m so glad you are taking such good care of my little boy. LOL And letting him go at his own pace. He will be a big boy and out on his own soon enough which will be to soon for his mothers..
This is such a good example that shows how animals (like humans) are very much individuals. No two are alike, much in the same way as people (both children and adults). I enjoyed this update very much in so far as it has addressed an area of interest to me — the cub’s individual emotional and mental development. Basically, this cub is not ready to go on display yet! His transitioning is taking a little bit longer that the other cubs. This is like waiting for your child to take his/her first steps! When he/she is ready they will walk! You can’t hurry it along. Thank you for the lesson. All in good time for Yunior!
I am about 1 hr. away. I can’t wait for the little guy… but I will. I am pleased that the keepers decided to let him go on his own steam to the exhibit area. In watching him today he sure is trying to be an adult.
I may be showing my age but it seems that while we are constantly being encouraged to buy to newer, faster, more high tech dodads, we are losing our patience for time. I always try to keep in mind a saying from a wonderful veterinarian I had for a beloved horse many years ago – ” give her a tincture of time”. Let Bai and Yun have and take their time and remember it’s not ours.
Just posted the 2nd Tuesday video of Yun Zi
The 2nd video features an enrichment item I think we’ve seen in the exhibit, a red feeder ball, but we haven’t seen Yun Zi play with it, until today!
The link for “Yun Zi and the Red Ball!” is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bowfvr5QgcA
As many of us have said, once Yun Zi gets started… watch out! I just saw him UP on the HIGH platform that Bai sometimes sleeps on. Way UP! He’s got it figured out and is now Up, Up, Up and away! I’m a bit surprised that his climbing skills have gotten SO good so quickly – but as we are all noticing, the Yun Zi drummer has his own beat, very different than other cubs we’ve been so lucky to watch! Nothing like throwing some major curves into SDZ panda cub research!
Greetings to the GPF
Suzanne – thank you for the fabulous update – Yun Zi is really his own little man – what a delight he is to watch. As I am in Australia and most likely will never see him in person I just love having the opportunity to view the SDZ website every day. I hope eventually that Adelaide Zoo will do something similar with Wang Wang and Funi -we are off to see them for the 3rd time on New Years Day.
To all of the GPF, SDZ staff may I take this opportunity to wish you all a very safe, healthy and wonderful 2010. Dennis best of luck with the new job and Lynn keep on with your recovery.To the rest of the bloggers thank you for making me smile, laugh and cry everyday. We need to harness this panda love and spread the word to make this world a better place for everyone
Panda hugs and love from Adelaide
Oh, man, rambunctious he is! Hope everyone is catching the action going on right now (2:40). What a big boy he is — up on the platform. He must have climbed the log himself? That’s Bai’s bedroom, right?
Moderator’s note: That’s the Garden Room.
Fantastic reading once again, Suzanne! Each one of our cubs throws something a little different at you which just makes it more interesting. It’s obvious that you have done a remarkable job with the panda family. Look how well Hua Mei and Mei Sheng have done in China. You also have the ONLY breeding pair in the US who know the natural way to get things done!
Keep up with the super job you are all doing!
Suzanne, has it been determined if Mei Sheng fathered the cub born in China? I understand that there were two males who mated with the mother.
OK, I am puzzled. How did Yun Zi get up on the shelf in the bedroom? Did Bai drag him up there, or did a Keeper place him there after his weekly exam. It is Tuesday after all. He sure is happy sleeping away in the corner with his back to the world. Almost looks like a child sitting a corner because they were naughty.
Moderator’s note: Yun Zi is sleeping in the Garden Room.
Our big boy is having a nice nap in the Garden Room and looks adorable all tucked safely in a corner where he can’t roll over and fall. Smart Yun-Yun! I think it is very wise to simply let him and Bai to decide when he is ready for the public. Right now they are having wonderful bonding moments in the classroom exhibit and he is also taking time to explore on his own. I also watched him earlier this morning. Both he and Bai were snuggling and playing in the den and shortly after he was rolling on his back, attacking the boo. He is just a happy cub wherever he is! I love this little guy!
Thanks for the wonderful update. It is just further proof that the keepers at SDZ (and at all of our U.S. zoos that house pandas) have only the very best interest of the pandas at heart. What a magnificent job you do! I love the fact that Yunior is chubbier than his siblings were and that he is progressing at his own rate.
Still hoping to get to the National Zoo to see Tai before he leaves. As someone else here posted, Tai was also my first panda and I am heartbroken to see him go. He will always have a special place in my heart.
Wonderful video, DoxieMom. Thank you once again.
Carole #61,
It is our understanding that the likelihood of Mei Sheng being a father is essentially nil. This is due to the fact that the female he bred with had passed her peak of estrus and had bred several times with another, established male during that peak. Chances are extremely high that Mei Sheng came a little too late to the party. Genetic tests have not been done, but the possibility that he fathered her cub is remote.
I am looking at Bai Yun on the platform and then I see a tiny, tiny little black and white…..what is that? It is a little panda face! Or is it? I also ask how he got up there with mom…..since I was doing something productive (dishes) here in the house and had to stop watching for awhile.
Wonderful update, Suzanne!! Yun Zi is having the best time simply being a baby panda, and we are so fortunate to be able so see him grow
I, in my mind’s eye, see all the pandafans sitting in a large circle as all humans tend to do when watching a human baby play, and the blogs confirm that all of us see Yun Zi as a perfect child.
And, thanks to DoxiMom, we see what we may have missed while tending to human responsibilities.
The lessons Bai is giving Yun Zi are simply remarkable, and he is a very quick student. I think each visit to the cam brings another milestone in his development. Now, he is sound asleep on the platform instead of his den. What a little JOY he is!!!
To All: A VERY Happy New Year and a beginning of another decade!!!
Thank-You Suzanne for all the info. I’ve noticed him out and about much lately. He is a joy to watch. I could sit here for hours on end and watch that little guy. He is growing up quick in my eyes! When he’s ready, he’ll be ready to take on that great big world out there. In the meantime, he should enjoy being just the cute little bear he is. I love him and mama bear so much. Hugs and kisses to both!!
Thank you again DoxieMom for all the Yun Zi videos. If we missed anything we can count on you to have a video! I so enjoyed todays. That little cub is sooooo cute. I have my 3 1/2 year old great nephew visiting at the office today. He loves to watch the baby panda videos. Maybe he can become a future keeper at the SDZ and be my “in”. LOL
Mom and Yunior are both napping on the platform now. How sweet.
My Google Alerts just sent me a link to a story about today’s exam on a San Diego site called signonsandiego dot com. It describes the wiggler supreme and has pictures of him and the Panda Team, Kathy Hawk especially!
Dear Team, when you have the early-to-bed, early-to-rise thing down, would you let us know how it works? There’s a certain someone in my household…
#44 Very interesting. Maybe having the cub with mom until a normal weaning is important. Maybe when the Chinese program has enough cubs for a stable population, they will be able to experiment with different weaning times and see. I wonder if growing up in a group makes for a kind of sibling relationship amongst the cubs, making it less likely they will mate naturally. (I know nothing, of course, just imagining.) Meanwhile, the videos of the Chinese cubs playing together are a total riot. They seem to be having a great time.
1615 Hrs: Momma Bai and Baby Bai are lying back-to-back in the Garden Room. Can they get any cuter than this? Suzanne made a wonderful post this morning about Yun Zi and all of the magnificance of his growing up. I hope everyone appreciates how much we are able to watch him grow and develop and stops worrying about when he is going to be put “on display”. Leave the little guy alone and let him be a Panda.
Thanks so much for the update. Sadly (hm, that sounds wrong) I will be leaving on vacation in 10 days. Thank goodness for iphones and webcams. I may miss his early debut, but I’ll be there as soon as I get back.
Right now he and Bai are on that platform in the bedroom (I think) just laying around. I can’t take my eyes off it because I’m afraid next time I look they’ll be gone. I want to know if he got up there himself (highly unlikely) or Bai tossed him up there.
Also a big shout out to ‘Doxie mom’ for her amazing videos.
Happy New Year Yunior,
Jennie
I don’t get why our Panda Team is so conservative and then when you watch the China group, they have playground equipment outside with lots of cubs playing. Then they put groups of the cubs together, have lots of handlers around them.
Plus I have seen videos of where they teach the pandas tricks like how to push a baby buggy.
Everyone seems to raise their cubs in such different ways but it all works I suppose.
I’m watching the panda cam right now…Yun Zi is trying to climb down from a platform. Butt first, then head first, he just can’t get down!
Can’t wait to see him!
I am praying that he will be out during the week of 1/10! I’ll be there all week and really really wanna see “Yunior”! I can hardly wait, just as with his older siblings before, I am always excited to see the cubby!
Did any one else see Yun Zi fall off the platform? My heart almost stopped. glad I did’nt see the landing! It was some fall! He’s with mom right now and playing with his feet and some boo. Now I know why Bai Yun doesn’t want him climbing up too far. He’s pretty good at going up but not so great at getting down.!
Well, I didnt think he was behind, but definately noticed he seemed to sleep more then his siblings, and noticed Bai spent more and more time out of the den then I remember her doing with Su Lin, and Zhen.
Thanx for the update on Yun Zi. Oh, and although “Yunior” was a nick name penned by a panda cam follower, any way the mods can use his real, given name when writing about him in the zoo blogs ? Unfortunately, it sounds kind of silly reading through a professional blog with the nick name “Yunior” attached.
Why pressure Yunior and the SDZ staff to hurry his public viewing. He is making strides every day. I’m sure you would have liked him out for Christmas Vacation crowds, but as that is not possible, what is the hurry now?
i am thinking it is easier for the keepers, vets and all to train the animals, l.arge and small, dangerous and sweet, cooperative or not, than to deal with some humans.
we couldn’t “wait” for the cubbies eyes to open, teeth to erupt, roll over, take a first step, and on and on.
yunzi will at his own speed be yunzi.
he will be travelling back to his homeland before we can blink our eyes.
please, folks, let nature decide, and let us just enjoy his journey toward adulthood.
HAPPY new year, all.
joan
painted post, n.y
To the San Diego Zoo Panda team, it’s nice to see how caring you are. Also nice to see that the almighty dollar doesn’t come first with you. No doubt your attendance will rise with his debut but I admire how you all are handling the cub and his social and emotional growth. You rock. Happy New Year everyone!
Hi! That was a very informative article from Suzanne. We will have to wait for Bai and Yuni to let the keepers know when they are ready to meet all the people. Hoping that this will happen sometime in January.
Been on the pandacam a couple of times late today. First time was when both Bai and Yuni were on the platform having their naps together. Second time was when Bai and Yuni are wide awake in one of the rooms that had a bunch of boo in it. Bai was eating her dinner boo, Yuni was buried under the boo and occasionally sticking his head out from under it. That was cute coming from Yuni! He’s found a hiding place to hide from his mom! I remember when Mei Lan in Atlanta was having her time going thru the bamboo maze and getting buried under it when she was around 4 months old!
Well, gonna go and get something to eat. Had a very long rough day today! Will check back later on!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
Will Yun Zi have a national debut for the press like Tai Shan did? It was great watching the press take pictures of him, they were like the rest of us, they couldn’t get enough of him.
Moderator’s note: There will indeed be a preview day for media, so Yun Zi can get used to all those cameras flashing
.
Yun Zi slow? Could it be that Yun Zi was behind his siblings in activity at the same age when he was growing so fast? At one time there was a chart which showed the growth of each of the San Diego Zoo Giant Panda Cubs at the same age and Yun Zi was pulling away quickly. I know that human babies, children and teens sleep a lot when they go through growth spirts.
It is good to see Yun Zi learn to do things, such as climbing, even if it is with the help of his mother, Bai Yun, by the scruff of his neck, or help from Zoo Keepers. I am enjoying the PandaCam immensely! Thank you so much as we didn’t get to see him, of course, when we were at the SDZ in November. One other thing. Is it possible to have sound with the webcams?
Moderator’s note: See the post Panda Cam Audio.
I can hardly wait for Yun Zi to be out in the classroom. I will be in Panda Canyon first thing in the morning.
Where is our little Yun Zi? Snuggling in his den I hope. After all, he’s had a busy day and its cold outside. Stay cozy little man for as long as you like.
I watched Yun Zi wake up his Mom at ~5:20 am Christmas morning. Bai Yun didn’t look happy when she lumbered out of the den and left him there rolling around by himself. I could just imagine him saying “Come on Mom, let’s see if Santa was here!” and Bai Yun saying:
To herself: “Rats, I forgot to fill the stockings last night.”
To Yun Zi: “You wait here and let me check. Don’t want to scare him away if he’s still here.”
Bai Yun and Yunior will debut when it is judged as mentioned by Suzzane that they both are ready…I agree that Yunior will show us when he is ready as we would not want to Traumatize him by putting him in the Public Eye with his adoring fans oohing and ahhing over him as well as the Pandarazzi with cameras and much attention…..SDZ has always put the safety and well being of all its Animals as the most important variable in Animal Husbandry and I think we all should applaud them for their success where other Zoo’s have failed,as without their contributions both in tha USA and China we might only have Pandas in pictures as they could very easily become one of the Plant or Animal Species that goes Extinct every 20 minutes in the World….They also do not train animals to become Circus or Performing Side Show Animals but allow them to exist in as natural and normal conditions as being captive animals allows providing enough natural enrichments that again contributes to a stress free boredom free existance….The only training they perform allows for safe interactions and needed medical examinations of their animals such as to allow a blood sample or other needed samples for Medical Testing and Research and needed treatments to prevent and cure illness to keep all the animals in the best healthy and happy breeding condition allowable……Zoos will never replace the joy of seeing an animal in it’s home and natural enviroment but without their care and research I would hate to think of how many more animals and plants would have become extinct without their intervention and care as we destroy daily more and more of their Natural Habitats….
“Panda Peace on Earth,Goodwill to All Living Things….” “And a Happy New Year to All…..”
I love pandas!
DoxieMom, you rock. Thank you; can’t you just hear Yun Zi humming, “I’m so happy; I’m so happy!”
Dear Moderator,
No one seems mention that pandas are meant to be more nocturnal then diurnal. This can be demonstrated by their pupils which of course are slitted and not round. Typical of cat’s eyes which are considered nocturnal hunters. I assume then that we force the daytime routine for visitors to be able to see them easier. Thus Chubbie cubbie prefers to sleep in mornings because in reality, he has not been treat or behavior trained by the handlers yet to be a sunshine morning panda. Any comments?
Moderator’s note: I’ll refer your comment to our Panda Team.
DoxieMom….Many Thanks for the Yun Zi play time video with the Red Ball…..My only concern is as I mentioned in an earlier blog that Yunior now has the bottom board of the log platform quite loose as shown in the video he has worked at it by pressing up from beneath it and it now has a pronounced wobble to it….I guess we have a muscleman of a Baby as shown by his exercises that can move nails easily,I guess Yunior is why LagBolts were invented ….LOL …..
I’m still hoping that Lynn is allowed home for New Years Eve and then moved to a facility closer to home…Will keep you all posted of any changes in Lynn’s Condition as I was able to have a good conversation with her tonight……
Again : “Panda Peace on Earth,Goodwill to All Living Things…..” ” And a Happy New Year to all my GPF Family and Friends and SDZ Staff….”
I totally get why the Panda Team is so conservative. If China would take back these bears and decide to release them into the wild, they need to be raised as close to being natural as possible. These bears may have to be put back into the wild to keep the speices thriving. Less human interaction with nature is more than likely best for them. I think SDZ does this wonderfully in letting the cub develop as naturally as possible and letting mom raise her cub. Obviously, after 5 cubs they are doing something right and Bai is a wonderful mother. Sorry to sound offensive #74 but I agree with SDZ in the way the raise the cubs.
Thanks for the update Suzanne on Yun Zi. Yun Zi just likes to be up during the wee hours of the morning and sleep in during the later morning hours. He will change in his own time. We humans just have to be patient.
#74~Probably because San Diego Zoo has a fabulous world-wide reputation for taking the best care of their animals, helping to preserve the various species, while allowing them to live as normal a wild lifestyle that they can under safe circumstances. Do you really think pandas want to learn tricks like circus animals? I would much prefer to see them climbing trees, eating boo and behaving like they would in the wild, rather than being trained up like a monkey in a freak show. Panda bears are BEARS and should live thus and be treated as such. Not like a toy poodle jumping through hoops.
I have no idea what I’m watching tonight on 19. Help? And is there a little black and white furry thing in there?
He is a boy, and they are a bit slower at some things. When the time is right, then it will happen. You are doing a great job at everything you do for the pandas. I appreciate all of the updates and always look forward to the videos of his exam. I always send them to my sister, Angela, who shares them with her dog, Sarge. He stares at the computer and cries a bit, and then goes under the computer table looking for Yun Zi. It is a real treat even being able to look at the panda cam in the comfort of my own home. Thanks to all of the special people at the san diego zoo.
The reason for watching these little pandas grow is research. Just think how much little boy has filled the observation books with his own timeline! I visit the pandas every year, and see them all eventually. His progress is like a chubby baby – maybe they don’t crawl as soon but when they do – watch out. I’m sure mom wishes for the time when her time was her own! Of course we all put human qualities on our little friends and the keepers, moderators and bloggers do a great job reminding us that we are watching animals develop at their own pace and not ours. Great job all your SDZ Panda People! I spend far too much time watching the little guy but it’s worth every second.
# 5 – NancyB San Diego – well said – thanks
But I do think as a cam watcher since Tai’s birth I am now a panda expert & should be able to criticize the zoo staff & have my opinions aired (ha ha -who do we think we are – we watch the cams & have no idea what goes into being a panda keeper but some are way too ready to offer bad advice) 
#51 – DoxieMom – awww – loved when Bai just scopped Yun up in her arms to play
#74 – Jeslyn – do we want our Yun Zi pushing a baby buggy around or learning what Bai can teach him. The Chinese are trying so hard to increase the panda population they have now what seem to be “panda mills” – raise as many as possible as fast as possible then they have more to breed – but think cubs that are taken from their moms so early are missing way too many lessons a mom can teach them.
And missed how Yun got up on Mom’s platform – he was sound asleep up there when I checked this afternoon – maybe time lapse or our godsend Doxie Mom captured this
Thank goodness for time lapse and DoxieMom today–or I would have missed an amazing day of panda viewing. Su Lin chowing down, beautiful shots of Miss ZZ and wonderful new adventures with Yun Zi and the feeder ball and up on the platform with Bai.
The pandas would have really enjoyed Minneapolis, where I went for a few days–lots of snow and temps around 10 F and under. I, on the other hand, kept trying to imagine being in San Diego, enjoying the sunshine and warm weather!
thanks so much again for your thoughtful and educational updates. i thoroughly enjoy them. happy new year one and all! peace!
Yep, Yun Zi’s clock is fouled up – it’s 1:45 am EST & he is on a tear – after poor, poor mom in the garden room. Bai must be exhausted
And now Bai and Yuni playing outside in the moonlight–what a treat!
Does anyone else’s view of the live cam get “the blinkies,” in the evening especially?
Is it more likely something in my computer system or is that bazillions of people tune in in the evenings to watch the bears and that demand affects the feed? Probably even more pandaddicts tune in when Bai Yun and Yun Zi are being especially photogenic. Ex.: During their big wrestling bout at 10:45pm PST tonight the cam showed so much fast irregular on/off images that I gave up. Will we have to go to rationed views like other popular cams?
I don’t think Yun Zi is a mellow fellow anymore. I am up late night watching Bai Yun trying to love on and cuddle Yun Zi, but he doesn’t want to have anything to do with it. I don’t think Yun Zi minds his mom.
Suggestion: Is it possible to post on the web page, maybe in the “Meet the Panda” section, the Panda’s names written in Chinese & their proper pronunciations? The National Zoo’s website has the pronunciations but only Tai Shan’s name written in Chinese. Zoo Atlanta has the pronunciations and I believe previously Memphis Zoo had the pronunciations of their pandas’ names. When we’ve seen Zhen Zhen twice in the past two years, her name on the board at the Giant Panda Research Station was “jen jen” one time and “jun jun” the next time. I’ve heard Yun Zi’s name pronounced “yoon zee” and “yoon zuh”on the different video clips…..just a thought!
I envy many of bloggers to have the possibility to meet Yun Zi live in SDZ….
For me such happening is only a dream ( because of many reasons). I hope , for many funs of this rascal , the SDZ staff will prepare ( as a consolation ) a detailed documentation about this long awaited debut.
And I can’wait for his first public appearance!
A Happy New Year !
Aleksandra
Thank you SDZ for always putting the animals first. Sometimes, we all want things on our own schedules and forget the well being of others. I have no doubt little Yun will do just fine when he is ready. I’m sure this has been a great research opportunity for the team as well. I may never get to SDZ since it is a long trip from VA, so I will always enjoy the cams.
To all the GPFs, I wish you a very happy new year. Dennis, Lynn is in my prayers and I hope for a speedy recovery. What a great group we have here. All for the love of a little panda. Best Wishes all.
Debi I fully agree with you, panda’s are BEARS.
Lovely update Suzanne. Yun Zi is indeed awake a lot at night (which is my day time and time to watch the panda cam). So lovely to see them in the den. I had never watched a panda cam before Yun Zi was born, so I cannot compare, but I think Bai Yun is a fantastic mother. Next time when I am in California I will pay your zoo a visit and specially the panda’s. Thanks so much for this website, I have learned a lot.
Great update Suzanne. I have been lucky enough to have been a guest of the Panda Research Station and been on the personal tour around it, as I’m sure some of you have too. What I have seen is pure dedication and love for the pandas. I could also see that the pandas themselves had great respect for their keepers. I also came away from that visit with the utmost respect for the panda staff. Yun Zi will do what he wants to do, when he wants to do it. He doesn’t know what ‘people’ are or that we want to look at him! He’s just Yun Zi and he loves his Mum. When I visited last year it was wonderful to see Bai come , up to the gate to see what treat her keepers had for her and then to watch little Zhen Zhen come trotting up behind her. Just to be a stroke (not allowed, sob sob, but there is a good reason) away from two pandas was ‘Wow’. These lovely people know what they are doing and, for the 0.5% who seem to think they know better(!), it’s not our place to tell them what to do!
Phyllis, we haven’t heard from you in a while. Hope you are OK.
Marti in OR, you have been very quiet for a long long time too. I hope that everything with you is OK as well.
Happy New Year to everyone. Hope it’s a good one.
#77 – I was watching him on the platform.. you could see him trying to figure out how to get down…. “hhhmmm.. should I go head first or back down”…. He decided on head first and then SPLAT….
I thought for a minute that Bai was going to help when I saw her underneath the platform… I was worried about him too until they switched the camera and there he was.. bothering Mom while she was getting an afternoon snack…
I think there is a blackout going on… can’t see anything on the cameras…
Thanks for the update Suzanne. We humans are very impatient, but Yun Zi will debut in his own time. He likes to sleep in?? Don’t we all wish we had that luxury every day!. I say let him decide when he wants to meet his adoring public. This may be our last panda cub from Bai Yun because of her age so we should let them enjoy their private time before he makes his grand entrance to the public.
Happy New Year and all the best for 2010 to everyone at the SDZ and all of the pandas too of course!!
Been reading the blogs and trying to compose in my mind what to say about “rushing” public showings, or “training” Panda’s to perform. Then I read #88′s blog and they say it all as well or better than I can!
I have nothing but respect for the SDZ people and their love and care and foresight. Thank you!
#78 I love the endearing nickname of Yunior. I love that the SDZ staff and bloggers alike know we all give the cubbies their own little names, I do for all of them, Tai’s full nickname is 8 names long. I do not see this as being less professional than using Yun Zi’s given name, I see it as acknowledging that these little guys and big guys are so amazingly magical and you just can’t be formal and scientific all the time with them. The research files would use his formal name. Please keep using Yunior in the updates.
Please identify camera 32.
Moderator’s note: I’ll find out.
I find the public exhibit area very disappointing. The line of people must constantly be moving and we become more distracted by humans than the pandas we came to see. Watching a cam a few days ago directed at a sleeping panda and this long line of people, I can’t help wonder what the animals think. How would you like to try and sleep with a few hundred grizzly bears trying to walk by your bed with not a whole lot of space in between?
When I visit the zoo, I like to sit down quietly and just “be” with the animals. Then the noisy, moving crowd does not bother me.
Are Bai and Yun on Cam 32 right now (8:10 a.m.)? Looks like it might be the classroom.
Yun Zi will debut when Bai Yun is good and ready to have him debut. Thank you so much for the informative update. Why do people get such in an uproar over this. I think it’s such an honor that we are allowed to witness this over computers. Thank you God for technology. I will probably never get a chance to see these wonderful Pandas, so I feel blessed at being able to see them from home. I,too, appreciate all the updates & videos ( thanks DoxieMom ). Also the person who gave the adoption to her hubby for X-mas, what a wonderful present. I felt the same way when I saw the stuffed bear with the red ribbon. I have 2 stuffed Pandas on my bed. They represent these YZ & BY. I’ll have to put it on my Panda page here (Casey’s Campaign). Bai Yun is a great mom & will know when it’s time. I think she wants all the “alone” time she can get with this cutie. He is so adorable. Thanks SDZ. Like #98 I spend a lot of time watching but it is worth it!
Happy New Year to all!
2 new videos just posted, both from the events in the Garden Room Tuesday afternoon!!
The first shows Yun Zi on the platform, where he is later joined by Bai! Most of this video is devoted to showing Yun Zi figure out how to get down from the platform!
The 2nd shows the aftermath, Bai and Yun Zi still in the Garden Room, both of them wanting to eat at the same time!!!
The links for “Yun Zi and the Garden Room Platform” and “Eating: Bai’s Patience, Yun Zi’s Persistence” are:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJIwmoQK3p0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wO9nUWmvRI
“A Panda Is Born” was on tv in Atlanta this past weekend. It is the story of the conception and first year of Tai Shan’s life. In it, the keepers put him on display on a bed of straw right outside the den in front of the window. Mei came right up to him and dragged back into the den. Like we’ve all been saying, it will happen when it happens.
Very nice artilce, Suzanne.
Xi Lan is weaning himself and is, apparently, getting his own stock of bamboo. Now they are having to separate them so Lun Lun can get her share of the biscuits and treats. Seems that now Xi Lan is taking them from her when, it seems like yesterday, he was hiding a biscuit in his mouth so she would not find it. He’s growing too fast and that is the same thing that is going to happen to Yun Zi. Each panda cub grows at their own speed and learns what they need to know when they are ready to learn it.
BTW, Mei Lan is now learning to get an ultra sound. They’ve shaved her belly, etc. It’s way too much. She was my first cub and it’s breaking my heart that she’s leaving. But I know she, along with Su Lin, will be the Belles of the Ball and have all the young male pandas following them around.
#115 Lauren
Camera 32 shows the area where Gao Gao currently spends his time.
Thank you so much for all the info. I have noticed he is a bit reluctant to leave his little manger.I do hope he comes out soon. We are coming to SDZ the end of January just to see him! We do love the rest of the family though and can’t wait to see them either. So come on Baby Boy! Wake up and meet your adoring fans!
I think it is fantastic that Suzanne and the panda team have documented a cub who is neither overly shy nor slow to mature, just a bit different from earlier cubs born at the San Diego Zoo. (And I would add that if these supposed traits were real, to attribute them to his being a male is, well, going a bit too far.)
My take on the situation is that Yun Zi is a bit of a night owl, and therefore a late riser, just like a lot of people I know! So, let’s give him some slack in adjusting to a situation that is not his nature.
Suzanne, you have done a great job in explaining the difficult logistics of exhibiting so many pandas (to the envy of other zoos, I might add). We on the outside cannot second-guess all that goes into any single decision, but we can rest assurred that a team that has been together for a long time knows what it is doing. Keep up the good work!
No, I don’t want Yun Zi to do tricks or things like they do in China……but when I see the other zoos in this country treat things a bit more loosely, then I wonder why we are so conservative about it all.
When I have visited the pandas, you have to not speak or at least whisper. I don’t expect anyone to be able to yell at the pandas, etc. Everything in the panda exhibit is treated with very hushed tones. With other aninals on exhibit, one is not asked to keep silent. How can one go to the zoo and not talk to friends as you walk around?
It just makes me wonder again why we are treating the pandas so differently than in other zoos? I have no complaints against our way at all. I think Momma knows best but it sure makes me wonder about other zoos and their style of handling things.
Are they doing a good job raising their pandas compared to our zoo’s way?
Jeslyn #124,
One major factor with the noise issue at our panda facility is the design of the facility itself. You get really close to the bears (within a few feet, if the bears are near the front of their exhibit) and there is no glass barrier separating you. Human noise carries to them easily as a result. It’s not like the extra large pen at NZP where the bears can be 50 feet away in places, or behind a glass wall that dampens sound. Our exhibits are in part designed to offer the viewing public a real up-close vantage point. The trade off is that we ask you to be quiet in the area. With the hundreds or thousands who visit the bears each day, complete with young children who might be crying or excited, it’s an awful lot for the animals to contend with if we didn’t try to moderate the noise in the area!
Yeah I have even seen on old youtube, where they tug and pull the ears or hair, and toss them around. Even a baby panda can get mad….wonder if they ever get clawed! I guess they would not show it on camera, or they would not get the “millions” for letting us borrow a Panda.
I guess I just don’t understand, is it the worlds pandas or chinas pandas. What are some other living things that a country gets payed for you to view? Lets get California some help by “loaning” out something
Wow!!! it is a very nice and complete explanation Suzanne!! Thanks!!
See you in few days then…. =)
All the videos are so cute. We just love the way you take care of these wonderful and beautiful creatures.
My husband and I are planning the trip to San Diego Zoo since Yun Zi (baby panda) was born. We can’t just wait to see baby-panda on exhibit. We are Yun Zi Fans!!
Dear Suzanne, Panda Team, Powers that Be
I for one would like to say “thank you” for being SO cautious and considerate of Yun Zi’s personal needs and feelings. I myself would be very upset if I thought for one minute that he was being pushed or rushed. We all claim to love him so much, right now is the time to prove it. Let the poor little guy adjust as you say, and give him all the time he needs. He is not a toy, he is a real, live panda, who is a baby regardless of his size or intelligence. My faith is in all of you to do what is best for our little star. Everyone keeps asking you to “please” let him out on exhibit. I am asking you “please” do not let him out until it will be a very happy, comfortable, and rewarding experience for him. A little piece inside of me will die if his first time out frightens him or is unpleasant in any way. I am trusting all of you who know best to do what is right for Yun Zi.
Fellow pandaholics, I am sorry if I’ve angered anyone, that is not my intent. I ask you all to imagine if Yun Zi was REALLY your own little baby. I don’t mean adopted, I’ve adopted him too. I mean if he was a human baby that you had given birth to. You wouldn’t allow anyone to force your infant to “sit up” or anything else before he was ready to just because they wanted to see it. Let’s show our panda baby the same love and consideration. Let’s give him the same respect. I apologize if I have not expressed myself properly or offended anyone. I haven’t even read the blogs today yet. I just really want our little Yun Zi to be allowed to “bloom” on his own timetable. I think many of you agree with me and if I am wrong, again I mean no offense, I am just concerned about our little boy.
Claudia #127,
The pandas belong to China. They are found in the wild no where else in the world. As the goal of any good conservation program should be to bolster the natural populations of a species, our own U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) mandates that importing a panda requires that we work to improve the situation for the species in captivity and the wild. This is why our research and collaborative efforts include field work and studies of wild bears, as well as capacity-building assistance at the panda reserves. USFWS wanted to ensure that pandas are not imported for profit, so as to discourage the taking of more wild pandas into captivity to support the desire to have them as exhibit animals around the world.
Other than the loss of bamboo forests, what it another predator to the pandas?
If they release them into the wild, can they live a full, long life once they have been raised and fed in captivity?
I know they will miss their treats the keepers give them!!!
Ok thanks for helping me understand. I hope to find a book there that I can get, when I visit Yunior. I would love to learn all I can.
OMG, I’m seriously going into withdrawal. You guys should think about opening up a panda detox at the zoo. Maybe give out some stuffed panda cubs instead of valium!!! lol
happy 2010
#114 – I see what you are saying. The pronunciation of of Yunior could be taken the wrong way. In a sense I was trying to also be politically correct. I for one took the nick name of Yunior the wrong way when I first saw it used. Without offending the person who came up with the nick name, it could be taken the wrong way for anyone who reads the panda blogs for the first time.
What do you think the chances are of Bai Yun having another cub? I know, I know, I’m not taking about right away, she still has her work (and fun ) cut out for her with the little guy.
I have no idea how many cubs Pandas usually have in their lifetime, and I think it is even rarer to have baby cubs in “captivity” (?) seems more like a spa to me though. I think she’s had five cubs now at the SDZ.
She’s such a wonderful mom and unfurtunately I just found the live web cam about a month ago. I know I’ll still be able to follow them, but to me it was so amazing to watch how mom and son interacted, especially at night in the den!
Also, how soon can Pandas have another cub after giving birth and how long are they pregnant?
Thanks, as always for you good work!
Moderator’s note: Many of the answers to your questions can be found on our panda fact sheet.
Dear DoxieMom
I cannot get 2009-12-26 Yun Zi and Bai: Boxing Day Play! Part 1. I get part 2 but not part 1.
Please help. Part 2 is adorable. Thanks as usual for all your beautiful work.
No matter how much everyone wants to see Yunior in the flesh, he should be allowed to make that decision or perhaps Bai will make it but he shouldn’t be rushed. Each cub has its own personality and way of doing things. You are trying to train him to be up and ready to go on exhibit. He will be ready when he’s ready. It may take longer but that will make his debut all the more exciting.