Yun Zi has his own communication style.
It’s hard to find someone who is not charmed by the entertaining antics of a roly-poly panda bear. Being one of only four zoos in the United States to exhibit pandas, the San Diego Zoo certainly sees its fair share of panda fans. Guests love watching the cute black-and-white bears munch on bamboo, roll through bark chips, or do handstands against a tree. Although these behaviors are enthralling and endearing, scientists believe they may also be serving as an essential means of communication between the bears.
The most distinguishing feature of a panda is their black-and-white fur. The fur keeps them warm during the snowy mountainous winters of Sichuan, and scientists believe that the black-and-white coat may provide some camouflage in the shadowy bamboo forests where pandas are found. Because these bears are solitary, and are not necessarily easy to see in their native habitat, pandas use scent marking as a means of communication. Instead of sending e-mails or posting fliers, pandas will “post” their personal information on a nearby stump, rock, or tree. This is done by lifting their stubby, white tails and rubbing their scent gland on the chosen item to broadcast vital information. A male panda, such as the San Diego Zoo’s very own Gao Gao, may even do a handstand to urinate or rub his scent gland high on a tree to advertise his size and virility. This message communicates to other passing males and females that he is strong, mature, and healthy. Other males may think twice about crossing paths with this formidable opponent, and it may help females become acquainted with the smell of Mr. Big, Strong, and Healthy. This could bolster the male’s chances of breeding with females in the future.
Communication works best when it’s a two-way street, so female pandas also do their fair share of scent-marking. A female panda’s personal scent changes during her estrus cycle, and male pandas can identify the changes in her scent, some of which are related to the changes in her hormone levels. Let’s picture a male panda roaming through the shadowy forest, looking for a female. His best chance is to sniff her out because the female will have spent some time using the scent gland under her tail to broadcast her olfactory message. Once the male actually locates his potential mate, he may keep tabs on her and check in periodically to see if she’s close to estrus. When he thinks the timing is right, he will approach, although he may not be the only potential suitor vying for the female’s attention. Males may compete to be her mate, but even the winner may not be chosen to couple with the female. It seems that sometimes the ladies have a preference about which male becomes the father to their cubs. Perhaps in the panda species the nice guy actually wins?
Although it does not seem related to reproduction, female pandas have been observed rolling and rubbing novel scents such as flowers and bark chips on their backs, much like applying perfume. The San Diego Zoo’s female, Bai Yun, particularly enjoys rolling in cinnamon and nutmeg. She then proceeds to spend her day cruising around smelling like a giant black-and-white pumpkin pie. There is yet no known reason why pandas do this, but it makes one wonder if pandas sometimes fragrance themselves just because they enjoy the aroma.
It is interesting to note how much information can be passed between pandas without a spoken word. Detailed information is communicated using only local, renewable, natural resources. In essence, pandas have found an extremely efficient means of communication without creating a carbon footprint. Could humans create a method of communication that is so effective, yet Earth-friendly?
This post highlights a few examples of what makes pandas such an amazing species and offers an example of biomimicry. The field of biomimicry involves learning about nature, learning from nature, and being inspired by nature. If you would like to learn more about the Zoo’s efforts in biomimicry, please visit our recently renovated Biomimicry section.
Sunni Robertson is a lead educator at the San Diego Zoo.
So if we were at the S.D. zoo, would we smell this black and white pumpkin pie? Can humans smell them?
Moderator’s note: If you were close enough.
Ha ha.
I want to smell the cinnamon flavored Bai! (It would make a nice product! The many smells of Bai.)
What an interesting article on Pandas. I surely love these black & white balls of fur. My favorite part was Bai Yun going around smelling like a giant black & white pumpkin pie. How cute and amazing, Pat
Thanks for sharing about these wonderful animals!
Thank you for an interesting post. I will comment on it at a later stage. But now to be just in time: MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR to everybody at SDZ, my fellow bloggers and -that goes without saying-to the lovely pandas and all the other animals at SDZ. Have a super festive season. Lots of panda greetings from the snow-covered Austria. Ruth
Thank you, Sunni, for the info about how our pandas sense the world in ways that we can only dimly understand.
I’m going to be able to visit San Diego in just over 2 weeks, and am really looking forward to seeing Yun Zi in person for the first time, and seeing the lovely Bai and Poppa Gao again!
I see reports that the heavy rains caused closure of certain areas of your park, but I trust your wonderful staff have the animals safely tucked above water. Take care!
Moderator’s note: The Zoo has weathered the storm just fine; we look forward to your visit!
This is an awesome article. Thank you Sunni for the interesting info. Cute pic of Yun Zi and Bai as well!
Just got the news here that Tian Tian and Mei Xiang’s “lease” has been extended temporarily. Final details of a new long-term agreement will be released, hopefully, in January. This is per an article in the Washington Post. They were careful to say that having cubs is a huge priority here at the NZ and when females fail to become pregnant for 4 consecutive years, it is even more unlikely that they will ever become pregnant. They are focusing on Mei Xiang as the “problem” and not Tian. The thought is that Tian and Mei will be here at least thru the next estrus cycle. The last two years Mei has been extremely early–mid to late January. Preparing us for a swap out of pandas perhaps? Only China and the Zoo Director know for sure.
Happy Holidays everyone!
Thanks for a wonderfully informative blog. I love reading anything and everything about these gentle giants.
Happy holidays everyone. Be safe!
Thank you Sunni for the update. I like the part about Bai Yun smelling like pumpkin pie. To everyone at SDZ have a great holiday. Will Bai Yun, Yun Zi and Gao Gao get special treats for Christmas?
I would like to take a moment to wish all the pandas friends a merry christmas and a happy holiday season. To All the keepers you are simply the best,Thank You for all you do to keep them healthy and happy. To all Peace, Love and Joy. To all the bears A Beary Beary Christmas Be good because Panda Claws is watching
What an interesting post. Thank you…Communication comes in many forms. I wonder if humans can create an earth friendly form of communication? I have wondered what happens to all those cell phones not being used anymore?
What types of communication are displayed by Pandas in the form of posturing? You know how dogs will play bow or black bears will chomp their jaws when anxious… Has Yunnie shown a preference for a particular scent?
This is Bai Yun’s mother Dong Dong, the oldest panda on earth. She will be 37 years old (= 144 human age) soon. She was born around 1974 and gave 8 cubs between 1991 and 1997. Bai Yun is her oldest child. Hopefully, she passes her gene to Bai Yun and Bai will give us another cub next year!
www (dot) chinapanda (dot) org (dot) cn/news/show_art.php?id=877&hl=cn
Now I know where Bai gets her beauty from
I assume that was her in the featured photo. If so, she doesn’t look a day over 25!
How interesting to see Bai Yun’s mother now! I wonder how old she was when she had her last cub?
Such a cute picture of Bai and Yunnie and an interesting post–and I’m so enjoying the image of a big furry black and white pumpkin pie!
Wishing pandas and keepers and bloggers everywhere a very Merry Christmas!!!
I realized later that Panda Fan had already answered my question–if Dong Dong gave birth in 1997, she would have been 25! There was some debate in a previous blog about the oldest panda to give birth, and at that time we were discussing 21- and 22-year-old pandas. So in addition to being the longest-lived panda, Dong Dong may hold the record for the oldest to give birth?
No wonder Bai Yun looks so young and frisky playing with Yunnie–she might have 2 or 3 more cubs if she follows her mom’s
example!
Thank you Panda Fan for the information on Dong Dong. I kept thinking she must be older than Pan Pan ~ wasn’t he 30 this year? But I couldn’t find any info. And a picture too. I appreciate your posting.
I would advice you all to take that information with a grain of salt and a lot of caution. When Dong Dong was captured in March 1990, it was estimated that she was probably 6 years old and therefore that she was born in 1984. The recent change in her estimated birth date to 1974, out of the blue, has taken some people, including Leo uu and myself by surprise, to say the least. Leo uu wrote a blog on that subject on Wednesday blog(dot)sina(dot)com(dot)cn/s/blog_5314571e0100o0s9.html
She argues that you would think that when Dong Dong was captured in 1990, they would have been able to see the difference between a six year old and a sixteen year old panda. Also, the life expectancy in the wild is about 15 to 20 years for pandas, which means that Dong Dong would have been past or close to the end of her life expectancy at the time of her capture if she was born in 1974. She went on to have cubs from 1991 until 1997, see my comment on the previous blog posted on December 22, 2010 at 1:56 PM. If Dong Dong was born in 1974, that would mean that she was 17 year old when she gave birth to Bai Yun in 1991, Bai Yun was her first cub born in captivity, Bai Yun had a twin brother that did not survive very long but that’s another story. That would also make Dong Dong 23 years old when she had her last cub, which has never been observed even for captive born pandas that have a much longer life expectancy, 30 + years.
Bing Bing, Lun Lun’s mother, born in captivity in Chengdu in 1986, gave birth at the age of 21 to Xiang Bing on June 30, 2007, and as written in the following article, it is considered very rare for pandas to give birth when older than 20 year old.
www(dot)chinadaily(dot)com(dot)cn/china/2007-06/30/content_907045.htm
I believe Chet has seen Dong Dong herself at the Panyu Safari World in Guangzhou, she may want to comment on the subject.
As for Pan Pan, he is living now in BiFengXia, see this video from January 2010
“Hero Father Pan Pan is back to Bifengxia”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH4CM-SPe0w
That link to the Pan Pan video leads you to some videos of our own Mei Sheng and Hua Mei, too. Just look at the list on the right.
Thank you for all the info on Dong Dong, Danielle. It all does make perfect sense using the original dates of Dong Dong’s age at capture as 6, not 16. I appreciate your posting.
Loved the Pan Pan video! Our Tian Tian really tears into his food, just like his Daddy!
Danielle
Sorry for this late reply.
A few of us, including Leo uu and Jérôme, have since ascertained that it’s not Dong Dong in the picture. There is another older giant panda living in the same safari park as Dong Dong – her name is Ming Ming and she was born in 1977, which makes her 33, not 37.
The first time I read about the oldest panda in the world was just before the Asian Games 2010 in November. The Games were being held in Guangzhou, and 10 panda cubs were being moved from Bifengxia to the safari park in Guangzhou – this is the same safari park where Dong Dong and Ming Ming live. An article about the 10 cubs was published and mentioned that the park is also home to the oldest panda in the world. I think that is where the confusion came from. IMHO, the article wanted to show that the park had something special and latched on to the oldest panda angle, except it got the name and age of the giant panda wrong. That’s just my humble opinion.
Sunni, thanks very much for this very informative blog. Could you please let us know at what age the pandas are developing their scent glands? I also found the picture very appropriate, even though I found two interpretations, one would be that Yun Zi is telling his mommy Bai Yun that she is not listening, the second interpretation, in line with the blog, would be, Yun Zi telling his mommy Bai Yun: Do you really think somebody is going to believe you are that tall???
Thank you for the interesting article on our beloved Pandas. I check often to see if any updates are written so I may learn more.
Merry Christmas to all the wonderful creatures at the Zoo including their Keepers!
Oh that is funny….a black and white pumkin pie
Bai is so cute!!!
Has Yun Zi started scent marking?
If you go to the Flickr website and look at Rita Petita’s photos, she has some of Yun Zi scent marking his Mama, and there is one particular where his bum is formly plated on the back of her head as she placidly eats her boo. Really funny and adorable.
Sunni, thank you very much for telling us about Biomimicry. That is certainly a new word for me, and a very interesting subject.
I want to wish the pandas the best Christmas ever! and a very Merry Christmas to the keepers, narrators, educators, and all at SDZ who are so generous with their knowledge. Thank you for your dedication! And may 2011 bring us even more “panda-monium”!!!
Moderator’s note: We have a series of biomimicry blog posts you might enjoy, starting with this panda one. Happy learning!
Thanks for a wonderfully informative blog. I love reading anything and everything about these gentle giants. Happy holidays everyone. Be safe!
Dear Santa Paws,
Hi, it is me, Yun Zi, the nice panda boy at San Diego Zoo. I know you will be visiting me soon as I have been a good boy, well, relatively good boy, well…a good boy most of the time….ok, ok, Mama says I must not lie, I try to be a good boy most of the time.
I have sent you many emails to hewp you decide what to bring me for Cwismas. I will leave out some of my treats for you. I managed to save some. And I baked some pies for the reindeer as well.
I have been reading that many hooman children do not have much to eat or may not have enough fur or cannot go to skwool. Can you hewp them please this Cwismas and bring them some cheer? Can I hewp you? Mama taught me that I am very blessed to have good nannykeepers (even those who give me sharpies) and I must hewp others.
Merry Christmas!
Yun Zi
Yun Zi, you are a very good boy, especially in your desire to help all of those who are less fortunate. I hope your Christmas dreams come true.
You have a great holiday too Yun Zi and I will be down to visit you in March.
Yippee, my Mama, Papa and me will be looking forward to seeing ya!
Hugs,
Yunnie
Dear Friends,
Gao Gao and I want to wish one and all a wonderful blessed holiday! We want to thank everyone for the support and love. Thank you for loving pandas and helping pandas round the world.
Our family has been so blessed with your daily visits and all the care from the nannykeepers. Also we know many have donated to enriching our lives. All of us especially LIttle Cloud have been so excited by all the little treats and toys.
Little Yunnie is enjoying all your visits and has been practising his waves and smiles for the uncles and aunties.
Gao Gao would like me to thaknk you for voting for him, helping him win the Sexiest Panda Alive title. He is embarrassed but I think secretly pleased. Yang Yang claims he was robbed of the title. But I think I agree with all of you. My Gao is really one handsome hunk. Sigh.
This holiday will see all the pandas gather. This year Le Le and Ye Ye are hosting us so all of us are looking forward to Memphis. It will be the first Christmas for the little ones; Fu Hu, Xiao Lan, Po and his brother. Soon Yunni and Ping will be on their own…and before you know it, they will be starting their own families. Of course, we are eagerly awaiting news that my older kids will be parents. I pray that Su Lin and Mei Sheng will find lovely spouses. I know the hoomans will guide them well.
I will have to go bake to my baking in my magical secret kitchen. I am making boo biscuits and my special Almond Honey Stars Clusters for the Panda Party. So on behalf of the entire Gao family clan, I want to say: MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A PANDALICIOUS NEW YEAR to one and all.
Love and Hugs,
Bai Yun
Love and hugs to you, too, Bai (and your special secretary Lucilla).
Lucilla, Happy Holidays to you too! You are such a good friend to all the pandas and panda friends that I am sure we will be hearing a lot from you in the new year.
What an informative blog, Sunni. And according to the moderator, we have more to look forward to on biomimicry. I have been hearing this word more and more on the NatGeo channel and if I remember correctly Animal Planet.
Merry Christmas, dear moderator ~ thank you for your patience, wit, understanding, hand holding, and your willingness to seek out information for us!! Have a wonderful holiday. And then here comes 2011. Get ready!!
Merry Christmas Bai, Gao and Yun Zi and all your nannykeepers, the narrators, and all the caring staff and beloved animals of the SDZ!!
Moderator’s note: You are very welcome, Diana S.
I was just checking if Leo uu had posted more pictures on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/leouu/ and she did, including this picture from Mei Sheng to illustrate today’s blog!! http://www.flickr.com/photos/leouu/5285118652/in/photostream/
Papa Gao Gao would be very proud…
Check also all the other pictures that Leo uu took during her trip to BiFengXia.
Great article! I was wondering how you found out that Bai Yun likes the scents of cinnamon and nutmeg? Are there any scents Yunior likes besides the new bark and soil in the cave. Thank you and Happy Holidays.
Merry Christmas to everyone at the San Diego Zoo (human and animal),but most especially to the Yun-Gao family both here in the United States and in China! And to Hua Mei!
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE AT SDZ AND WAP!!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
I hate to complain but I do find the size type used now in blog is harder to read than in the old blog format
I keep missing things and I scan down the pages.
Moderator’s note: The font size was not changed in the new design, but your computer may be reading it differently. You may have to adjust your computer’s setting for a view you find most comfortable.
Merry Christmas…to SDZ panda team and every panda fans through out the world…Wish you guys a very happy holidays…keep warm and travel safe…hohoho
A Blessed Christmas to all and may 2011 be filled with many beautiful moments especially with our Black and White fur friends.
Hi Gramma, “Grampa”, and Uncle Yunior, Hao Hao here, wishing you, your keepers and all your aunties and unkies around the world a wonderful Christmas. I’ve tried to be a good girl; but it’s hard when you are as smart and cute as I am. Just hope Santa will be able to find me this year and leave lots of nice presents. My mama, uncle Mei Sheng and aunties, Su an ZZ, and all my brothers, especially my new one, and sister all send their love as well.
Well, I gotta go climb a tree. I love you all.
Hao Hao
Love, Hao Hao
Thank you Sunni for this informative and entertaining blog (pumpkin pie anyone?) . Another example of why this is one of the best source of panda education and news.
Wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a very happy Holiday Season
Also, thank you to the San Diego Zoo ~ the keepers, the narrators, the volunteer camera people, our faithful blog Moderator and her cohort ~ wishing you all a joyous New Year!
The sun came out yesterday in San Diego and Yun Zi and Bai were ready to play! We were lucky enough to see them playing in his little “cubbie cave”!
2010-12-23 Yun Zi and Bai Present Cave Play!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrlllnPPnOw
And finally something seasonal from Yun Zi and me
Enjoy!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pandalover19/5274699700/
Mewwy Cwispmoss and Happy New Yeaw to you, too, DoxieMom!
Thank you Doxiemom! Much enjoyed!
Merry Christmas to you and the other folks in the blog,
A big thank you Doxie Mom for all the joy you’ve given us with your photos and videos. Mewwy Cwispmoss!
DoxieMom: Thank you for posting this on YouTube — I am thrilled to have this record of it. I was privileged to be at SDZ on December 23rd to see this engaging play session in person. I visited the zoo with the hope of seeing Bai Yun and Yun Zi play, and I was not disappointed!
Thank you for the wonderful blog…Merry Christmas to all the staff at SDZ and to all panda fans…take care and be safe…Enjoy, Bernice.
Very interesting! I have learned so much about these precious pandas in the past year! Thank you for educating us! All is quiet in pandaland this xmas eve morning. I’m not sure if the keepers at SDZ are still cleaning the exhibit. I have not seen a panda in the last 30 minutes.
Over in Thailand, LP is a ball of energy, where it is already friday night. She has been munching on boo, sitting ontop of LH while she’s trying to sleep and playing with her little round tire. Pandasliveon has a bit of info about LP. No decision has been made yet on whether she stays or goes. Chinese authorities will be visiting CMZ again in early January. LP will turn 19 months in a few days. Hopefully Weegee can give us some additional updates.
Happy Holidays everyone!
Dear Bai and Gao Gao
Thank you for your Christmas wishes. I would also like to wish you and your family a very Happy Bearmas and hope you have lots of lovely things to eat and Yunni gets some wonderful presents.
And a Merry Christmas also to our dear Moderator, without whom we would be lost, and every single member of staff at the SDZ. Oh, and all the animals of course!
Merry Christmas to All! Thank you SDZ Staff for your care of the Animals, and the information you’ve given to us all. To all bloggers who have written, given access links, created videos, photographs: Thank you for making 2010 the best Panda Year Ever
It has been a pleasure on a daily basis to turn on the cams and read the blogs!
Happy and Safe Holidays to all the Pandaholics around the world. I feel blessed that we have this wonderful blog to learn, laugh, cry, and share a common love for our bears and all the other animals. Ditto to what Diana S said about our moderator.. Without her it wouldn’t happen. As well as the keepers at SDZ and SP who will take the time to “enrich” us with their posts and even answer our questions… Merry Christmas to all from cold, snowy Ohio!!
Moderator’s note: Merry Christmas to all!
P.S. I hope that Grammmie, Dennis and Lynn are okay and having a good holiday…
I’m wondering about Grammmie too. I hope she’s okay. It’s been quite a while since we’ve seen a post from her.
Awww… I miss Pamela G. and all her Christmas poems that she wrote. I wonder if anyone can find them?
Moderator’s note: The first Christmas poem she sent to our blog section was for a December 15, 2006 post. It is comment #2.
The second Panda Claws story for Christmas can be found on http://blogarchives.sandiegozoo.org/blog/2007/12/17/shall-i-compare-thee/
It is comment # 24.
Pandafan #2, Doxiemom and I are working on compiling Pamela G’s poems. I think we’re close to having all of them but likely won’t get back to it until after the holidays.
I miss Pamela G. and her wistful heart. Thank you for the link …… her stories were so, so special.
Merry Christmas to all at SDZ!
Merry Christmas to all of you. I just came across this video from lcnessie15 recorded yesterday. Lun Lun & cubbie – Merry 1st Xmas Precious Little One! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JkCDdohLW8
For some reason the pandacam at the Atlanta Zoo stayed on late into the night yesterday. Today the pandacam site for the AZ pandacam is not working at all. But you can still watch Lun Lun and Wee Lan on
www(dot)earthcam(dot)com/cams/georgia/atlanta/panda/index.php?cam=panda_static
For me, my Christmas present has come in the form of a cubby sleeping in the snow on the slope of a Chinese mountain. Wolong got its first snow a few days ago and Cao Cao and her cub, living in semi-wilderness at the CCRCGP Hetaoping Base, were very excited to walk in the snow and explored, got tired and slept in the snow. blog(dot)sina(dot)com(dot)cn/s/blog_6a7c47100100o6ec.html
It seems that we are one step closer to the Panda Dream that Pamela G. so beautifully expressed in the Lun Lun’s Lullabye that she wrote a few days after Mei Lan’s birth. Since Lun Lun is presently taking care of her third cub, I thought is was even more appropriate to post the Lullabye again.
Lun Lun’s Lullabye
Hush, tiny Panda cub. Don’t you cry,
Mama’s going to sing you a Panda lullabye.
Here in my arms you’re as safe as you can be,
So sleep my little baby, and listen now to me:
Once upon a time in a land far, far away
I lay in my own mother’s arms, and I heard her say,
” You are a Panda, and this is who we are;
We walked the misty mountains, those both near and far.
” We followed the bamboo and drank from clear cold streams,
And we still do, but now only in our dreams.
” So smell the scent of Panda Home with every breath you take.
Remember it, and pass it on for every Panda’s sake.
” Soon you will leave me and have children of your own,
But wherever you go, child, remember Panda Home!
So here we are, my baby, and now I’m giving you
The scent of misty mountains, the smell of wild bamboo.
The taste of free, clean water that comes leaping down a stream,
Taste it all in my warm milk and dream the Panda Dream.
For someday, tiny baby, because of you and me
And other Pandas like us, all Pandas will be free.
They will walk the hills of China, and remember as they roam
That you, and I, and others, gave them back their Panda Home.
Now drink, and sleep, and listen, my tiny Panda child,
And dream of misty mountains and of living free and wild.
Moderator’s note: I sure miss Pamela G!
I miss her too, and hope she would have been happy to know that we are making some attempts and progress at reintegrating the pandas into the wild.
Me too!
Thanks for the cubbie in the snow pictures and Pamela G’s beautiful poem. Lovely Christmas presents indeed!
I too miss Pamela G. She had a wonderful way of expressing the inner thoughts we all share about our beloved pandas. I also miss the conversations amongst the panda family here and in China as they prepared for the the Christmas eve visit of the Panda King.
Merry Christmas SDZ staff, panda fans and pandas!
Love the post. So informative, and very well written. I want to smell Bai!!!!
Question ….if I missed someone’s post on this, forgive me……but the ZA cam/cub updates don’t even seem to exist today. Anyone know of a problem? Me being me, of course, I’m worried. (It’s my job!)
Merry Chirstmas to all my pandaholic buddies out there, to everyone at SDZ (your kindness to all of us attending the Panda Convention in March will never be forgotten), especially our special moderators, and an our precious pandas. Here’s to a healthy, happy 2011!
Linda / NorCal – I have had problems with their website all day as well, I even tried to call them but keep getting the automatic answering service. Please see my comment, 2 up from yours for an alternative to watch Lun Lun and Wee Lan, they are both doing fine, I believe the problem is with their website.
Linda, I’ve had a problem connecting with the ZA pandacam as well. I think the link is broken. Hope it’s fixed soon. Hdre’s a link from Danielle NY. She said in her post that we can watch the pandas on it.
www(dot)earthcam(dot)com/cams/georgia/atlanta/panda/index.php?cam=panda_static
It works great! Thanks Danielle.
Furthermore, pandafans, the Earthlink url that Danielle provided allows you to capture pandacam images just like the postcard feature that SDZ provides. I think I’m going to watch the AZ cam on this site from now on. Only thing is, we’d still have to go to the AZ site for the cub updates.
I read on ZA’s FB that they were running out of funds to run the cam. A couple of people commented on it but I didn’t see any actual statement from ZA themselves.
Thanks so much for your posts! Hopefully, you won’t see this until Monday.. as I hope our dear moderators are enjoying the Holidays.
Linda, I also can’t get the panda cam at AZ.Think it may have been affected by the terrible weather we’re having on the East Coast. Hope the pandas are having fun with the snow!
I went to Earth Cam (thanks Danielle!!) and that website did state that ZA doesn’t have the funding to continue to stream… I can’t even get to the ZA Panda Cam website anylonger to read the updates..
I tried Earth Cam a couple times this morning and it’s not coming up either… maybe can’t handle the additional traffic?
Dianna, I was able to log in at the AZ site and get both webcam and updates. So good to see little Wee Lan and mother looking good. I was also able to get Earth Cam up. So, looks like things are back to the usual at AZ. Oh man, if they have to stop the live streaming, we’re going to miss out on Wee Lan growing up!! That would be such a tragedy!
To add to the reply that I wrote following the comment posted by Panda Fan on December 23, 2010 at 11:59 AM, about the story claiming that Dong Dong was born in 1974, I found the video that Chet Chin put on September 16, 2007 on YouTube
“Great grandma Dong Dong” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJY4vgyz2X8
Please, read the comment under the video.
My first thought was, “An older version of Zhennie!” Now I see where Zhen got her looks.
Dong is beauty. I hope she lives many more years. Thanks for sharing Danielle.
Thanks, Danielle, one more comment to date Dong Dong’s birth in the 1980′s. So much for the theory that she is older than Pan Pan ~ she is actually a few years younger. Loved the video. She is a beautiful panda.
P.S. Merry Christmas to all Panda lovers worldwide, and wishing you a blessed and Happy New Year in 2011.
Merry Christmas – Happy Holidays Everyone, and to our beautiful pandas♥
Hi, Pandafan North! Hope you had a very nice Christmas weekend! Where did you get the news about National Zoo getting something together that will allow Mei Xiang and Tian Tian to stay in DC a few more years? I’ve checked the NZ website, their Facebook and Twitter pages, and nothing has been mentioned about that yet. So, I’m just wondering where the news source is about the 2 DC pandas. Let me know, ok? I’m hoping that the NZ people will write up an update or press release about Mei and Tian’s status. Will keep watching for that.
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
It was reported in the Washington Post that the lease on Mei and Tian has been TEMPORARILY extended as it expires 12/31/10. They will keep them at least through Mei’s next estrus cycle. It was also mention that it is the important research objective of the NZ to have cubs and that anytime a female fails to become pregnant through 4 cycles, it is less likely that she will become pregnant. They are focusing on Mei Xiang as the “problem” and not Tian. My UNEDUCATED guess is that we will see a swap-out of panda(s) if Mei does not get pregnant this year. This will be her 5th cycle after Tai Shan.
Oops–one more tidbit–they are hoping to announce the terms of a new long-term lease in January.
Hi Chari, it was in the Washington Post. I’m sure you’ll find it on their website.
Merry Christmas to everyone! News from Vienna, the door to the den is open now, you can watch cuttie Fu Hu, 4 months old, playing with Mommie Yang Yang
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwbHxUk5Vvs
He’s ornery!! Fuie is already chewing on the Mama’s ears!! She’s going to have a handful..
Has Fu Hu made his public debut yet?
Well, there was no official “public debut” for Fu Hu. The Panda house has been opened since several weeks. So everyone has/had the chance to have a look at the cubbie if he is in the “right position” in the den in the backstage area of the house. The little chubby sleeps a lot but also plays a lot with mommie Yang Yang. He sometimes leaves the den and plays in front of the den too. At Zoo Vienna the pandas are allowed to decide when to meet the visitors. So if you’re very very lucky you might be in the Panda house just in that moment when Fu Hu is going into the Panda house.
Weegee: I checked on Ah Ping last night and what did I see? 2 Keepers dressed up as Santa. CHK had a hat on (Marie.. how cute was he?) and the Zoo Head Guy (ZHG) had a microphone. Ah Ping was in her HUGE hammock (Yunnie is envious) and the Santas were tossing gifts into the crowd. This was in her outside exhibit. Ah Ping didn’t seem too concerned with all the activity since CHK was giving her snackies and keep wiping her down.. I don’t think she was THAT dirty..
So who were the Santas? Later on, I saw Tae (?) the Head Panda Guy (HPG) opening up Ah Pings Christmas gifts and he still had on his suit… I think he was enjoying himself… but I don’t know who the other one was… Keeper Ple? He would make a good Santa since he’s always so jolly…. Do how did the Royal Family celebrate their Christmas?? 
Tae is CHK and yes he looked very cute!
THe others were Ple, Mr. P and ZHG. Weegee has some captures up on Facebook with the names under them. Do you have a FB page?
http://www(dot)facebook(dot)com/home.php#!/album.php?fbid=128594340538141&id=100001627287339&aid=22357
Hi Marie… you know.. after I posted that I went to Weegee’s FB and there were all the answers to my questions… I always forget HPG’s name for some reason…. Oh.. today is Ah Ping’s birthday… I wonder if they had a celebration?
And I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL
and to all a good morning!
Hope Santa has filled everyone’s (including the beasties’) stockings with love and good cheer and lots of pressies.
Happy Christmas, to the most beautiful of pandas, their keepers and all who love and worship the black and white! Have a most joyous and happy day!
Love,
Kat from L.A.
Merry Christmas Everyone…thank you to the camera operator, you are doing a wonderful job!
Merry Christmas everyone!
Just wanted to show a funny little panda video:
“Pretty Panda”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ0NG5cUC1w&NR=1
Peace, Love and Pandas CIAO!
Annie Panda
Dear Panda Paws, Unkes and Aunties and non-panda uncles and aunties,
THANK YOU very much for making this the best Cwismas ever. I loved all the pwesents and tweats especially the toffee approws, candy canes and the toys. Mama says I can only pick one to play at a time. So I will play with my ukele then my drum set, then my toy car….
I got to play with Xi Lan, Ping and also the babies too. Gosh they are so tiny and innocent. They think they are going to drink mewk forever. I was telling them about approws and honey and how to avoid carrots, hee hee. Mama said I should not spoil it for them. I want to mentor them, I think that is the word. Just as cousin Tai and Mei Sheng Ge Ge spent time explaining stuff to me, I have to pass it on. Xi Lan will teach them how to play and how to manage the Mommie Monster.
Ping may be staying in Chiangmai for a few more years. She likes it there with her team of nannykeepers. They play with her, feed her and clean her. The last one I think is yucky. I like Mama to clean me especially after a roll in the mud. She says soon she will not touch me for a million bundles of boo. YES!
In 2011, I pwomise to come and greet as many unkes and aunties who come and visit me, Mama and Papa. I also pwomise to hewp train the nanykweepers. I have been teaching them how to lead me down the tunnels but they still need some hewp there. And in 2011, I pwomise to hewp to pwomote conservation and environmental issues. Extinct is forever. I wish that pandas will no longer be on the endangered species list. Please pway with me on this, ya?
Now and Always,
Yun Zi, Son of White Cloud and His Highness
You’ve got it, Little Cloud. You have such a good heart, how can people not want to help you with all of your projects. You are such a good boy — mostly!
Hi All, have you seen some very nice photoes of Zennie, Thai shan and others on pandalives on?
It’s wonderful to see that the our beloved girls are living well in their Chine Home ,and are free to meet other pandas.
merry xmas
Thanks, Claudia!
Hi!
Washington, DC is expecting more snow today which means that Mei Xiang and Tian Tian will have their snow fun. I’m hoping that it’s a lot more than the 2-4 inches they are saying that DC will get. These 2 pandas need alot of snow to slide on!
Been on both the NZ and SDZ pandacams, and no pandas are in cam shot. Then, I checked the NZ pandacams again, and there were Mei Xiang and Tian Tian sitting in their “private” spots outside eating their fruitcicles. Will check on all of them again later. Will also check in with the Memphis Zoo pandacam to see how Le Le and Ya Ya are doing.
To all of you that got your White Christmas, have fun! But, you got more snow coming your way!! Have fun, stay inside, and watch the pandacams! Anybody ready for a White New Year’s??
Will be back later on!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
We’re having quite a bit of snow here today, and it’s supposed to continue through tomorrow as well–wish the pandas could come and play!
It was so good to see new pictures of Su and Zhennie in the article Claudia mentioned above. I hope they get some snow to play in too!
Happy Holidays, all!
According to NY1, it’s the 6th largest snowstorm on record. It certainly is beautiful out and so far our street is unspoiled by snowplows. Hope it changes, just not too soon.
Yes, sun was out and beautiful. Even when wind gusts over 40 mph and snowdrifts over 30 inches.
Hope everyone had a nice Christmas and may all enjoy the New Year.
Meanwhile, if anyone is interested in voting for name of new panda cub in Zoo Madrid, here is pronunciation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBFG95sWu8U
Hello,
Merry Cwismas Yunnie and Xi Lan Ge Ges! I really enjoyed playing wid yew during the Panda Party on Sat. Hee Hee, you both made me laugh so much but I guess I am not called Laughing Tiger for nothing.
Mama is letting me run around but my nannykweepers still do not let me out. I see fine white powder outside and it looks yummy. AND I want to jump into it. WAY COOL eh?
So Yunnie and Xi Lan Ge Ges, please teach me how to escape from my kweepers. Not for always but just for enuf time for me to play wid the white stuff.
I tried calling my Ge Ge Fooey but it was night in China so he was sleepy and tired. He said you two Ge Ges have many tricks in your fur coats.
I know I am only four months old but I am looking forrrard to learning so much about being a panda from all my ge ges and of course my Mama and Papa.
Call me, K?
FU HU
I did some collages of Zhen Zhen, Mei Sheng, and Su Lin.
Enjoy!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bamboopanda/
Your collages are really good. Thanks for sharing them.
THANKS! Loved them.
Good work, Britney!!
Here are some collages I made of Zhen Zhen, Su Lin, Mei Sheng, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian. http://www.flickr.com/photos/bamboopanda/
Thank you Rita Petita and Dan Dan The Binary Man for letting me use your pictures in the collages.
Rita Petita
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ritapetita/
Dan Dan The Binary Man
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dan-lem2001/
These are really good Britney…
Conversation with Gao Gao #88
Tourist: Hello, Gao Gao.
Gao Gao: Hee hee. Hello, Mr. Tourist.
T: My, you seem rather excited.
G: Yup. Getting ready for New Year festivities.
T: New Year festivities?
G: Yeah, we’re going to have lots of activities.
T: What activities?
G: For one, there will be the Gourmet Bamboo Convention.
T: Bamboo convention?
G: There will be bamboo presentations from all over the world.
T: Now I see why you’re excited.
G: There will be bamboo culms, leaves, shoots…
T: Uh huh.
G: And don’t forget, breads, juice drinks, milk shakes, yogurt, kefir…
T: Getting exotic, huh?
G: Cheeses, butters, butter sculptures, cooking utensils, scaffolding…
T: Even getting structural?
G: Textiles, furniture, flooring, bicycles, motor vehicles, boats…
T: And what will you do with all those products afterward?
G: Since minimum requirement is palatability, we will feast at end of convention.
(In Bai Yun’s area)
Yun Zi: Mama, where did you get that cheese?
Bai Yun: It’s a gift from Sir Gao Gao, dear.
Y: May I smell it?
B: Yes, we may smell it together.
Y: Mmmm.
B: Smells like Sir Gao Gao standing before me.
Y: Right side up or handstand?
B: handstand.
(In Bifengxia)
Wu Jie: Hey guys, the reindeer are here, the reindeer are here.
Fu Long: Let’s get a move on, folks, we gotta hurry.
Wu Jun: Tai Shan is ready and at the sleighs.
F: Quick, load the thatch huts onto the back.
Wu Jie: I have the poi balls and faux roast pig.
Mei Sheng: I have the barbecue spits.
Hua Mei: I have the grass skirts and miniature umbrellas.
F: Can’t wait. A Hawaiian style luau at the New Years Gourmet Bamboo Convention.
M: I’m looking forward to the Olfactory Sensory Competition.
H: Me, too.
W,W: Us, 3 and 4.
M: May the best nose win!
(In Zoo Atlanta)
Wee Lan: Squeak (Mama)
Lun Lun: What, dear?
W: Squeak, squeak, squeak (May I enter the Olfactory Sensory Competition?)
(In Zoo Madrid)
Po: Squeak (Ha ha, I’m going to enter the Olfactory Sensory Competition.)
Twin Cubbie #2: Squeak (No, you’re not.)
Po: Squeak. (Yes, I will, my name was so short, the entry squeaked right in.)
Twin Cubbie #2: Squeak. (Well, then I’ll enter as Wee Zuiba.)
Po: Squeak (But that’s not one of the voting options.)
Twin Cubbie #2: Squeak (Nothing’s forever. Just you wait and see.)
Thanks P Wong!! Haven’t read anything by you for a while. This was really cute…
Lovely! So the pandas want to get out of the cold and have some sun. Hope they dont forget their sunglasses and sun screens.
Thanks P Wong! Loved it. I’ve missed your conversations with Papa Gao.
Daddy Gao Gao is turning into a black bear. He’s having fun rolling around in that dirt!
Woo-hoo! More stinky stuff to roll around in! Even Mr. Gao Gao is kicking up his heels and loving it. Would gladly send the pandas some of our 2′ of snow, but I guess the Loamex is even more fun because they can get dirty in addition to stinky. Play on, panda friends, play on!
Interesting!
To Dianna from Ohio, Danielle, NY, and LJ
Pandas begin experimenting with scent marking between 12 and 18 months of age. We don’t know, however, when the gland fully matures.
Body language is important during close encounters, but remember, the bears are typically solitary. They do most of their communicating long distance!