Yun Zi: A big boy now!
I’ve watched three pandas grow from tiny cubs to independent subadults before moving to their Chinese homeland in the time that I’ve worked at the San Diego Zoo’s Giant Panda Research Station. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly they are on their own—it’s not only their growth rate I’m speaking of, but their ability to problem solve and their skills as a bear.
This has really hit home more for me with Yun Zi. The first time he ever went out on exhibit, I was the one that put him outside. I can still remember that funny little cub taking almost 45 minutes to leave his den so that I could encourage him to walk outside. It never did end up happening that way! After trying to lure him out of the den for all that time, I ran out of time and had to pick him up and carry him out to the exhibit. It was an amazing morning for me, watching him explore his new exhibit and then watching him learn how to climb and move safely in the trees.
He learned quickly how to get what he wanted from his keepers; if he didn’t want to walk inside at the end of the day, he would pretend to be asleep and wait for one of us to carry him inside. Or if he wanted to stay out and didn’t want to go in or have one of us pick him up, he would roll around and get as dirty as possible, thinking that we wouldn’t pick him up if he were grubby. I will always miss those days with him!
Today, as I narrate at the Panda Station and watch him growing, I still can’t believe sometimes that a year ago I could still go in with him and clean his enclosure. Now 22 months old and weighing in at 126 pounds (57 kilograms), he is maturing so fast. Come see him before he gets too big!
Anastasia Horning is a panda narrator and relief keeper at the San Diego Zoo. Read her previous post, Panda Bai Yun: Is She?
Wonderful blog Anastasia. All the youngsters have had special ways to grab your attention and your heart strings. Because there have been 5 cubs born, to date, it would be such a joy to us pandaholics if other such antidotes could be written about each one since so many of the fans weren’t around for them all.
Lee, I am sure you meant anecdotes; I don’t think you want to be immune against those lovely cubs!!
Thanks Danielle. I am at work and just pop in here and there for seconds at a time and type. I have GOT to learn to proofread what I type. Then again, someone always has my back
as all kids they grow up but they have such good parents they will make all of us proud. an if bai is pregnant we will have another generation to watch grow an thrive. i love watching these little balls of fluff grow to cuddly mischievous bears. thanks for the new cameras they make watching them so exciting.
I will come see him soon, Anastasia! The end of July for the Black & White Overnight!! Can’t wait to check in on him again. It was March that I saw Yun Zi last and I am sure I won’t believe how much he has grown. Thanks for the post, Anatasia.
Anastasia: This is the feeling I’ve been having for some time now as I’ve I’ve watched Yun Zi grow from tiny, helpless cub to active sub-adult. It has amazed me to see his progress and time has flown since I first saw him in the den back in 2009. What a wonderful privilege you have watching these cubbies grow and caring for them too. How we all envy you!
Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
Great story Anastasia, I am sure you have memories to last you a life time.
I love the picture of Yun Zi, making sure we know he got all his teeth!!
After watching so many cubs growing up, I have come to learn that they are all individuals in their own rights with characteristics that makes each of them very special!!
I remember tuning into panda cam for the first time, it was the day after Yun Zi was born, it was all over the news and I just had to see for myself, have been hooked and addicted to the little guy ever since and I’m looking forward to maybe seeing another cub be born and grow up before my eyes. Boy oh boy I envy your job, you have the greatest job in the world, even the poop scoop part….
Such a nice blog. I too would like to read more of the keepers memories of taking care of the Goa family… in your spare time, right?
Yun Zi is my first Panda to watch from butterstick size… and I have to say it has been a wonderful learning experience. Thanks to our Moderator and the Nannykeepers who always take the time to answer our questions, and fellow bloggers who share their knowledge.
Moderator’s note: You’re very welcome, Dianna!
I to have watched Yun Zi grow. He was my first. Boy do you fall in love with those
little guys. I have been lucky to see the two girls before the left for china, but the
boy is a joy. I sure hope and pray that we will see another little cubie grow up.
lu from Sacramento.
beautiful memories, Anastasia… our sweet boy.
I watch these pandas a couple times a day and it amazes me how fast little Yun Zi has grown up. I hope Bai Yun is doing well and hopefully pregnant. She and Gao Gao make some beautiful cubs. I need to come back down to see the zoo again and everyone in it. What a great way to spend a day or a weekend! Thanks Anastasia for the blog.
Yun Zi is getting big, 57 kg!! I just compared it to the records I have for Xi Lan, at the same age Xi Lan was “only” at 46.5 kg (102 lbs).
Moderator, do you know when we could get another panda growth chart, the last one was posted on http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/2011/02/10/a-tuesday-at-pandas/ and was up to 540 days. If my calculation is correct, Yun Zi is now 686 days old…
Moderator’s note: I’ll ask.
Thanks!!
i *heart* yun zi – i wish i could visit more often but that’s not possible so i must settle for longing glances at the web cam…
i love gao gao and bai yun too… but yun zi – he’s adorable
I hope the “clever one” has reached his max on the instigator flow chart-oh, little funny Yunny. And how are all the keepers doing on your manipulation flow chart? All on track?
I have a wonderful math problem to work on now. Take Yun Zi birth to his weight today and figure the percentage of weight growth. Then compare a human’s growth percentage. What a fun time that will be.
Yes, watching Yun Zi’s antics are so fun. I can imagine him “convincing” you that he just couldn’t walk. What a manipulator he is!!!! But, who couldn’t resist picking up a baby Panda.
Reading this lovely blog makes me wonder what sorts of childhood memories Master Gao Yun Zi has? Does he remember being so little he could not make it over that step in the birthing den or his play bouts with Mama or his debut with all the pandarazzi recording his every move?
It is nice to have blogs and videos and FB pages to help us keep all these precious memories.
Have a great Panda filled weekend! I am praying for Mrs Mei Xiang, Mrs Lin Hui and of course Mrs Bai Yun that they will be blessed soon with little pink healthy buttersticks.
Here is a question that I hope the Panda Staff can answer…As of Monday, June 20th, Mei Xiang at the Smithsonian National Zoo, is now under 24-hour behavior watch. They have a team of volunteers that have been given special training on what to look for if Mei Xiang goes into labor and gives birth. Can you give us panda watchers a play-by-play as to what these trained volunteers will be looking for if that moment comes? For obvious reasons we all would like to partake in this knowledge if and when that time comes (not only for Mei Xiang) but for Bai Yun. You are our most valued caretakers when it comes to being a part of the Pandas lives to make sure they are safe and sound. A very HUMBLE thank you!!!
Moderator’s note: It’s best to refer to that zoo’s website info. We wish Mei Xiang all the best during this exciting time!
Kat, you may want to try this website, it stated that it comes from the San Diego Zoo
Pregnancy Record-Keeping System (San Diego Zoo)
http://www.giantpandaonline.org/research/protocol_articles/123pregnancy.htm
Thank you Moderator & Danielle!!!
It’s 10pm EDT tonite, and Yuni is in his big green hammock eating his boo! It’s been awhile since I’ve seen Yuni in that hammock. He’s usually hiding in his favorite nap spot or high up in a tree. He has grown up alot over the last year, and it has been amazing to watch Yuni grow, develop, make his milestones, and just give us so much enjoyment while we watch him either in person at SDZ or on the pandacam. Can’t believe that he’s 22 months old and 126 pounds already! He’ll be 2 years old in August!! Where did the time go to? It’s flown by way too quick! Yuni is always adorable and fun to watch!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
I too have watched Yunnie grow from a crying butter stick to his present size. I watched him for hours and hours and played all the videos five or six times trying to learn the behaviours.I had favorites,,thank you many more times Doxie Mom, and then I included Su Lin and Zhennie. What a beautiful bear Su Lin.was. Zhennie won my heart with her antics and her birthday cake was all I could have wished for. And the way she put her boo in the water to refresh it.I cried buckets when they left. And worried and watched more times Yunnie so I could also remember his baby days.
How could anyone not love these bears, from born to travel to a strange country.
Thank you all again for giving me these days.
Moderator’s note: If you haven’t seen it yet, you’ll enjoy the video of Yun Zi’s formative years we put together: Baby Panda Grows Up.
I loved this blog post. I cannot wait to see Yun Zi at the end of July. Watching him on the panda cam will not compare to seeing him in action
Dear Anastasia, our Yun Zi will never be “too big”. He’s our darling for life and personally, I rather like the similarities he’s said to have with his grandfather, ‘the great Pan Pan’. It’s his right to grow into a fine, large panda and I think one day, after he’s become an adult and fathered many cubs, someone will refer to him as ‘the magnificent Yun Zi’. Or something along those lines…
How often does Bai Yun have her thermal imaging, can you see anything yet?
Do you have plans on giving the Panda’s snow to play in this summer?
Moderator’s note: No “snow” in the forecast.
I can’t believe he is going to be 2 very soon. Time has flown! I enjoyed the video “baby panda grows up”. You did not warn us we needed a box of tissue when viewing the video
Going to see you again real soon Yun Zi!
Moderator’s note: I did, too, but I thought is was just me being sentimental!
I am so thrilled to have watched all our pandas (my 6th since Tai Shan) grow up…thank you to all the keepers/nannies/narrators, and all the panda fans who post the videos and just plain information…my best to you all…happy Canada Day and 4th of July…I believe we are ‘global’ and our animals show us best (I watched a black footed ferret reintroduction special and wondered if any of them were ones I had watched grow up from the breeding program).
what fun, Yun Zi playing in his shavings, throwing his bucket all over the place and then playing the the water, he’s such a joy to watch, thank you SDZ
Yunnie’s gone wild–he played with the shavings in the tub and now he’s splashing in the pool and zooming around and doing acrobatics in the trees–like Zhennie used to do. What was in those shavings anyway?
Moderator–I’m getting the same flashing effect on the cam when I try to skip the intro video as I did with the last one. I would communicate directly with the engineer again, but I’ve lost his e-mail address.
So good to be able to see the pandas up close–but is it foggy in SD today?
Thanks!
Moderator’s note: Thanks for letting us know about your viewing issue, Frances. Our provider is looking into it. And yes, it’s a bit overcast today.