Yun Zi: a busy young man!
It was a beautiful and sunny day at the Giant Panda Research Center at the San Diego Zoo on Saturday, July 2. Yun Zi was quite active. The keepers placed ice in his pond and hid some biscuits and bamboo among the dozens of cubes. He had a blast sprawling all over it, searching for his treats. At one point Yun Zi picked up a large piece of melted cubes and placed it on top of his chest. He tried to break it by biting it. Realizing it wasn’t working out so well, he placed the ice on top of his head. It finally broke in two pieces behind him. He then decided to try a somersault in the ice, but that didn’t go well, either! For the rest of the afternoon he sat in his hammock and ate bamboo.
Gao Gao took a well-deserved nap on top of his water dish. Some guests thought he was drinking from it, and they didn’t believe me when I told them he was sleeping. He couldn’t wait for the keeper’s arrival so he could eat more bamboo. Once they replenished his supply, he was as happy as can be, sitting in his pond and eating his meal.
Alyssa Medeiros is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo. Read her previous post, Panda Excitement.
I would have loved to had seen him with it on his head,I watched him play with it but missed the chest and head part, darn….. what a funny guy to watch, I get so much enjoyment from him and his Mom and Dad
It was pretty hot where I live too, so the idea of sitting in a pond and eating sounds sort of enjoyable to me too:)
Lovely blog – wish I could have seen the action. Had difficulty finding the blog. Not available when clicking above blog for “Black & White”. Got it another way thankfully.
Any chance you have a video of Yun Zi’s exploits?
Moderator: there is a mistake in the link for this blog posted beside the pandacam.
Moderator’s note: Error corrected
Let us all think positively for great video from DoxieMom—-she is really good at getting just the right views (and we will watch them from anybody else too), and that Rita Petita/Mollie was there-camera in hand, with Yunior doing his best “Ice Block Head” poses, just for her. I will be checking Rita Petita’s Flikr photo page right after I finish reading the rest of this Blog…..Love Grammmie
Sounds like a very enjoyable day, indeed! Thanks Alyssa.
I would have loved to see all this Alyssa. Thank you for the blog, as now we can all visualize it.
And when I looked in on Saturday night, Gao Gao was seated on the Stone Throne eating away. It was very sweet.
I saw Yun Zi sleeping on his water fountain for a long time.
Its warm and much more humid than usual for San Diego. Sounds like the animals all need ice and water pools to romp in.
Nothing like a tub of ice to cool the senses and lift the spirits! I guess you have quite a noggin, Yun-Master of the Artful Yet Agonizing Sport of Cube Splitting. Your talents keep taking on more and more dimension-in this case 3-D!
Memoirs of an Almost 2 year old Cubby – My 100 days
The first 100 days of life was so idyllic (I had to look up this word, heh) as I lay on my Mama’s tum tum and suckled and she would do her diaper checks (quite embarrassing some times. I started to explore the den. I tried to climb over the step but I couldn’t. I did no try very hard as Mama said I was too little and had to wait. I am a patient laid back kind of guy so I waited till my paws grew longer and stronger.
When I was born, my Mama called me her precious child or Bao Beh. So every time she bleated my name, I would run to her. And she would hug me or feed me. Sometimes though she would place me on her back feetsies and twirl me around. Wheeeee, I had my own roller coaster ride. Silly Mama!
Once in a while, Mama would hold me up to the camera so the hoomans could see me better. She had found out that many uncles and aunties love to know how I was growing. Some of them wrote her nice emails to wish me well. Papa had to download them for her as she had her paws full with me and the boo she had to eat to get strong again. Later he bought her an iPAW.
Mama took lots of healthy tonics and she would also eat fruits so my milk was really yummy. I love my milk bar with its 6 outlets. I could feed 24/7 but sometimes Mama will pretend and roll over me. Once I thought ‘Oh No, I am going to be flattened and I squealed.’ Mama laughed so hard she rolled all over the enclosure.
During my first 100 days, the hoomans suggested all sorts of names for me. ‘Diego’ – I sound like a pirate or a cowboy or ‘Gao Zi’ which sounds like a dumpling. Mama says I am a dumpling. No, I am not. I am a growing cubby and a small subadult now. My name was selected out of 5 names shortlisted. Many people voted. I saw Papa voting too. He said he voted for Yun ZI as he loves Mama very much and wanted me to have her name. He got all his Panda Book friends to vote for Yun Zi too. Hee Hee.
I am glad I was called Yun Zi as I love my Mama very much. Many people and pandas say I look like her but a more handsome version. Ahem. Do not get me wrong, I do love Papa but I think his name is unique – Gao Gao – and he is tall in presence and in character.
However, Mama and Papa say that in their eyes I am still Bao Beh to them – a treasure. Hee Hee, I like that. Babies and cubbies are treasures to their Mamas and Papas.
[To be continued.]
Dearest Yunnie,
I know you are now a sub-adult panda, but to me you will always be dear Yunnie, indeed a treasure.
I remember those 100 days too. I will never forget seeing you sitting in the threshold looking at your reflection. Also seeing you pick up a leaf and examining it for a great long time.
So many good memories.
Yun Zi will always be “Yunior” to me.
I have no recollection who came up with that name and some do not appreciate that I call him Yunior I think it suits him just fine.
Moderator’s note: I believe it was my wonderful deputy moderator
Dear Panda Stalker Lady aka Aunty Weeta,
You can call me anything you want. I wonder if any auntie has tried to compile all my names for me. I would love to see that list. Hee Hee.
Yun Zi
I bet we all have favorite memories of of Darling Yuniors first days.
I remember one night, when you were not supposed to be out of the den at all, but you managed to fall out of the door. I think you, me and Queen Bai Mama were the only ones up at 2 or 3 in the morning (Yunni Time) and watching at the time. Mama was taking a nap elsewhere, and you could not get out of her bedroom, and were safe—but I could not go to sleep until I knew both of you were okay. Mamma came looking for you in the den—-searched it very well, even moving the floor covering. She finally dashed—in a panic—to the bedroom and found you sound asleep on the floor—the only place you could be. She brought you back to the den, fed you, and I think stood guard over you the rest of the night. She sure had a paniced look on her face when she could not find you in the den, and probably had a stern talk with you about how to keep proper Panda hours. I really miss the time it was just us three in the quiet early morning hours—-now it just seems to be you and me…..Love Grammmie
Yun Zi was born exactly 700 days ago!! Another 30 days before his second birthday…
To me you willl forever be “Prince Fluffy Butt” The First…Love Grammmie
YunZi, you are precious. Thanks for this rendition of memoirs. Very cute. But I think you are not so good at math. Mommy’s milk bar only has 4 outlets. That’s okay. Your cuteness makes up for it.
I remember when he was “El Cinco de Bayo.”
Sweet days. More to come in August, I hope!
Dearest Yunnie,
Your memoirs are a delight to read. And they bring back memories of long nights spent watching you through the panda cam and marvelling at the miracle of you. However, one thing you said has puzzled me. You said, ” I love my milk bar with its 6 outlets.” 6 outlets? I’ve always thought panda milk bars had 4 outlets. Can you confirm this for your fans, please?
Love,
pandafan-north
Hee Hee, Mama chided me for that mistake. Only 4 outlets. Sometimes I go to and fro outlets so I lose count. Sorry.
Yun Zi
That is o-kay sweetie….we all say or do something silly now and then—-we just love hearing your sillies because you are so cute and loveable….just like your Auntie Lucilla, and we know that from the photos taken by Auntie Weeta
Thanks, Alyssa! I miss the pandas already. Good seeing you last week and thank you for your thorough and funny narrations!
Every day would be beautiful day at the panda’s home, there is always something new
every day, no matter if it is Dad, Mom or that Boy. He is a trip to watch.
Thanks for the update Alyssa, your staff it great.
lu
Yun Za has never outgrown his playfulness. Hs mama scored a soccer goal too one day with her ball. This morning Po got the Pearls toy. I am so reminded of the cautious way something new in the area was approached by the little ones! Another inbred behaviour? They approach from far away, and at all sides,not too close. When it , the toy or whatever remains stationary, they get closer and closer and then approach directly, mostly with chewing or touching. it is fantastic to watch! Their caution! And I remember the pool toy of Yunnie. He even fought his mama over it! But he approached it the same way. Now it is his favorite toy and he goes into the water! How much we learn! Thank you all for the cams.
The flood and land slides that China is having now, is it close to where the panda’s are? I sure hope not? The note on the first 100 days is great.
lu
Unfortunately, it is close to Wolong. The pandas at Hetaoping, the center for the reintroduction program, said all their pandas are safe but due to difficulties in transportation due to landslides on roads, getting bamboo is more difficult. Driving to Chengdu takes between 13 and 15 hours, normally it takes 3 hours. Their communication and power was restored fairly quickly.
One wild male giant panda, aged about 10, was found on Tuesday, he probably drowned. He was transported to Wolong where an autopsy was performed, confirming that his lungs were full of water.
Moderator: I was wondering if you could answer a question for me. I know the SDZ keeps the Panda’s separated because the are solitude bears. I was looking at the National Zoo site and they mentioned on their “learn about” that the pair are together most of the day. I know not right now because she might be pregnant. So, if the NZ has the male/female together all the time doesn’t that go against what nature is meant them to be? I’m very confused about the keep together and keep apart philosophy! I know that both Panda’s at the NZ are very close in age, Hope you can explain why some keep the bears apart and some keep them together.
Panda Team responds: The National Zoo’s bears have been companions since they were very young in Wolong. Bai Yun would never tolerate having Gao Gao as a snacking buddy. Temperament is a very important factor in social pairings in captivity.
thanks so much, appreciate the information, that’s what I figured because they were born in same place and are very close in age. No, I suppose Bai Yun wouldn’t tolerate Gao Gao eating all her boo, that boy can certainly eat.
I might add, the NZ bears area “allowed to visit” each other by opening the doors between their separate yards, usually at mating season. If one is aggressive to the other, they are separated and door closed. At night, they go into their own enclosures; they do not share bedrooms.
I read about occassional exceptions to “Panda Rules” all the time. It might be anything from what they might eat, how they treat their young or “living” with their mate, and still managing to mate naturally. Those things are EXCEPTIONAL, but fun to contenplate or watch but they are exceptional. Much study of Pandas in the wild was done before San Diego ever got their Panda Family, and SDZ tries it’s best to keep things the way they normally are in the wild. On the other hand us “hoomans” try to relate how they relate to each other like we do to each other. Lots of us get those feelings out and part of our lives by the stories we tell each other. I love this blog, and our Pandas—-and I would swear they read the blog and comments every day, but are not on our net, so they cannot write to us….we do that for them too. Sometimes I really think I am speaking for them……..Love Grammmie
Yang Yang and Lun Lun were brought up together but they do not mate naturally. Lun Lun has AI. Sperm from Yang Yang but apparently they do not want to mate? But they don’t! Maybe that is the reason. Do the Washington bears mate? Yes, it can be confusing. Our darling Su Lin picked her own!!!
She always had her own way!
The “solitary bear” approach may also be a factor in the breeding success of our bears. Who wants to have sex with your playmate? According eyewitness reports, the National Zoo’s male hasn’t mastered the physical mechanics of breeding. I strongly suggest that Gao Gao develop some “how to” videos for his bear brethren.
And would Goa and Bai set up “councilling” so they may help some Pandas having dificulties???? Dr. Gao and Dr. Bai could Teach “Great Mating For Success”, and Yunior could teach “Raising Your Baby Brother or Sister” for other young Pandas joining the Let’s Help Mama Movement” he is sure to start if Mama presents him with a baby to work with this summer. If fees or tips came their way I bet they would present them to the best Panda Helping Fund—except the Treats and Boo…..they might be talked into using those themselves….Love Grammmie
P. S. Just a thought—-they could make an “R” rated movie and sell big screen equipment to zoos wishing to get a good look.
I have a feeling I am going to be bad today.
R u all referring to the National Zoo in Washington, DC? If so Mei and Tian are only together during the summer time of last year for a little bit when they were outside with the exception of this year because she may be pregnant. Majority of the time, they are kept separated and are able to see each other at the howdy door outside that keeps them separated. As far as them being together all the time, I am not aware of this and watched their web cam faithfully. Yes Tian is still “learning” how to master breeding but we are hoping that this year will be a success.
Has anybody heard, Moderator, how Su Lin is doing in Hetaoping? Do you have any idea if she is nearing a birthing window? One of the articles about the flooding and landslides near Hetaoping said that “three of the pandas are close to give birth”. Thank you for any info that you are able to pass along!! I know how much the Chinese keepers care for the pandas as was proven by the 2008 earthquake and aftermath, so I am not overly worried about her.
But I am curious as to how soon she may give birth; and this latest disaster certainly could be seen as stress inducing ~ both to Su Lin, AND to us pandaholics!!
Moderator’s note: Again, please remember that we don’t know for certain whether she is pregnant, we only know that she bred.
We do know now because Susie gave birth yesterday!
She had twins. One was stillborn, sadly, but the other one is doing fine, as far as I’ve read. Bless her and her little baby.
I thought it was about time!! Thank you Marie. I guess the storms and the flooding weren’t a deterrent to her giving birth. Yayyyyy!!!!
Ya Hooooooo!!!! Good for you Su Lin – a little bit of something very cute. How wonderful that you as the namesake of the first Panda taken from China to the USA have now had a baby Panda. This is such wonderful news.
A few minutes ago there was not much action on the PandaCam, so I took a rare (for me) look in on the Ellies—-they have a great idea….two of them just nead some soap to have a bubble bath together….Love Grammmie
I watch the ellies for a while every evening. The kids always have so much fun, especially in the pool! They make me smile.
Nice to see you Marie—I am a Canadian girl (okay old lady) who lives close enough to the SDZ to have visited live Pandas many times, but only saw the first pair we had here for a short visit—and because my hubbies health did not go well then and he wanted to avoid the sun and crowds, we used the binoculars for a closeup from way up the hill. We spent namy days with our kids, and sometimes just the two of us at our zoo—it is much more magical than you can imagine from what the cams show. The first live Elephant I saw was at the Zoo in Toronto—-where I lived to the age of 11 in 1957—-When visiing SDZ for the first time I was blown away by the enclosures we have. I will check in on the Ellies more often….Love Grammmie
Grammmie- I Iove to read your blogs-you have such a way with words and feelings for our panda buddies. To me, Yunnie will always be the Itty-Bitty Wonder Boy.
Thank you, Kathy, I enjoy participating—and of course—watching the PandaCam. I started to write this earlier, as a reply to you, but hit a worng button, then ended up posting as a new comment. I had hoped to only spend a few minutes catching up, after my doctor’s appointment yesterday my son and I went to the casino….and I did more walking at one time than I have done for 3 years—–I will soon be able to leave the wheelchair behind as I keep getting better.
Heck this is the time I am developing hope of visiting Bai, Gao, Yunni and any other little pink things that come along soon—-in person. Because of the hills involed I think I will rent one of those motorized roll alongs to make it up and down the hills—having hope is fun.
Pandas—wash up, perk up those ears you may meet Grammmie this year…love Grammmie
Moderator’s note: Grammmie, we also have a shuttle for those who need help in getting around the Zoo. We hope you can come soon!
Thank You Moderator—I will look up more information on the zoo’s information page….Love Grammmie
I think we need a count on just how many “NickNames” he has. I have not done a count lately—-but even I do not use just one.
Be sure, when you have time, to check out the names he is called on Rita-Petita’s Flikr……the comments there are fun too…….and made by many old friends,,,,Love Grammmie
Treat yourself to a Happy 4th of July from Yun Zi through Rita Petita’s Flikr page, he was having a good time using both Papa’s old enclosure, and Momma’s too….he had both of them for the day I guess, but got busy with posing as soon as he heard the Clilck of Mollie’s camera, and the whisper of her voice. Love Grammmie
Checked the NZ panda page and pandacams, and Mei Xiang was in her den snoozing. No signs of any labor yet, tho. She’s keeping us guessing, that’s for sure! I’ll keep on checking the pandacams to see if she has had any behavior changes towards giving birth to a cub. Usually when the staff sees that she is in labor for a period of time, they will shut down the pandacam until she has given birth, so I’ll be watching for that as well. I just don’t want to read that word “psuedopregnancy” about Mei this time around. She really needs to be a mom again!
Also looked in on Tian, and he was really funny tonite. Tian was eating his boo on one side of the rock structure indoors, stood up to scratch an itch, then he shuffled off to the other side of the rock structure to dig into the other pile of boo and start eating them. I think he’s like Gao Gao when it comes to eating boo! He just loves to eat!
Keep your fingers crossed for Mei, you all!
I think we all can dream of Bai being pregnant even tho we don’t know for sure if she is or not. Bai has been so consistant about becoming pregnant and having baby pandas over the years that we all can’t think of anything else about her because she has been so successful. Like I said before, I feel that I and all of us pandafans will be totally shocked if Bai did not have a cub this year for the first time in years! So, we are all thinking positive about Bai and praying for her to have her sixth baby panda this summer!
After reading about Gao and Yuni, I think those 2 boys can be as hilarious as they can get, especially Yuni! At least that block of ice was there to cool off Yuni when he needed some natural A/C!
Gonna go for now. Will keep checking in on Mei, and I’ll be back later on!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
Hi! I checked the cameras this evening and they are shut off so I hope this means the birth of a little panda. Mei has been craddling her ball in her nest for a couple of days and holding it like it was a baby. Hopefully we will have some news soon. Glad to see others are hoping for Mei to have a little one too.
I agree with you,,this year Mei needs to have a cub…..I keep watching hours on end,, but it pains me (in a good way) to think that times she just sits in that position, looks down and states to the little unborn one “o.k, its time now you can come out to me and the world”. I dont have my hopes up yet,,,,theres still time to have that cute cub…
Just want to take a minute to wish Bai Yun’s granddaughter and my wild child, Hao Hao, a very happy 2nd birthday.
And such wonderful news about Su Lin and her cub. Hope they thrive and the cub grows big and strong. Congratulations to our new bit of something special.
Are all of the “Out Of China Cousins” having a party to celebrate the birth?? They can get on a web cam so Su can enjoy it too….but I do not think she will be up for singing just yet—–ZZ and Princess Lin Ping will just have to recruit another for the Panda Girls group. Yunni and his band of the boy Cousins can play for them—-the families will all dance tonight…..Love Grammmie
OMG..Su Lin gave birth!!!! She’s a momma!!!
Congratulations SDZ : “Su Lin” is mom !
www dot chinapanda dot org dot cn/blog.php?id=860
Alice and all of you superdoopers finders. I cannot get any of the news reports with my computer, not allowed google-firewalls? anyway, I will try pandas live on and hope you all keep us up on the news. i am sorry for the death! hurts me as if it were a child! I am so glad for, so glad for SU Lin, she will have someone to care for!! And a beautiful copy. Thanks all for the news!
sending love!
Me again moderator, this is the article on the BFX web page this morning. It sounds like she gave birth to twins but only one survived. If you run this page through Google translator you can read it..not the greatest translation but perhaps by the time you read this – you will have already have the details!
www (dot) chinapanda.org.cn/blog.php?id=860
I just read on Facebook that Su Lin gave birth to the first cub of 2011 on July 7.
The link is /www(dot)chinapanda(dot)org(dot)cn(slash)blog.php?id=860.
Memoris of an almost 2 year old Cubby – My Year of Living Dangerously, Hee Hee, but seriously…
In my first year, I really really enjoyed all my play bouts with Mama. She was so creative and she would tell me stories and we would act them out. I loved it when she would pretend to be a huge tank and knock me off my perch. Once she did it by mistake and I fell very far. I lay on the ground in shock and could not move. Mama screamed and she ran so fast to pick me up. She was scared. That was the only time she was frightened for me. All of us cubbies, AJ, Ping Ping and I love rough housing with Mama. I would attack Mama’s perfectly round ears (Hee Hee she wants to trademark that phrase so we have to use it everytime we talk about her ears, she is so vain) and I would also pretend to attack her tushie.
I loved staying in our den at first but I was excited about moving outside to explore, Many hoomans were worried that I was slow and may not develop well. My jie jie Susie was very reassuring and told me to take my time to enjoy my childhood and that each cubby must find their own way. That is why we are all great friends but Ping, AJ and I have different personalities.
My Mama prepared me for my debut (I had to look up this word too). Zhen Zhen told me to smile and wave and be myself. I was shy. Mama told me to just be myself. Many of the pandarazzi wanted to interview Mama but she felt it was my day so she directed their attention to me. It was funny seeing my name and picture in the papers and on TV. Susie made a scrapbook for me. She gave it to me as a farewell present before she left for China. I miss her and Jie Jie ZZ. But I know one day I will go to China and meet my Forever Princess, unless the zoo brings her to me here. Woo Hoo…hee hee, Mama says I am too young yet to be thinking of my Forever Princess. I know my Forever Princess must have perfectly round ears and a sweet smile and fluffy cheeks. Papa told me size does not matter and he should know.
[To be continued.]
I have a questionfor the Panda Team. I don’t think I ever saw asked before (if it was, my apologies). Is there anything in the foodchain that is dangerous for pandas to eat? A friend and I were discussing how chocolate is dangerous for dogs and it got me wondering about pandas. Thanks.
Moderator’s note: Your question has been forwarded to the Panda Team.
It appears that Su Lin has given birth to twins at Hetaoping. It appears that one is healthy and one was stillborn.
This is a beautiful day indeed!! This morning Su Lin giving birth to twins, the second cub was stillborn. Today at 5 AM “Su Lin” began having contractions, at 10:10 breaking the amniotic fluid and at 12:36 gave birth to her first cub in the wild stone nest in the training of field. Since this is the first time that she is facing a cub on the ground, “Su Lin” seemed a bit confused, about three minutes later, a strong maternal instinct, and “Su Lin” took up the baby in her arms. Cubs loud and clear voice, visual appearance of a healthy cub. At 13:12, the second cub was stillborn, the staff immediately removed the second cub, it was discovered it was not yet fully developed, weighing only 40 grams.
chinapanda (dot) org.cn/blog.php?id=860
Oh Danielle, just read your account of the birth! Hooray! Cannot do this alone! No google, yahoo gives me pages and pages and one called belly fat! omg! I am so excited!
Thank you all,again!
‘MAMA! MAMA! I have good news! Jie Jie Su….’ Yunnie is yelling as he rushes to his Mama’s resting spot. She holds out a paw, signalling to him to keep quite.
‘Yes, dear! You clean the baby by using your tongue and make sure you get the area around the eyes. Hold him close to the body as it is very cold until the body grows fur….’
Yun Zi grins as he know his Mama is speaking with a new Mama, his sweet sister Susie.
‘And you must keep your strength up and eat more boo as he will be depending on you for milk for the next one and half years…..yes, it hurts when the teeth come….now it is more ticklish….Don’t let him get wet or he will catch a cold….’
Yun Zi starts texting Ping, AJ and his pal Fu Hu and the Madrid twins. Soon they were sending messages of congratulations. Soon his Mama hands the phone to him.
‘JIE JIE, NING HAO!…hee hee, I know you are not deaf….I am soooooo happy and excited….I am an uncle, YAY YAY!….Hmmm, OK, I will send him some of my bedtime story books, you can read to him. Mama read them to me and the stories are fun; Bearbin Hood and his merry bears is a good one….Jie JIe, I will try to come and see you once I help Mama with her baby…we wont know till much later….Bye Bye, love you!’
When Yun Zi turns he sees his Mama is tearing. ‘Mama, what’s wrong?’ asks the concerned little bear.
‘Mama is just so overjoyed and so overwhelmed that another of my girls has become a Mama….not so long ago she was just this tiny bear…where has all the time gone….I am also a little sad cos the twin was stillborn….It is for the best, it was too small….Su was sad too but she has to give all her attention to the one who lives.’
Yun Zi siddles up next to his Mama and he holds her paw. She turns and smiles as he grins and plants a kiss on her fluffy cheek.
More, More, More….we love these…Love Grammmie
Sweet Su Lin has given birth!! Apparently, she gave birth to twins, but the second one was stillborn. I am sooooooo excited and proud of Su Lin and the San Diego Zoo!
news (dot) xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-07/07/c_13972118.htm
Su Lin has a cub!!!
She gave birth to twins but one did not survive. 
Here is the link:
china.org(dot)cn/environment/2011-07/07/content_22944495.htm?amp
Isn’t it exciting, Laurie?! Now if Mama Bai also has a cub this year………
Here is the news about Su Lin giving birth to her cubs in English
news(dot)xinhuanet(dot)com/english2010/china/2011-07/07/c_13972118.htm
Found nothing but pages and pages of news about all but Sun LIN-To Danielle
va spiegler
Virginia, the link still works fine for me. You have to replace the (dot) by actual .
news(dot)xinhuanet(dot)com/english2010/china/2011-07/07/c_13972118.htm
breaking news..Sulin gave birth to one healthy cub on 7th 12:36pm ( china time).
Congratulations to Su Lin on the birth of her first of many cubbies! Hope they both have happy, safe and free, and long lives. I love you Su and your little one.
Gao Gao is a Granddad and YunZi is an Uncle! Yippee!
It’s definitely a beautiful Panda Day. Congrats to first time Mom Su Lin. Can’t wait to see pictures of your cubbie.
I just knew she was close to a birthing window!!! The dates all added up!! Good girl, my sweet Su. Oh how exciting!! Su is a mama.
I give up. Used a link butfound everything for pages and pages but the news of Su Lin! Is there anything even closer to reality for computer duds like me????
Please someone advise!
Be sure to replace the (dot) in any of the links with a . and try Danielle’s links again.
Exciting news from China. Giant panda gives birth in rain-soaked SW China
CHENGDU, July 7 (Xinhua) — A giant panda gave birth to a cub, which was said to be the first one in the world this year, on Thursday in rain-battered Sichuan Province.
The panda, nicknamed “Su Lin,” produced the cub at 12:36 p.m. at a semi-wild training ground in the Wolong Giant Panda Protection and Research Center, said its feeder.
Several hours later, the panda delivered a second but stillborn cub, according to the feeder.
As continuous heavy rains and mudslides damage roads and electric power facilities in Wolong, workers have been using diesel generators to ensure power supply for the center.
Su Lin was born at the San Diego Zoo in the United States in August 2005. The panda was transferred to the Bifengxia breeding base in the city of Ya’an in Sichuan in September 2010. In mid-June, the pregnant panda was released into the semi-wild training ground in Wolong to give birth there.
news (dot) xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-07/07/c_13972118.htm
Congratulations to all SDZ Godparents and Panda Family. I’m so happy
Yes, NZ panda Mei Xiang is definitely keeping us guessing. Still spending a lot of time in her den sleeping and still see her doing a lot of paw-licking and cradling objects. Aren’t these sure signs she’s pregnant?
Sadly they are not, Mei has shown these behaviours during her last 2 pseudo pregnancies. The only difference I’ve seen is her den is filled with much more boo than the past 2 years and I have seen some AG licking which I didn’t see last year.
Tai was born on July 9th though so you never know, she may yet surprise us yet. The last post NZ did sounded like she may have hit baseline and they said she was leaving the den alot but since they posted that she’s been velcroed to her den..lol! I expect Mei will do things in her own time if she does give birth. I’m rooting for her too!
I read the latest post on the NZ site about Mei leaving her den more, but I don’t see it. I check in regularly throughout the day on the panda cam and Mei is always in that same corner of her den. Once in a while I’ll see her sleeping on the platform.
KKJ, get on the National zoo website and read their July 8 update about Mei Xiang on the panda page. I’ve been watching her quite a bit, and she’s been pretty restless over the last several hours. PRAY!!! I’m hoping for Mei!!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
Congratulations to Grampy Gao , Grammy Bai, and Unka Yunni on the birth of their newest family member! I cannot believe that my Susie is a mommy; it seems like only yesterday she was a little pink squirming cub herself. Everyone at SDZ who had a hand in Su Lin’s growth and care while she resided at your wonderful zoo must be thrilled!
wow, that’s the best news for Su Lin, I’m sure she’s going to be a great mommy. her Mommy taught her well.
Moderator: is there anyway we could access pictures
news (dot) xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-07/07/c_13972118.htm
There are some great photos of Su Lin
Where are there photos?
Panda’s International has announced that Su Lin has given birth to twin cubs today! Unfortunately, the 2nd cub was stillborn. Still – congrats are in order! Great job Su!
Our Su gave birth?! I’m so surprised! and twins, too. Well, they were twins.
oh, this is the most exciting news. I am so proud of Su Lin and I know that the SDZ keepers are jumping for joy. You all did a fantastic job helping Bai raise her and you should all be glowing with pride. I know Su Lin will be a good mom and cant wait to hear if is a boy or girl. I wonder though, when this cub is old enough if it will be released back into the real wild.
CONGRATULATIONS, SU LIN!
“sniff” tears of joy for Su Lin, but sadness for the still born cub….Congrats to Gao And Bai Yun for being grandparents, especially for Gao, to uncles Mei Sheng and Yunnie, and aunties, ZZ and Hua Mei! God bless all the pandas!
I just got an email from Panda International and Su Lun had twin cubs but unfortually one was still born. But the other hopefully is just fine congrats to her and her new cub.
I would have loved to see Yunior with ice on his head, or Gao asleep with his head in the water. It sounds hilarious!
Yun Zi didn’t have the ice on his head, but close enough http://www.flickr.com/photos/nekomama7/5911016211/in/photostream/
Gao Gao was eating on dry land http://www.flickr.com/photos/nekomama7/5911059231/in/photostream/
But Bai Yun was in her pool http://www.flickr.com/photos/nekomama7/5908191888/in/photostream/
Moderator’s note: Great photos! I hope they are entered in our Panda Photo Contest!
those are wonderful pictures, looks like you can reach out and touch them, and Gao has a deer in the headlight look, so sweet.
Wonderful Photos…Love Grammmie
I also got my Pandas International email newsletter today, and I was very surprised to read that Su Lin has given birth to 2 cubs, and I was very proud of her!! YEA!!!
I was also saddened that her 2nd cub didn’t make it, tho. But, Su has her one cub to take care of, and I know that she will do a great job being a first time mom! It took her about 3 minutes for her maternal instincts to kick in, but being a mom for the first time, that’s understandable, and she picked up her cub and started her career as a mom after that. And, she gave birth to her cub while she is in the semi wild area at Hetaoping that is part of the release program there! There are 2 other female pandas in the same area that Su is in, and the Wolong staff are hoping for cubs from them as well. All of the pandas will be watched very closely thru the cameras that are set up all around that large tract of fenced in land. Congrats to Su Lin, the staff at Wolong, Bifengxia, and Hetaoping on this accomplishment. And, congrats to SDZ and the Panda Center for the care they gave to Su Lin while she was there. Oh yeah, Su Lin is the first captive born female panda from the USA to give birth in the semi wild area, so now we have 2 momma pandas in the release program that have cubs that will be a huge part in saving the pandas in the wild. Hopefully, the other 2 soon to be momma pandas will be a part of this program, also! We should get some news about them thru PI and Pandas Live On soon.
Autopsy showed large amounts of water in the panda’s lungs, so there is one more fact about pandas—they don’t know how to swim in deep water, especially water with a very strong current to it when there’s flooding going on. Hopefully, the other wild pandas were able to avoid and escape the flooded areas and went to higher ground in the mountains. The other concern is the bamboo supply in those mountains due to the large amounts of rain and the threat of landslides. So far, no landslides have been reported, but the threat is there.
Checked the 2 NZ pandacams today about an hour ago, and both are not operating right now; they are set at Ready. Wanted to see what Mei Xiang was doing today. Will get back on those cams to see if they are back up online tonite. Don’t know if this means that Mei has had her cub or if the cams are on the fritz, but we’ll know for sure in the next few hours!
Please pray for the Chinese people and the wild pandas in Sichuan Province as they have been battling severe flooding for several weeks due to heavy rains that they have had there. PI reported that there has been flooding damage in Wolong Town and in other parts of Sichuan, and roads have been impassable to Wolong, Bifengxia, and other areas. People were stranded when a bridge collapsed, but there have been no human deaths so far. They did discover a male panda, possibly 10 years old, that has drowned due to the flooding.
Well, gonna go back to the pandacams, especially the NZ cams. Will be back later on!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
is there any way you could get some video or pics of Su Lin and her baby
Did Mei Sheng have a cub ever? I mean was the cub his?
Moderator’s note: The father of Su Lin’s cub is Wugang.
Moderator, Lu was asking if Bai Yun’s son, Mei Sheng has fathered any cubs, not who fathered Su Lin’s cub. I too would like to know if Mei Sheng has fathered any cubs.
Moderator’s note: We don’t know.
But from reports here and elswhere I have read that he is WILLING to participate in fatherhood, and was the youngest male known to try natural breeding. Sweet Daddy Gao Gao must have had “The Talk” with him many times. How Proud a day for Grammpy Gao—-and when Mei Sheng is known to be a father too perhaps we will see Gao do a Happy Dance. If Bai is not busy with a baby she willl surely join in…..and it is time Yun Zi learned the Happy Dance anyway….Love Grammmie
I was also very happy to hear from Pandas International that Su Lin gave birth to a cub! I shouldn’t have been surprised, though, given her Mom’s and her sister’s track records.
I think the new Grandma & Grandpa and Uncle deserve a nice ice treat or snow to celebrate their daughters/sisters birth of her baby! Way to go Su Lin, we’re all very proud and know you’ll make a great Mom, you were taught by the best
Su Lin has the family genes – natural mating & a cub first time out
Sorry to hear about the twin that died 
We luv ya sulin
I know that Wugang was Su Lin’s cub, but is it known if Ling Ling’s cub was Mei Sheng’s?
We did hear that Mei Sheng mated was Ling Ling last year and that Ling Ling had a cub. And that a DNA test would have to be done to see if Mei Sheng is the father or one of the other male pandas. But nothing has ever been posted about the results of the DNA test.
Luv and Teresa, Mei Sheng had actually mated with Ying Ying. Ying Ying gave birth to Shu Qin, female, on August 26, 2009, but I never was able to find out who the father is. The other potential father is Lu Lu.
Ying Ying is the female who was released in the semi-wilderness on the same day as Su Lin.
Fantastic news for Su Lun! So proud of her!
Lin*
It’s wonderful that our Su Lin is a mommy, at last. Sadly, the second-born was stillborn. Caretakers are monitoring her actions, but it was not reported by what means they are monitoring….probably a closed-circuit cam.
In the same newsline that reported about Su Lin….there was also a death. Because of floods in the mountain streams, a wild giant panda was swept away by flood waters and drowned. The body was found in a reservoir downstream.
Tears of joy for Su Lin…..tears of sadness for another.
Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, and be safe.
I agree with you, very happy for the new panda life, but also very sad for the one lost. God Bless All Panda’s and Panda Fans
Fri., 7/8/2011, after 12 midnite: Went back on the National Zoo website’s panda page, and both pandacams were back online! YEA!! Saw Mei Xiang in her den napping but still has not given birth to her cub–YET! Still waiting, Mei!! Both pandacams were on Mei late tonite. Will try to check back in on her in the AM after I get some sleep. Nite, you all!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
It’s a BOY! Photos of Su Lin and 130 gram male cub at chinapanda (dot) org.cn/blog.php?id=861
Congratulations to Su Lin. She has made us all proud!! I am sure she will be an exceptional mother just like her mother. She had a great teacher.
It’s a boy !!!!
photos here
www(dot)chinapanda(dot)org(dot)cn/blog.php?id=861
‘Let’s see, 2 pairs of woollen socks, one muffler, a vest….a towel with a panda on it….some baby powder…lotion…a teething ring made of bamboo….a comic book written by Uncle Yunnie, hee hee…’ laughs Yun Zi as he packs a large basket full of goodies for Su Lin’s child.
Gao Gao walks in and asks, ‘What are you doing, my boy?’
‘Hi, Pa. Am preparing a care package for my newest nephew or neice. Thought I would surprise Jie Jie Su Lin with this.’
Gao Gao gets excited and he adds, ‘Let me help you. I will add a photo album of our family so the baby will know who Grandma and Grandpa are, as well as Uncle Yunnie….hmmmm, maybe I will add in my book on How to be a Bamboo Master…’
‘No you will not, Mr Gao Gao. Let the cubby grow up first!’ exclaims Grandma Bai who walks in on the 2 boys.
‘Yes, my love! You are so right!’ says Gao Gao as he rushes to kiss her.
Bai blushes and smiles at Gao Gao. She looks him in the eyes and for one moment in time, Gao Gao feels like a young cubby in love again.
‘Bai, I just love the things you do!’ grins Gao Gao.
‘And I love the things you do too. Now be a dear and help me place these tonics and creams in the basket. They are for Susie.’
‘I hope that Wu Kong is a good man and will look after my Su Lin well, otherwise I will need to hop over there to have a chat with him.’
‘Aiyoh, Gao, let the children be. Su Lin is a wise girl and if she says he is the one, he is right for her. Any way she is now under this special programme. I am so proud that our baby girl got into this release programme, that means they think she is smart enough to survive in the semi-wild.’
‘Of course, she is smart enough, she is our cubby.’
‘Papa, will I be released into the wild too? Oh boy!’
‘Now now, wait a minute young man, Mama thinks you should not be released’ says a very determined Bai.
‘Why, Mama? Aren’t I smart enough?’
‘Cos you are but for now you are Mama’s bao beh and I can’t bare to think of it.’
‘MAMA!’
‘Listen to your Mama, she always knows best. Come, boy, take a walk with me, I think it is time I shared some of the Ancient Panda Courting Secrets that male pandas pass on through time…’
‘Oh boy, yes, let’s go, Pa!’
‘Humphh, what does he know…’ says Bai with feigned disdain.
‘Well, it is No. 4 and counting, Octomom!’ and Gao Gao gives her a Cary Grant type of smile.
And with that Bai Yun does a twirl and sashays away making sure Gao Gao sees that wink she reserves only for him.
Yunnie grins as he makes notes on how to love his Forever Princess.
Love every word….love grammmie
It’s a boy!! Don’t miss the pictures of Su Lin and her baby boy!! Su Lin’s cub is a male, weighing 130 grams (4.6 oz) in normal physical condition. After a brief medical examination the cub was returned to Su Lin who is herself in stable and good condition.
www(dot)chinapanda(dot)org(dot)cn/blog.php?id=861 Replace the (dot) by actual .
There are pictures of Su Lin’s cub at chinapanda (dot) org.cn/blog.php?id=861
Su Lin’s new cub is a BOY! Photos of baby boy and Su with him here this morning! Yunior has a little nephew to look up to him
http://www(dot)chinapanda(dot)org(dot)cn/blog.php?id=861
Video d’Hetaoping showing Su Lin and her baby boy www(dot)chinapanda(dot)org(dot)cn/video.php?id=394 Replace the (dot) by actual .
Great video!!!!After trying everything,,finally this worked,,thank you!!!!
It’s a boy for Su Lin! Here are the photos:
chinapanda (dot) org.cn/blog.php?id=861
That is the most beautiful thing, thank you for posting
Su Lin and cub video
www(dot)chinapanda(dot)org(dot)cn/video.php?id=394
What a fantastic video! They’ve got cams just outside and in the den, with audio! (And look at the beautiful areas she’s in. It’s panda paradise.)
I suspect the first time we see Su Lin with the cub in that video it’s right after the birth, when she was figuring out what to do. The cub still looks wet.
What a nice big boy! And loud!
Wow. I never thought we’d get this much coverage from China. Our girl is special indeed.
New update just posted from the NZ about Mei Xiang. They are unsure of what is going on. HOWEVER, Mei is now unwilling to participate in ultrasounds, they cannot get a urine sample and she is doing a lot of body licking. Hmmm–she refused to participate in ultrasounds and did a lot of body licking just before Tai was born on July 9, 2005. EVERYTHING crossed that can be crossed for a cubbie for Mei Xiang.
Laurie–we are crossing here too-near the San Diego Zoo…Love Grammmie
I was a nuclear scientist, worked on space travel , and studied the ancient peoples but I have never had such joy as I have had since I found Bai yun and Yunnie and Gao Gao and SDZ. There are not enough thank yous to all the comments people.They enrich my day.And the blogs and Panda Cams and Videos offer me a joy I have never known. At 82 I thought my life was entrenched in Science, but all of you and from here to China have given me a new way of life. You are all so dear to me, all the Zoos and SDZ especially since you were my first foray into Panda Land.I begin my day with the blogs and your comments and end searching more and more.I will try to get more expert in commputers so I can more easily go to China’s blogs and information.
Perhaps we should teach our bears how to swim -haha!I am saddened at every death from the wild and old age. I really love you all!
Moderator’s note: Thank you for your kind note. It has made my day!
Virginia, it must have been quite an emotional day for you today with the last launch of Atlantis!
I hope you find your way to the pictures and video of Su Lin and her baby boy.
I would advice you to copy the “links” with the (dot), paste them in a Word document, replace the (dot) with actual . and that way the links should be repaired and should work for you. Good luck. Enjoy your new way of life!!
Virginia–I know exactly how you feel–the pandas (and those who care for and write about them) have also brought great joy into my life. Thanks, all!
P Wong–I feel there is an interview waiting to happen between Mr. Tourist and Gao Gao upon the occasion of him becoming a proud Grampa…
We look forward to your comments too…..Loving Pandas is the best freind maker ever…Love Grammmie
Ain’t it the truth, Virginia?! There is something there that binds all of us together into one big panda family. I love coming here and catching up and hearing from everybody!!
Virginia, so glad that you’re part of our pandaholic world. Every comment and participant is important to our little group. Please keep reading and sharing your point of view.
Su Lin PHOTO ALERT ! ! ! !
Go to feeds (dot) feedburner (dot) com/PandasLiveOn
TO VIEW A PHOTO of lovely SU LIN’S baby, and “Our Bai and Gao’s ” first grandchild together. Is Gao Gao handing out “BooGars” for the Unkies to chew on that visit today????? (we know smoking should be avoided)
Way To Go Sweet Su——sorry for the loss of the twin—but so glad number one and you came through it so well………Love Grammmie
To Use the link above remove all spaces and (dot) and replace with a period.
I look forward to Mr. Tourist’s first after grandchild interview with Gao.
What precious pics of mommy, baby, and adorable tree home. Sue Lin- you are what it’s all about-the trail blazer of the Pacific coast-on home turf now- letting us all know- “I can do this on my own.” Oh, the tissues…
I was so anxious to get info going I did not stop to read all of the comments first…….but I see that we great minds think alike…I can hardly wait to read what Gao has to say.
I wish somebody out there with a program, also fluent in computers (I am not), makes up a photo of Su with her Baby, and her Parents…..does that not sound great for a screensaver???? A lot of history in one photo…Love Grammmie
Grammie, you can get on the China Panda website to see some great photos of Su Lin and her cub, and there is a video on there also. These are the first set of pics that they were able to get of Su Lin and the cub, but they should be getting more pics soon when they know that Su is alot more comfy and bonding well with her baby panda. I read in one of the comments that Su’s cub is a boy, and I’m sure that we’ll get more confirmation about that thru Pandas Live On and Pandas International websites. Have fun!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
Thank you Chari…..Love Grammmie
Dear SDZ,,I wonder if you or anyone else could help me–I Cannot tell what panda is on what cam–Yun Zi is looking soooo much like this mom..I can tell Gow Gow.. ThankYou Much Appreciated!!!!
Moderator’s note: Yun Zi has the run of both exhibits today.
Dear Moderator….Does this mean the Grandparents are spending a special day together, alone???? Perhaps it will come up in Yuni Zi’s Memoris soon. It seems to me Yunni tells all, just as soon as he finds out things. I hope he does not try to give us “The Talk” that he was due to get today from his Pappa Gao—Grandfather of the year….love Grammmie
Moderator’s note: No, Gao’s in his bachelor pad
Hi! Just checked the National Zoo website’s panda page, and there’s a new update about Mei Xiang for today, Friday, July 8th. Looked in on the pandacam, and she is still in her den, and her behaviors have gone thru a switcheroo again. She’s eating less again, napping more, staying in her den alot more, more body licking. Sounds like the kind of behaviors that she had back in 2005, doesn’t it? Plus, the keepers have not been able to get urine samples to help them gauge her hormone levels, and Mei has not participated in her daily ultrasound sessions in the last few days. Mei is still keeping all of us in stitches and all of us guessing. Hopefully, we will have her answer very soon! Please, Mei, don’t make us wait too much longer, ok?? We all love Mei Xiang!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
Me again! Just looked in on the SDZ pandacam. The first time, I saw Yuni all sprawled out over a ledge or log taking his nap. Can’t believe that he will be 2 years old in a few days or so! Finally saw Bai Yun on the cam today after missing her the last few days. She was getting her beauty closeup and eating her boo. Great shot of Bai, cam people!
Gonna go for now! Will keep checking in on Mei Xiang and be back later on!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
Oh yeah! Get on Pandas Live On, and you will see some great pics of our favorite pandas as well as some great articles about them. Was on that website last nite. Enjoy!!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
PS: Tai Shan’s bday is tomorrow, Saturday, July 9th! He will be SIX YEARS OLD!! Can you believe that he’s 6 already?? Happy Birthday, Tai Shan!!!
I was just curious as to if you knew, but I checked a website, and it said that Su Lin, one of the pandas born at San Diego, had a child on July 7th in Wolong. It’s supposedly the first cub born this year.
news (dot) xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-07/07/c_13972118.htm
Isn’t the news today great???? Above and below this surely there enough links to choke a horse—-and we all appreciate them….Love Grammmie
Moderator, or anyone else: When did Bai Yun start to exhibit “pregnancy” behavior when she was carrying Yunior?
Moderator’s note: Check out Suzanne’s posts from July 20 and 31, 2009:
http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/2009/07/20/denning-up/
http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/2009/07/31/pandas-getting-closer/
Mei xiang ? ???
Does anyone know how they got so close to SuLin – one, to remove the dead cub and two- to exam the other cub, snip off the umbical cord
This doesn’t sound like panda living in wild 
I was thinking the same thing…
Kathy, I’m guessing that the Chinese staff have a way of covering their tracks so to speak to get close enough to Su Lin to remove the stillborn cub and pick up the live cub for a quick vet check. They wear panda costumes, that’s my guess! They have done it that way when they would go into another part of the semi wild area where Cao Cao and her cub, Tao Tao, are living in to get her cub for weighins and quick checkups. This is to limit the amount of human smell to the pandas because they are trying to train these new cubs for release into the wild in a few years, and they want these cubs to be as wild as they can be when they are ready for release. Remember, this is a totally new type of release program that has alot of steps to it in order to have these cubs ready for that real wild freedom that they deserve. Hope this helps you out, ok? Maybe our very knowledgeable moderator can give us some more insight into this as well. If she doesn’t have the answers, she’ll make sure she gets those answers for us!
Speaking about cubs, gonna go, get back on the NZ pandacam, and check on Mei Xiang. She had a very restless nite last nite, and was pretty restless this afternoon. Still hoping for a cub from her!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
It is considered “semi-wild”. These are changes made for their protection, since the first releases ended badly. The bears find their own bamboo, but there is water channeled in from human sources. This is training for the bears AND the humans. This way, they can check on them by camera, instead of physically entering the area.
She’s not in the wild. She in a large “semi-wild” area, just for her, under full protection.
As a captive-born panda, Su Lin will never be released into the wild.
She will be able to raise her cub under these semi-wild conditions, and perhaps the cub will someday be returned to the wild.
As Tai Shan’s 6th BD approaches Mei Xiang is frantically praying to the Panda God of Fertility – “As much as we need more pandas, please do not send me another Tai Shan:)
I loved him dearly but he was a terror – if there was trouble he found it – he drove me & the keepers crazy.:) 
Maybe a nice girl”.
I totally agree-what a show he put on- and the only baby I have seen in person. Happy B’day Tai Shan!
I think a girl would be nice too…just like beautiful Mei Xiang.
I don’t think Tai Shan was a ‘terror’, just acting like a normal, inquisitive, little boy. That’s why we fell so hard for him.
And I still miss him terribly. He has grown into a very big man-boy!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TAI SHAN! Lots of fruit & vegs and panda cakes for you.
Wow!! I’ve missed a lot over the last couple of days – have been spending time with family at my father-in-law’s funeral.
So, many congratulations to first time mama Su! You go girl! I knew you could do it! And congratulations to the giddy grandparents, Bai and Gao! And to the irrepressible prince Yunnie – you’re an Unkie now, Yunz! You’ll make a good cubbie-sitter!! This is very exciting! Thanks to all the panda fans who have provided links to photos and videos!!
Another panda Xi Xi in the semi-wild environment had a twin the day after Su Lin’s cub. You may see from the photo that her second cub is much smaller, only 83g, male. but it’s healthy.
www (dot) chinapanda.org.cn/blog.php?id=862
Xi Xi is a famous runaway bride. Now, she got what she wanted.
Sounds like she got Su Lin’s husband too:
“The father of Qian Qian’s cubs is Wu Gang, a wild born male who is also the father of Su Lin’s cubs.”
The Panda Ladies sure seem to like the males with Wild as a descriptor. Do you suppose they hope to get better cubs, or go to the Hottest Parties?
Gap Gao certaily taught us how smart the wild ones are–he refused to go back to the wild 2 or 3 times—-and let thje NannyKeepers provide him with a nice home, great food, a lovely warm loving wife, and plenty of Children and Grandchildren. He is the Psuedo Grammpy to Hao Mei’s growing brood. Yes I think those wild guys are pretty smart to volunteer to father as many nany pandas as they can….Love Grammmie
The second born is a female. If you go back to that article, they have three pictures of the cubs, one picture show both cubs. One cub seems to be bigger than the other. But the sex and weight of the first born cub was not added to the article.
Sorry, the second cub is a girl.
Memoirs of an Almost 2 Year Old Cubby – Nature’s Boy
I still remember the day I went outside the birthing den for the first time. I was curious and amazed by all I could see. My young eyes took in the colourful flowers and I tried to eat some and put some behind my ear. I loved playing with the falling leaves, they would swing here and there and float above me. I tried to pat them down.
Then I tried to climb a tree. I did not know you need strong arms though so I slipped off and fell. It wouldn’t have been so bad if I did not see Mama laughing. She laughed till she cried then she picked me up and cuddled me.
The one thing I was scared of was water. It felt strange and when Mama pushed me into the pool I was sure that I would melt or dissolve into it. Brrrrr…..now I think water is fun.
When I made my public debut, Mama was very careful. She explained to me that many hoomans will come, some with their cubbies and some with magic boxes. On my first day I pretended not to see them and only looked at Mama. Soon, I started to recognise some of the hoomans especially Auntie Weeta. I now wave to her and give her my best smile. I think she is a hooman panda. Hee Hee.
Mama told me the hoomans come from far away to see us so we must be good to them and help them learn about pandas. At first though I was so excited and I was up by 4 am and I would play with Mama. By the time the hoomans came, it would be my nap time. I had to change my nap time after a while. I guess the good thing is the zoo has a camera that shows us 24/7 so all the aunties and unkas can see us from their dens…..ooops, Mama says the correct word is homes. Hoomans do not live in dens or enclosures. Poor hoomans, they don’t enjoy the fun we pandas do in our enclosures.
[To be continued.]
‘Darling, come quick!’ yells Gao Gao, really excited.
‘Yes, dear?’ Bai Yun is surprised as her honey is normally calm.
‘See, See, Su sent photos of her cubby, my first grandson!’
‘Let me see, let me see, hee hee, soooo cute!’
‘He is going to grow up big and strong!’
‘Hush, we still have to wait and see. After 100 days, then we are surer.’
‘Well, I pray that because he has our good genes and Wu Kong’s good genes, he will take after his Grandpa.’
‘And do what? Chomp on boo all day?’
‘Well, I was hoping he becomes a Champion Salsa Dancer. World Champion even.’
‘Gao sweetie, can you download that photo to my approw phone? I want it as my wallpaper. My 9th grandchild1 My, they are all special.’
‘Honey, I think he has my nose.’
‘Gaozie, Gaozie…..’
‘Yes, dearest?’
‘I am having a strange craving! Can you go in your red cadillac and get me some smelly tou fu and some spicy tom yam soup?’
‘Is this what I think it means?’
‘Gaozie, just go, a hungry wife is a….’
‘I am gone, I am so out of here. Back in two shakes of Yunnie’s tail.’
Soon Gao Gao was barrelling off in his red cadillac to Chinatown to get his beloved what her stomach desired and he was seen beaming away for days after that.
“OOOOOOOOOOO” What can this mean?????
Congratulations to Su Lin! And to SDZ for producing such a well adjusted beauty!
But poor Mei Xiang. She gets so hormonal every year–whether it’s a true pregnancy or not–and we hope it is!!! She seems to actually suffer.
I don’t remember ever seeing Bai Yun this way. Or perhaps it’s because you keep the camera off her. Anyway, here’s Really Hoping for a cub from each of them this year! Love to watch the maternal care of momma pandas.
That’s probably what it is cause we get to view Mei Xiang 24 hours a day unless they cut off the camera for any reason. We actually get to see how she handles her pregnancy or psuedo on a daily basis. I’m sure she has her days when it can be uncomfortable and it amazes me how they can show such strong signs even when they may not be. I am rooting for Mei because she has only had one cub so it would be nice for her to share her wonderful mother instincts with another cub. Do you watch the NZ cams on a regular basis? Not too long ago she walked out of her nest into another room and they opened the door to see if she wanted to go outside but she didn’t she just grabbed a piece of bamboo and took it back to her nest and added it to the rest.
I’m going crazy waiting & wondering if Mei Xiang will give birth soon! Frankly, I don’t understand how she sustains herself as I never see her eat. Every time I check on the cam she’s hunkered down in the same corner of her den asleep. I realize this is normal behavior for pandas nearing a birth or the end of pseudopregnancy (I sincerely hope it’s the former), but I just hope something happens soon! Wouldn’t it be great if it happened today, her son Tai Shan’s birthday!
If you had problem seeing the video of Su Lin and her cub, it is now on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2ycH4n_dFg
As it turned out I had already seen it—-but not this good….thank you so very much for posting the link……Love Grammmie
Thanks, Danielle! Saw that vid of Su Lin on the China Panda website. It was so nice to see her carrying her cub in the den and starting to take care of him. She’s going to be a very good mom; she’s got Bai Yun’s genes!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
Amazing
Thanks for the link.. Surprised we are getting this much info 
Thanks, Danielle, for posting the link. Sweet Su certainly lives in a beautiful place. And what a noisy little guy she has!
I’ve just heard about Su Lin. What fantastic news. But I still miss her.
Mei has been in her nest pretty much all do it seems. I’ve seen her do off and on AG licking. Her nest has grown to be huge! She really is keeping everyone guessing!
Well, I spent close to 4 hours watching Mei Xiang on the NZ pandacam last nite, and boy, she was very restless during the nite (had to click the play button a number of times to keep watching because they have a 5 minute time limit on their cams)! Mei was laying down on her side, sitting up looking at her AG area & licking it, hunched over as if she’s ready to do a somersault, and repeated these positions all nite long! Did not eat any boo that was in her den, nor did she leave the den either for any boo or water. Mei even looked up towards where the cam was and had that look like, “Are you looking at me?” look! How momma pandas can go thru this kind of fast before giving birth is amazing to me, but I’m guessing that she’s got some reserves stored in her body that helps her out alot. I just checked in on Mei again this afternoon, and she was still restless! Sitting up looking at her AG are for the longest time, then laying back down on her side but not getting very comfy at all. Gonna get back on that NZ pandacam to see what she’s doing. Still hoping against hope for a cub from Mei!
Today is Tai Shan’s 6th birthday! Hope he had a wonderful bday party with special snacks and toys to play with. I’m hoping that he will be a daddy someday!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
We could all start chanting-Cub-Cub-Cub….in unison around the world to see if that would help—–or at least let her know we are pulling for her…..Love Grammmie
I have been watching Mei Xiang a lot since last evening. She is behaving very oddly, much like she did before Tai Shan was born, she has hardly moved for hours…Nothing like during the pseudo-pregnancies. I have a good feeling about Mei, this time. I am actually sending prayers for a birth this time. Hang in there, Mei Xiang, you can do this.
I too have been watching Mei closely and she’s very restless and still in her den. Only time I saw her leave the den yesterday was a brief period to relieve herself and she then carried a big piece of boo back to the nest. It’s interesting to watch her–it’s like she can’t get comfortable. She’ll sit up and look down at her AG area and then lay down on her side. I get a kick out of watching her moving onto her back and then putting her leg up against the wall of the den. Poor Mei, she’s so restless. I keep thinking something’s gotta happen before long.
Be sure to treat yourselves to Ice Day Photos—or How a CuAdult manages his ice cubes on Rita Petita’s Flikr Page, and a dream come true photo of Bai Yun, Reflextions Of A Beautifuleautiful Bear. Be sure to go to page two to get all of the ice day photos, unless she put so many more up you have to try page three. Whenever i pull up her flikr I keep going back pages until I see a photo I have already viewed—-then I know I will not miss anything…..Love Grammmie
Just checked Pandas Live On website, and the front page is practically FULL about Su Lin and her cub! There are a couple of other articles and pics in there as well–one about Mei Xiang and her restless couple of days in her den at NZ, the second was about Wang Wang and Funi at the Adelaide Zoo. But it was practically 2/3 full of pics and articles about Su Lin along with one video. Go check it out and enjoy!!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
There has been much downpour of rain in Sichuan province and in Wolong area. Please continue to lift up the people of Sichuan, all the pandas in the wild and in captivity in prayer, especially our Su Lin and her newborn, for safety and shelter. Thank you. Blessings to all.
I just caught Yunior’s new act—–laying across some branches of a tree watching people go by…..AAAHHH the life of a CubAdult Panda……..love Grammmie