Bai Yun explored her snow-covered exhibit last month.
Throughout the day we also saw her smelling the air quite a bit. It’s been extremely windy in the canyons lately, and you can see the dust getting picked up in the air and swirling around the bears. Both Bai Yun and Gao Gao were lifting their heads to get a good whiff of what was around them.
Gao Gao also was busy for a part of the day. As Yun Zi had been the previous occupant of Gao’s enclosure, it needed to be re-scented. For a good part of the day, handstands were performed, and scent marking on logs and rocks was seen. By the early afternoon, Gao Gao needed a good nap but was up by 2:30 p.m., getting ready for more bamboo. One thing I can say about our bears is that they are very good about letting us know when it’s time for their next food delivery!
We encourage you to come see Bai Yun and Gao Gao while they are on exhibit, as we will not be having a set schedule of how long they will be out before we do another switch. We are doing our best to ensure that the pandas are comfortable during this construction period. That may mean that one bear may have access to a bedroom area for a short time or we may again play “musical bears.” Either way, we want to thank you all for your understanding and hope that you come see us soon!
Anastasia Horning is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo. Read her previous post, Scents for Pandas.
How long will the construction last? I’m thinking of visiting in March.
Moderator’s note: It is scheduled to be completed by the end of March.
Marilyn in California ~ you need to come to the 3rd Annual Panda Convention then! It is March 24th and 25th this year in beautiful San Diego. If you would like a copy of our invitation just email:
pandaconvention@yahoo.com
and the invitation with all the information will be sent to you!!
We have our fingers crossed that the construction will be completed by the 24th of March, Moderator!!
Moderator’s note: I know–me, too!
I am missing Yun Zi on the web cam as he is very entertaining. I always know when you have switched the pandas I just love them all.
Thanks for the update Anastasia. The construction doesn’t seem to be bothering any of the pandas now. Maybe they are just getting used to it.
Also, I just received the new, February Wish List. I am glad to see that the Tree for Yun Zi is still on it. It is almost down to $5,000.00 needed now so that is great. It is slow in coming but we will get there I’m sure. Next week I will buy another couple of units and I hope others can too.
Hi Unka Yunnie,
I just read that you are taking a few days off exhibit and just hangin’ out as a read panda dude. Cool, man.
Sorry I’ve taken so long to answer your last post, but I was having a really good time with my mom and my little brother, Yang Hu (he’s a tiger, you know) as well as aunties Su and ZZ, uncle Mei Sheng and my little cousin.
Now I am back in Guangzhou, practicing my drums for the next gig we panda girls will do. I also just found out that the keepers have a nickname for me — “little fierce girl” — cause I’m such a bold and brave panda girl. My adopted mom, Mary, calls me Qi Qi (that’s my birthday) — silly Mary.
I got a whole bunch of scent advice during the holiday and I’m going to try sniffing a few of them pretty soon. I’ll tell you what I like, if you’re interested. What’s your favorite scent. I hear Gramma is a real big scent freak. That’s so silly for a bear of her great age.
Gotta get back to practicing those drums.
Love from your niece,
Hao Hao
Hey there,
I like peppermint and cinnamon. Your grandma realy loves scent. She does the Happy dance when she smells what she likes. She even likes the gel the blue nannykeepers spread on her. Watch out for the blue nannykeepers, they are the ones with the sharpies which will give you ouchies. Yours may be in white, they like to confuse us.
Auntie Mary calls you her wild child and I just saw a pix of you munching on your carrot. WOW you have grown!
What is your fave activity now? Climbing trees? I love that the most. I hated it when they put the smooth plastic thing on the trees. Those belts did not make the trees look good. I took them off but I got a time out as a result. I was placed in juve detention and Papa had to come and bail me out. He was my hero as he wanted to break me out. Mama screamed at that as she did not want him to get into trouble too.
Grandma, our mama and aunties are known as the beauties of the Panda world. So you are going to grow up to be quite a gal.
Any guy panda come sniffing around yet? You direct him to me or Uncle Sheng you hear. We will suss him out for ya.
Love,
Yunz
Thanks for the update. It was really informative. I did not know lady bears scent maked too. So based on what you say, would Yunnie, when he goes into a space where his Mama had been, he will also scent mark it to remove all her smells too?
I notice Bai is the most relaxed of the pandas ie she takes to almost any space and owns it. For GG, it is all about the food. Yunnie is all about how much fun can I get out of this space.
Thank you for taking care of these bears so well. They do look happy and contented.
Yun Zi does scent mark quite a bit, and is very good about marking his new territory. Bai Yun has always preferred the left-hand enclosure when she is on exhibit. We swap them in front when we hit breeding season, but she’s always more at home in her normal spot.
Did YunZi re-secent his new area?
Yes he did. He’s been scent marking for quite a while now and is getting very good at it.
‘Mama, what does it mean when a girl sends you photos of her family?’ asks Yunnie as his Mama pops by with some spring rolls she had made.
She puts down the tray and sits down next to her boy. He was scrolling through his iPaw.
‘So is that Hui Ling?’ she points to a pretty female bear who is smiling sweetly at the camera. Yunnie takes one spring roll and takes a bite. ‘Yum’ was his verdict.
‘Yes, Mama,’ replies Yunnie, blushing a little. He wondered to himself if she could cook.
‘No wonder she won the Miss PU in 08. Very young winner I remember.’
‘Yes, Mama. She sent me her photos and what she did over the Lunar New Year with her family. What does this mean, Mama?’
‘Maybe she wants you to get to know her and her family…..’
‘Did you send Papa any photos when you were dating?’
‘Papa asked me for a photo. Being the conservative girl I was, I refused at first….Then one day, he brought a camera on our date. He took several shots. He said he wanted to have me near him 24/7. By then I did not mind so I posed for him.’
‘Wow, Papa was so romantic. I saw those photos. He calls it his Mona Lisa set as you were smiling so sweetly at him….and there was one of you at the beach in a pink….’ before he could finish, Bai jammed another spring roll into his mouth.
‘He also wanted to show his pals to brag about his girl friend. I was once a beauty queen too you know.’
‘Hee Hee, I know. Which year were you Miss PU?’
‘Never you mind!’
‘So…Hui Ling wants me to have something to think of her 24/7?’
‘Maybe….and do you think of her 24/7?’
‘Well….I think of her often….I mean I play and eat and nap and then I think of her…..well, hee hee, I kinda….’
‘Mama knows!’
‘OK, Mama, I do think of her often. Does this mean I am in love?’
‘Do you need to ask?’
‘My first love!!! Hee Hee, will she be my Forever Princess?’
‘Hmmm, depends…….take it one step at a time…take time to get to know her well…’
‘How did you know Papa was the one?’
‘Hee Hee Hee Hee’
‘MAMA!’
‘Ok, OK, I…hee hee hee hee….knew he was the one when I saw how adorable he was with his one pawed handstands and how hard he worked to show me that he loved me! You know I had a hard time with Hua Mei’s papa so your papa had to help me get over it. He was capable of being gentle. One day, he came with a bouquet of the best culm stalks for me. I know how much he loves his boo and to give them to me was a great sacrifice. My heart just melted.’
‘WOW, Papa is good at wooing…’
‘The best. You can ask him how to woo Miss PU 08.’
‘Mama, it is too early for all that. Right now we are paw pals and we exchange notes and greetings and stuff. I want us to be good friends first….
Bai Yun looks at her son. He looked so young and innocent. She smiled at him tenderly.
‘Yunz, you are right to take things slow. Marriage is a commitment and you grow together. I think that is the main thing. There will be ups and downs and you must want and be able to share all the good and the bad.’
‘Ah hah….Mama, it is quite scary….there is so much out there we dont know….our future…’
‘And isn’t it great to have someone to face it with you? That is what families are for. When you mature, you will want your own family and that’s life.’
‘Mama, I am so glad you are my Mama. You are so wise. And Papa is so smart too. I love you.’
‘Mama loves you too,’ replies Bai as she picks up a spring roll. Gao Gao trots in and soon all 3 are munching in nice companionable silence.
Spring rolls and romance! Some conversations are all about young love, right Bai Yun? Teaching stories other than how to climb or what to do with the boo?
Yunnie is so adorable and smart, he will have a dozen girl friends. Not a “little cloud” anymore! Hao Hao, glad to hear your Auntie Mary got news.
Did “sweetie no name” get a name on New year’sDay? I guss we can call him as Yunnie does, Baby Bear. that is cute too, and so is he. Nickname. Until we get some naming day news.
Auntie Virginia,
In my family, each baby is a treasure. So we call our nephew Bao Beh (treasure in Chinese) until he is named. He is precious to all of us. Thank you for loving us Pandas.
Hugs,
Yunz
I loved watching Gao Gao being an eating machine and people within a few feet taking pictures. He’s so relaxed. Eating is the most important thing for him. Who cares about people clicking their cameras!!!!
I love the new Panda Cam, but, wish we knew what bear we are looking at, before it used to tell you. How come you stopped doing that?
Thanks for all the new blogs, and all you do for the Pandas.
Moderator’s note: The new HD cams don’t offer the encoded Cam number like the old ones did. We are working on some sort of ID system.