Red panda Lily at home in Panda Trek.
Springtime is around the corner at the San Diego Zoo, but it’s not flowers or Valentine’s Day that makes me think of love here. It’s our pandas! Of course Bai Yun, our giant panda mother, breeds with Gao Gao in the spring, and she has had five cubs born at our zoo. They have been very successful as a pair, and Gao Gao has sired four cubs with Bai Yun (the first cub was born through artificial insemination before Gao Gao came to San Diego.) But what makes me chuckle recently is that there is a small patch of dirt usually just above Bai Yun’s tail where she sits on the ground of her enclosure. Looking at that patch of dirt can be intriguing. We have seen many shapes in that patch, and lately it seems to be taking on the shape of a heart. Will Gao Gao and Bai Yun mate this spring? Is it a sign? At this point, only the pandas know for sure, but the Panda Team will keep a close eye on our dynamic panda duo to see if Bai Yun goes into estrus this spring.
The “other” pandas are also making me think of love and have gained quite a following. Red panda Lily recently got introduced to her new mate, Flynn. You can now see them both on exhibit. Lily has a whiter face and Flynn has more reddish flecks on the side of his face. They are both a little over a year old. Red pandas become sexually mature at 18 months old and are fully mature at 2 to 3 years old. Let’s hope that the red pandas follow in Bai Yun and Gao Gao’s footsteps. While both pandas species share a name, giant pandas are bears and red pandas are in their own family group, Ailuridae. No matter which type of panda you are talking about, though, no one disputes that both species are adorable!
Michelle Penick is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo. Read her previous post, Pandas: Like Son, Like Mother.
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I am hoping the famous bears would have another cubbie this year. I would love to see the red panda’s have babys, How cute would that be.
I will keep my fingers crossed for both of the bears.
lu Sacto
We have known for quite some time that a male red panda was going to be brought into the new exhibit with Lily. But there was never a definitive date or schedule for the introduction, so this past weekend it was such a surprise to see Flynn out at the gorgeous exhibit with Lily. There is now a lot of excitement and anticipation for more adorable red pandas. Though Lily was a bit mean to the poor guy and chased him away at one point, we hope they will become great companions.
By the way, thank you to the zoo’s keepers. We have been asking questions and getting updates about the status of red pandas at the zoo for months now (with each visit). Each time the keepers have been awesome and friendly. We get so many updates about all our favorite animals, we always know what is happening behind the scenes. It makes our trips to the zoo so much better, partially because taking to keepers really gives you a sense that these people love and care for the animals very much. It also adds something to the trips because we aren’t just seeing these animals, we are learning about them.
Moderator’s note: I’ll pass along your kind words to our keeper staff!
Sounds like Lily is doing to Flynn what Shama has done to Tate at the National Zoo.
If Lily is only a year old, then who was the red panda I saw at SDZ a few years ago?
Moderator’s note: If it was the red panda living right across from our giant pandas, then it was Julong, an elderly male who has since passed away.
RIP Julong.
I’m sure I’ve never even seen a photo of a baby red panda – how precious to be able to see one in person! Maybe someday they will have a “cam” of their own!!
The National Zoo had a cam set up last year showing the 2 baby red pandas that were born there last summer. They are now on their own, so that their parents can breed this year. The cam was shared with the Giant Panda cam.
Would you know which panda this http://flic.kr/p/aMtVAx is? I did enjoy watching this one when I was there in November?
Moderator’s note: That is Lily.
thank you
Who is this?
imageshack.us/photo/my-images/20/40465117817254804381758.jpg
This photo was taken a few years ago in the children’s area at sd zoo. I am so glad the red pandas are now being highlighted at the zoo!
Thanks, Nanci
Moderator’s note: A few years ago the Children’s Zoo was home to Luta and Fuji. They are no longer with us.
I am looking forward to Panda Trek and all the new inhabitants. The last time I was there was for the B&W Overnight in July and Panda Trek wasn’t quite open yet.
We’ll all be watching and waiting for signs from Bai. Love the heart on her posterior! Hope it’s a sign…………
I hope Lily and Flynn are as blessed as Shama and Tate at the National Zoo were this last year with their gorgeous daughters Danili and Pili! As for Mr. Gao and his dynamic wife Bai, if they are fruitful and multiply once again that will be wonderful, but if Bai’s body has decided that she should settle into retirement and let her eldest son and her daughters take over the “family business” of cub production, that’s more than fine, too!
Her eldest daughter has done her proud — 8 cubs.
And Susie is a mommy to a boy cub, too!
Yes, your Mama. Can you name all your siblings? Hee Hee!
Unka Yunnie
Dear Unka Yunnie,
I had to get a little help on this from mama, but she told me every one of my brothers’ and sister’s names.
They are:
Mei Ling and Tuan Tuan (biggest brothers)
Ting Ting (my big sister) and Wei Wei (big brother)
Hua Long and Hua Ao (big brothers)
Then there’s me and finally
Yang Hu (little brother)
Pretty good for a young panda with all those siblings. Gee, I could sure use another sister or two to help me keep my brothers in line.
Love ya,
HH
Well done, girl! Hee Hee, you are a real spunky one! Grandma and Grandpa send their love.
Uncle Yunz
Darling Lilly! How lucky we will be in a year of two. Babies!!
Thank you Michelle for the update on our Pandas. I am hoping for one for cub between Bai Yun and Gao Gao but if it does not happen, I am just happy that they are both ver well taken care of at SDZ. The keepers take such good care of all the animals at the zoo.
I have never seen a baby red panda and sure would like to see one.
wow so cute, just watched Gao Gao playing in his tub of grass, now he’s having a nice nap in his tub, so cute. It would be nice to have a little brother or sister for Yun Zi, if it happens it’s good if it doesn’t Bai has decided she’s done populating the panda world and will leave it up to the younger pandas to do so and enjoy her retirement. Whatever she decides if a okay. She’s done her bit.
Any news from China on Su Lin and her son; and Zhen Zhen?
Ok now that is an interesting position to be in!! These guys are a hoot!!!!!!
Miss Bai Yun looks so cute laying in the hammock. Interesting that now that she does not have to share with Yun Zi, how much time she spends in that hammock.
However, I can’t but wonder if you are checking it for wear & tear. I don’t think it was meant to support her weight.
We saw Lily in October. She is a beauiful animal. Looking forward to seeing Flynn.
for more info follow this link >>
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-red_panda.html
Speaking of love, 9:20am Yun Zi up in the tree was a pretty cute sight!
Moderator: When will the Panda project be done in March?
Thanks!
Moderator’s note: We don’t have an exact date, but are hoping the project will be completed by the end of March.
May we see a picture of the heart shaped patch of dirt?
Love to the Gao family…
xxxxx
Kat, I posted the picture on Flickr!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44341735@N02/6813823569/
Moderator’s note: Fun photo! Thanks for sharing, Danielle.
That is wonderful news that Lily has a new boyfriend. Hopefully they will fall madly in love and have a bunch of babies. I don’t know much about Red Pandas so I need to ask, are they mostly solitary like Giant Pandas? This blog post said that both Lily and Flynn are in the habitat so I’m assuming there is no problem with them being together all the time…?
I’ve seen and photographed Lily twice now and I look forward to seeing her again in April. I’m so glad the Reds were moved to Panda Trek because it gives me a new animal to enjoy. I never saw Julong.
Moderator’s note: Adult red pandas are generally solitary, except for that all-important breeding season. You can read more about the species in our Animal Bytes section: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-red_panda.html
Awesome! Thank you very much. So will Lily and Flynn rotate in the exhibit then when breeding season is over?
Moderator’s note: We’ll have to see.
Well, sounds like the SDZ giant and red pandas are also going thru the breeding season scenarios along with the NZ giant and red pandas! Have fun and good luck to all of you! I am hoping that Lily & Flynn will have 2 or 3 cubs later this summer, and hoping that Bai & Gao will have their love time together with Bai having her 6th cub later this year. Keeping fingers crossed and praying for all of them! Hello breeding season!!
Speaking of that, got some news from Atlanta Zoo today. Atlanta Zoo panda keepers have made some decisions as to whether to start the weaning process with Po in May, 2012 when he turns 18 months old. They have decided that if they did that with Po being born in November, 2010, this will put Lun Lun way past her usual estrus cycle time during the spring. So, Po will be staying with his mom until the keepers start the weaning process around January or February, 2013. But, Lun could make that decision a little bit earlier than that depending on how she is feeling about Po. In the wild, there have been some panda cubs that have stayed with their moms for up to 2 1/2 years before they are weaned. The AZ keepers will be watching Lun for any signs of starting the natural weaning process on Po, and they feel that Po’s extended stay with Lun will provide a very good research/study project about this for them. As far as Lun having a baby panda this year, not this time. But they are looking forward to seeing Lun go thru her estrus cycle in the spring of 2013, and hopefully she will have her 4th cub by next summer or fall. Xi Lan, Lun’s 2nd cub, is still at AZ with no timetable set as to when he will be leaving for China. Po did get his health check recently, got his vaccinations, and is now weighing 60 pounds. He is a growing boy!
Nothing new from Memphis Zoo about Ya Ya and Le Le. Will be checking their website for anything about these 2 pandas as much as possible. As expected, Ya Ya did skip one entire year without an estrus cycle in 2011! Hopefully, she will go into her estrus cycle sometime this spring. I’m really hoping that she can this year!
Got my Pandas International email newsletter last week, and there was some surprise news about a couple of pandas! Two giant pandas, male and female, have flown to a zoo in France on a 10 year loan with China just last month. I forgot the name of that zoo and the names of the 2 pandas were not disclosed. If you all want to know more about this, get on the PI website to see this important news, and hopefully you will know the names of these 2 pandas and the name of the French zoo that they went to.
Well, that’s it on the panda news for now. Keeping all of the pandas in my prayers!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
I’m hoping for a cub this year too, if it suits Bai of course. Just watching her now and she seemed to be looking for something along the fence area. Could it be she is feeling the call and looking for Gao Gao? Hope so.
Just had to say how much my daughter and I enjoy watching pandacam. They are too cute and so entertaining . We are in Scotland and hope to visit the new arrivals’Sunshine and Sweetie’ at our very own Edinburgh zoo very soon. Unfortunately their Panda Cam isn’t nearly as good – early days. Lots of love Pandas from your Scottish friends. X
Moderator’s note: You’ll have to let us know how to visit to the new arrivals went.