Vote on a name for our panda cub!
Our panda cub was more interested in walking and moving than having his weight and measurements taken during his 10th weekly exam this morning. He was also very vocal, seeming to object to those trying to hold him still for measurements. However, the sound of his bleating didn’t disrupt his mother’s breakfast, although Bai Yun was within hearing range of the exam room.
The 12-week-old giant panda’s newfound mobility made it challenging to take precise measurements of his length. But using a larger scale ensured the accuracy of his weight: 7.7 pounds (3.5 kilograms). His girth is growing, too; his chest measured 14.9 inches around and his abdomen measured 15.7 inches. The cub’s physical exam showed he is developing as expected and is in the same ranges as the other five pandas born here. He also received his second set of vaccines: rabies and canine distemper. Similar to his first vaccination round, the cub seemed unfazed by the needle. View more images from the exam in our Panda Photo Gallery. Video is now posted below.
Now for the part you’ve all been waiting for! Public voting for the panda cub’s name begins online today. There are 6 choices for you to vote on, narrowed down from more than 7,000 name suggestions received last month.
The names up for vote are:
Qi Ji (Qíjī), which means miracle. The Chinese characters are 奇迹
Yu Di (Yǔdī), which means raindrop. The Chinese characters are 雨滴
Da Hai (Dàhǎi), which means big ocean/big sea. The Chinese characters are 大海
Xiao Liwu (Xiǎo lǐwù), which means little gift. The Chinese characters are 小礼物
Yong Er (Yǒng er), which means brave son. The Chinese characters are 勇儿
Shui Long (Shuǐlóng), which means water dragon. The Chinese characters are 水龙
If you’d like to hear how a name is pronounced, we suggest you visit Google Translate: http://translate.google.com where you can copy a name’s Chinese characters, paste it into Google Translate, and hear it from a Chinese speaker. Ah, technology!
Voting will take place online until 5 p.m. PST on Tuesday, October 30. The voting site allows one vote per email address. The name receiving the most votes will become the cub’s name. The San Diego Zoo follows the Chinese cultural tradition of naming the giant panda after it is 100 days old. The winning name of our panda cub will be announced on Tuesday, November 13, during a public ceremony at the Zoo. More details about the naming ceremony will be available as the date gets closer.
Now, get on out and vote!
Click on chart to enlarge.
Xiao Liwu (Xiǎo lǐwù), which means little gift. The Chinese characters are 小礼物
I’m with you Sherri; Xiao Liwu is perfect, and he truly is a little gift !
That’s what I voted for Xiao Liwu as he is our “little gift”!
+1 for Xiao Liwu
So disapointed the name I sent in Xiao Gao, meaning little or young Gao, was not choosen. I did not send in Chinese characters for it and that was my mistake.
Question: I went to http://translate.google.com to check out the pronunciation and meaning of names. The first three are listed as Chinese BUT the last three are listed as being from Japanese. Are these names allowed for a Chinese Panda?
Moderator’s note: All six names were vetted by our Chinese contacts.
As their are similar strokes in both Asian languages, there’s a high chance that Google would get it wrong, especially when the language continues to evolve. Some of the Chinese words have a long form and a simplistic form. For example, the word dragon is in its simple form. There are a lot more strokes in it because my brother has it in his name and it’s the long form
Yup, Japanese has a lot of different “alphabets” they use to write with, and one of them, called Kanji, is actually all Chinese characters. I’m not surprised that Google Translate mixed it up!
Heck I am confused myself. I sent in “little dragon” (Xiao Long) thinking it would always fit because he would never be more then a little dragon. Not sure why so many water signs were chosen. Raindrop, Big Sea, and Water Dragon.
He is a little blessing that is showing strength from being the smallest. Has shown so much character. We look forward to seeing him grow and play!
My Vote:
Xiao Liwu (Xiǎo lǐwù), which means little gift. 小礼物
So happy little Cubbie is doing well. He’s fast asleep right now. Such a difficult decision, naming the little guy… Don’t know which one I want to choose!
Try dreaming on it.
It’s good that he gain some weight as many were worrying. I’ m not surprise that the little one wanted to go as he treats mama the same — let me go
Those are some great names. Nothing against Dad Gao, I like names that are two different words.
I was sort of hoping for a tribute name to his dad GaoGao. But the options to choose from are nice.
Me too. I think Gao Yun would’ve been a great name. It means “High Cloud” and is a combo of both his parents’ names.
This is probably going to be their last cubbie, considering Bai Yun’s age, and it would’ve been nice to have one of their kids named after the dad, like Yun Zi for Bai Yun.
So disappointed that Gao wasn’t honored for the cubbies name
Maybe YuDi (raindrop) will have to do 
So am I.
I feel the same way, and YuDi was what I went with. Besides, I *like* rain–nothing will grow without it. And who knows, Bai Yun might just surprise us with another cub in a couple of years, and we can name *that* one after Gao Gao
I was VERY disappointed the choice of names. Most sound like you are naming a female.
I agree with the names all sounding like female names. Also too many water names, which also do not lead me to think of panda. I suggested Xiao Long for “little dragon”.
I love raindrop, he was conceived in the rain, fitting, can’t wait to see his next exam video
Serously? I did not know that. Glad I voted for Raindrop, then.
Moderator’s note: You might enjoy reading about it in the post Dependable Pandas.
After reading the title I am glad that the Post Office was not mentioned! That may be “their Creed”, but not their practice (we are speaking of continental United States, a small town attatched to greater San Diego. A Substitute did not get done in time and when it got DARK she went back to the post office, and we got no mail.
Given the circumstances behind his conception, Yu Di (raindrop) is adorable.
Good Morning Tidings from Connecticut:
I totally agree. I voted for Yu Di.
FYI… this is the year of the DRAGON… hint! hint! hint!
Thanks, but not sure why water dragon? He is no dragon and does not live in the water, but there must be a reason why it was selected to be in the top choices. To me, he is a complete miracle, especially given the age of Bai, who is more than a miracle herself. It will be fun to find out his name. He is adorable!
Moderator’s note: 2012 is the Chinese Year of the Dragon, and the cub was conceived on a very rainy day.
Is it not only the year of the Dragon, but also the year of the Water Dragon? Something I read says this comes only once every 60 years. Seems appropriate given the circumstances of conception and the auspicious year.
Would love to have P Wong or others weigh in on the symbolism or additional meanings of the names!
I thought Chinese Water Dragons were lizards; no resemblance to a 200lb panda! Wished for better name choices. Nevertheless this baby (with mom) is truly an international internet celebrity and we all love him and have adopted him (and will call him what we will). Thank you so much for the PANDA CAM and all the videos and updates! Great job everyone!!!
Oh, perfect! I forgot we actually had rain! Thank you for making it clear. Now I understand water dragon and raindrop. Rain around here is also a miracle!
For those born in the Year of the Dragon, there are 5 elemental signs… Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.
2012 is the Year of the Water Dragon.
Per Wikipedia: 7 February 2012 – 9 February 2013: Water Dragon
The baby panda was conceived and born in the Year of the Water Dragon.
While I liked the other names (possibly more than Shui Long), I felt this name was more appropriate.
To those not familiar with the Chinese culture, Dragon, the only mythical creature in the Chinese zodiac, is the most desired. To the point that Chinese people want to marry, have babies, etc in the Year of the Dragon.
My late father-in-law was a Dragon, my husband and my youngest son are Dragons. You should see all the dragons in our household.
We know that pandas are specific to China. So it just seems so perfect to name the baby Shui Long. It is so much more traditional.
Betty I could lbe wrong but I thought I heard about Dragons patrolling England for the Knights to Slay, other European areas, a Dragon like flying Snake in South American follklore. I never heard that Dragons were only Chinese, although they are different than any others as far as number of toes, body type, etc.
But the thing about the desire to have a baby in the year of the Dragon….now we know why Bai did not have a baby last year, she usually only had 2 years between cubbies since meeting Gao Gao, but then she would have not been able to have Chubbers.
Yes, Grammmie, while Panda is exclusive to China, Dragon is not, but the significance the Chinese place on Dragon is different.
Here are 2 of the sites that I found:
- http://pages(dot)infinit(dot)net/garrick/chinese/dragon(dot)html
- http://www(dot)chinesezodiac(dot)com/dragon(dot)php
After rereading your post and my response I was wondering why I thought you said Dragons were strictly Chinese. That is not what you said at all, and I am perplexed about what I THOUGHT I read. So Sorry.
Water Dragon for me. Conceived in the rain in the Year of the Dragon. Just learned about year of Water Dragon. Perfect!
Xiao Liwu (Xiǎo lǐwù), which means little gift. The Chinese characters are 小礼物
He is a gift for us all so Little Gift is a perfect one for him. I did vote so I hope it wins.
Great news! It must have been difficult to cull all those names that had been submitted. I was wondering if there is some type of fanfare or ceremony on the day the little guy gets his official name.
There will be a special ceremony at the zoo, but neither Bai Yun or CC#6 will be there.
They always get an invitation, but mom is jealous of her time with him and no one else (except during a Bamboo Buzz when they sneak him away for his exam) so she hides the invitation. We best hope Yun Zi does not show up~~if there is a choice he does not agree with he will try to charm his way into a change~~and if there are enough ladies there he and Gao Gao might be able to charm a change. Those boys apprecuate the girlies.
Great names! Love them all. Especially, Qi Ji. Taking everything into consider, he is a miracle. Thank you so much.
I have choosen Qi Ji too.
Qi Ji is my vote every beautiful baby is a miracle.
Dear SDZ,
Do you have a video of the latest cublet exam? Would love to see it!
Moderator’s note: It’s now posted. Enjoy!
THANK YOU!!!!!
I love all the name choices! I voted for Shui Long because of 2012 being the Year of the Dragon, my great niece thinks he “looks like he wants to take a tubby” when he’s on the ground, and last but not least: we will knick-name him Shoe-ee and honor Gao’s furry feet
10 minutes at least pleeeeeese!!
The 10th exam video is great, but it is Way too short
LOVE THOSE FEETSIE!
For the baby, I would choose Raindrop, but visualizing him as a big male adult I think rather Water Dragon
I am just wondering, but why do some of the names have to do with water? Was the cub born on a rainy day?
Nevermind, I figured it out…lol. Sorry.
I questioned why all the water references too. Its not like it rains much in San Diego.
I was rather disappointed in the name choices compared to last time.
I did vote and will be there for the announcement.
My husband and I salsa-ed in the rain and MUD to produce Chubbers. Rain has more meaning in Chinese than mud I guess is why water is referenced so much. For us Chinese, the dragon is a very good year for boys and the boys will grow up brave and strong.
Love,
Bai
Darling Bai, perhaps it is time for us to let you and Gao Gao pick the names. I am sure there could be a little game picked out for you guys to play, or since you spend the most time with him perhaps it should be you who chooses…You are certainly a good enugh mother to pick her babies name. I am working on the nanny keepers to make things more romantic if you and Gao gao get to date anymore in a couple of years. So far we have apples floating in a warm or cool pool, bubbly (grape juice plus the chimps call it), candle light, music~~can you think of anything to add??? Do remember that this will be between bamboo meals, so you can have fancy snackies, not only peeled apples but peeled grapes too……
oh I was surprised to see an exam video at the end of this. people might miss the video (based on the blog title) but maybe they’ll scroll down far enough (?).
congrats to those whose suggested names were selected. they’re really all quite poetic. I’m still in amazement there were 7,500 names. how popular pandas are!
I got linked through the facebook page Mei Xaings second miracle.
I like the name Yu Di for raindrop. I think it is a good name for the little one.
How wonderful to be able to handle this little cub during his exam. The zoo people do wonderful work especially with this little one wanting to play and run! I hope he doesnt have a reaction to his shots. Thanks to everyone for the great work!
Xiao Liwu (Xiǎo lǐwù), which means little gift. The Chinese characters are 小礼物
Qi Ji (Qíjī), which means miracle. The Chinese characters are 奇迹
I like these both because he is a miracle and he is Bai Yun’s little gift. I hope these 2 will be chosen when he is named.
What a pleasant treat for the day! He is just so cute, especially towards the end with the belly rubs… he seems to enjoy that
… we are glad he gained some more weight… and he looks very curious at his surroundings… smart, little fellow!
oh I voted too quickly, I wish I’d known the rain story. Raindrop is the cutest name for him then! Love,love,love the tickles at the end of the video!!
To Paula,
You could go to another person’s email address (or if you have more than one yourself) and vote for Raindrop!
Kay
good idea Kay! I’m starting to like a couple of the other names now too, I may vote for several
AAAAWWWW come on….we all like to have our bellies rubbed~~~don’t we???
Sorry my reply was about belly rubbing below not the subject above
Wow great names to pick from! I loved his exam today. Alot of talking and he even liked having his belly rub.
Yu Di has my vote!!!
Thanks agaom for the update and the video.
Watching Yun Zi eating his boo, I wonder, with all the bamboo that goes into each exhibit, I know the pandas eat pounds of it each day. Is it picked everyday, or once picked, can it last for a long time before going bad. Or does it even go bad?
Moderator’s note: It is harvested a few days each week and stored in a large, walk-in cooler. You can read more about our pandas’ bamboo at All about Bamboo.
All I can say is WOW! very, very interesting. Kudos to the Panda team, the keepers, and everyone else involved in feeding these beautiful bears. I am just starting to learn about pandas, thanks to SDZ having web cams. I have never seen a Panda live, until coming across your site just in time to see Bai have her 6th cub. Now I am sorry I missed the other 5 cubbies, and I am addicted. I want to learn as much as I can, so thank you for the blog on Bamboo.. You all do a terrific job, and I Thank You!
What an interesting article about the bamboo! In the wild it amazes me that the pandas chose this as their main diet, I even heard somewhere that it doesn’t have a lot of nutrition ( altho looking at the pandas that’s hard to understand). Maybe it was taken up in the wild as necessity? It amazes me.
Wow he is so big,You like you having fun with him how fun,He is moving around now.He is still cute
Oh my, this will take some thinking. Water Dragon is certainly a grown up name; he is a little Miracle; and Yu Di is cute. I will try the google translate so I can hear the names; thank you for that tip!! At least we have some time to vote. Thank you again so very much for making this open to all his pandafans around the world to pick the best name for him.
I bet there are a lot of very disappointed fans, myself include, that none of the names have Gao in it. We got to honor Bai Yun by giving Yun Zi part of her name and I was really hoping Gao would be honored this time. Gao really deserved a namesake as he is an equal part of the success of the zoo having 5 cubs born there. Bai didn’t do it by herself. Guess I’ll vote for Shui Long as it’s the year of the dragon and water will remind us that not even the rain could keep Gao from his appointed duty. Plus Shooee Long sounds cute.
I’m disappointed. I thought that “Gao” would feature somewhere. I probably will not vote. They are all cute. I don’t think he’ll ever be a dragon. Otherwise ( water references) he’s got to be an amphibian! Pity he doesn’t have the webbed paws!
Yu Di is my absolute favourite!
I don’t know if anyone else also submitted the name Shui Long (Water Dragon), but I would like to explain why I submitted this name.
I happened to find out that 2012 is the Year of Water Dragon (water is one of the five elements in Chinese astrology). Since the breeding took place on a rainy day, I thought the name Water Dragon is perfect for the cub.
I have also read that the water element has a “calming effect” on the dragon. The cub appeared to be quite mellow in the earlier exam videos. Perhaps this mellowness is due to the calming effect. The cub is squirmy too, perhaps due to the fearless nature of the dragon.
thanks for your explanation. I chose this name. it sounded a little traditional and keeping with some Chinese feel. but also I liked how it sounded (my imagination of the pronunciation b/c I didn’t have the translator actually speak it). I like your interpretations of how the cub’s behavior can be fitting with the name.
Thank you and those who have voted for Shui Long. Since this cub is probably Bai Yun’s last cub, I would like him to have a strong, meaningful name like those of his older siblings who have a special status as overseas-born pandas. I decided to suggest Shui Long also because the name is manly. We all want the little boy to grow into a big, strong, fearless bear. With all things considered, I think this cub is truly a water dragon baby.
I also submitted the name Shui Long (Water Dragon), as this is the year of the water dragon. The year of the water dragon occurs once per sixty years and, according to Chinese culture, is an especially strong and auspicious year. Dragons are fearless, independent, resourceful, and charismatic—all characteristics that might be attributed to our little panda. Water tempers the dragon’s spirit with calmness and patience—which might also describe our cub. A baby born in the year of the dragon brings luck to a household.
In the Chinese culture, dragons are culture bearers. While the panda is not a culture bearer in the sense of teaching us how to live or behave in our culture, he does afford us an opportunity to learn about Chinese culture. In that sense, he bears (no pun intended), or brings, Chinese culture to us.
These are my reasons for submitting the name Shui Long (Water Dragon), which seems to be a particularly appropriate and strong name for our little man. Thank you to all of you who also submitted and voted for the name Shui Long.
I like all of the name choices. A big congratulations to everyone that took the time to submit them.
Now to decide on one for our chubby cubbie!
Just love the videos, just wish they were a little bit longer. Also wish we could see when mama takes her cutie outside. Is there a cam set up so we will see this eventually? I have everyone at work now watching the cam.
Used the Google translator on all the names. Interestingly was that some of the translations didn’t quite match the names given. The best sounding, and certainly the most appropriate is “Water Dragon.”
Don’t know how to paste so I guess I won’t be able to hear the choices. I like the appropriateness of “Water Dragon” but I also think “Brave Son” is a good choice. It gives GaoGao some recognition plus I can’t believe the little prince never so much as flinched when he got his vaccines. Now thats brave! I’ll have to think about this awhile. Also I find it interesting no one has commented on Da Hai as a name choice at all.
Bonny, if you would like to learn how to cut and paste the easiest way is through somebody walking you through it a few times. There is more than one method, but I found for myself that using the highlighter along with the list on the screen given with a right side button click is the fastest and easiest for me. Have your Guru (or get one if you do not have one), ask a neighbor, or even better a child to show you then walk you through it. My daughter helped me by phone but the first obsticle was this gargon. She said to click the right button~~I looked at my right hand holding the mouse and thought to myself that since I had the mouse in my right hand I just use the button I always use. She did not know that “my speedy show you, but not let you learn it son” had not pointed out the buttons to me, and that there were two for two functions. Once we got past that I moved right along. The reason I reccommend a child teacher for advanced age like me, or if there is difficulty in learning, a child will try to teach you as if you were a child, patiently, slowly, and so that it sticks. Some Gurus get a bit annoyed when they have to do the same thing for you more than once, but I cannot grasp that if he would take a few minutes to show me I might be able to take care of my own needs next time. Let me know when you can copy and paste all of the links and such that cannot be clicked on and need the other way.
Do you ever hear anything about Zhen Zhen and Su Lin and her son?? I think of them often and miss them at SDZ, I hope they’re doing ok?
Great video of little Mr. cuteness
Google yingying816 youtube n u wl see the latest video of Zhen Zhen. Annette (yingying816) visited her recently. ZZ is now at Mt Emei near Le Shan abt 2 hrs away from Bifengxia Panda Base. A slim, petite, pretty panda girl…she has matured n she enjoys having visitors around.
I only wish that Gao Gao could have gotten some acknowledgement like Bai Yun was given with Yun Zi…
“Moderator’s note: 2012 is the Chinese Year of the Dragon, and the cub was conceived on a very rainy day.”
This has sueded my vote! Shui Long it is!
Shui Long (Shuǐlóng), which means water dragon. The Chinese characters are 水龙
Well I like Water Dragon myself but I also like Little Gift so I’ll be happy if they pick that as well. Anyone else think that those exams are too short? I wanted to see him crawl a bit more. All the names are approved by the Chinese as well right? If so that means they like all of them. Also I sort of like to be able to pronounce the names and some are a bit more complex this time around. Can’t wait for the naming though and his first visit out in public.
Every week he gets cutier.. thank you so much for such a wonderful treat on this Tuesday.. what a great way to end my long day
OMG he is a water dragon, I’m voting for that…..so manly just like our little panda!
Thank you for the great name choices! I narrowed mine down to Qi Ji and Yu Di. Besides the actual meaning of those, I go with my perception of the little guy’s personality. And to me only these two names reflect his character (at least as much as I can pick up via panda cam): feisty, independent, full of energy. QiJi sounds very vibrant and fiery, which I think is what the cubbie is going to be. And Yu Di in my mind simply talks to the little brother of Yun Zi!
So I will sit on these two names a couple of days and vote then. Soon, soon, the little fluff ball will have his own name!!
Due to the loss of mei’s cub at the National Zoo I have chosen Qi Ji as all panda cubs born who survive are truly mircales. At Bai’s age he is a blessed mircale.
I feel the same. This little guy is a miracle. Qi Ji is my choice too.
I voted for Shuǐlóng Water Dragon
水龙 – because of the rarity of the Water Dragon occurance ~ 60 years is a long time, ask me, hehe! Also he has always had long legs to me, either he stretches them; or maybe Bai with all her baths, hehe. All the names are nice and almost went with miracle, but those long legs & 60 years sold me. He is so adorable & playful already!
Wow. I can’t believe it’s that time already. Some great suggestions for names. He is just so adorable. As always, thanks for sharing.
How adorable! As always, the baby always warms my heart. Reminds me of a human baby squirming during a doctor exam:) love that he is more active and always looking to escape his den. Can’t believe how FLUFFY he is! As for his name, too hard to decide. He is a little miracle, a gift to all!
I love Qi Ji. He truly is the little miracle!
I voted for proud son because of Gao. Yunnie is named for his mother so I think it would be nice for Gao to have this cub named for him. Raindrop is nice for a cub but for me…it would be a childish name for a huge male bear….kinda like a guy named Sue. Sorry everyone but I can’t help it. lol
Yong Er means Brave Son….not proud son;)
ok its 10:30 cst and no baby in den…where do they sleep? would think the den would be softer for baby than a cement floor..can someone pls tell me? thnks..ok ok he can sleep with me..hahah..
Now what’s with that full on tummy rub Chubbers was getting at the end of the video??? Hmmm, as a panda mama, I am happy he is loved and I hope he is not too spoilt or else I have to work extra hard to ‘sit on’ him and make him mind his manners. I will not tolerate any hissy fits or impolite behaviour from my babies. Thank You once again for making sure he is healthy and all his sharpies are done. Wasn’t he sooo brave? No ouchie.
Love,
B
Did you do a Nanny Keeper Lip check for smeared lipstick or a black or white stray hair???? The Hooman Ladies are very talented in this kind of inspection, they do it on their males all the time, so you would need to be fast in checking up on them.
The not so little cubbie sure gained a lot of weight in a few days
Weight gain means squirmy 
He was all over the place.
I decided to vote for YuDi
I figured once he is an adult bear he won’t be called Raindrop 
He’ll have own nickname 
this inspiring, gentle sweetheart panda all admirers and friends, we can say only that it is a miracle / Qi Ji / . far in Europe, daily monitoring panda families, makes my days
and thank you for online cam.
Moderator’s note: The above comment was translated by google translate from Czech.
I have been enjoying watching the baby panda; he brightens up my work day!
A minor concern about the names: I know that the Chinese sometimes give nicknames of the last character twice. I don’t know if that applies to pandas. While Qi Ji is a beautiful name, the human nickname (Ji Ji) for that would be quite unfortunate sounding (in Mandarin).
I voted for Shui Long because of that.
Shhhhhhhhhhh mom & baby sleeping in den (12:05 am..cst) so cute the way mom is holding him..wonder what they are dreaming about???
Wow–this is a hard choice, but I am leaning towards Water Dragon, for the reasons people have mentioned above, and also because it’s a nice two-syllable name, like the rest of the Gao-Yun family. Gao Shui Long has a nice ring to it, I think.
Yu Di (Yǔdī), which means raindrop. The Chinese characters are 雨滴
Shui Long (Shuǐlóng), which means water dragon. The Chinese characters are 水龙
He was born in the year of the dragon and was conceived in the water too, but a close second would be:
Qi Ji (Qíjī), which means miracle. The Chinese characters are 奇迹 . because he is a miracle due to Bai’s age and the loss of the cubby to Mei at the National Zoo
ye, I agree that the exam video should have been a bit longer….I would love to see more of that belly rub which he seemed to really enjoy….what a cutie pie he is, and will be excited to see what his name will be.
Hi everyone! I proposed Raindrop and I’d like to clarify my choice.
Where did our Raindrop come from? From his Mommy, whose name is White Cloud. It is the Cloud that usually gives birth to little raindrops. On Sunday July 29 our raindrop fell to earth. I hope he’ll have a wonderful journey!
Thanks for those who vote for Yu Di, the Raindrop.
Is naming day delayed due to presidential election? Yunnie was named on 17/11/2009 the day we flew from SD to Vegas and now #6 is named on 13th Nov. Will it be just over 100 days?
Moderator’s note: Yes. The cub will be 107 days old on the day of his naming ceremony.
‘Hiyak, Hak, Yak….’ Cubby No 6 was trying in his own way to effect some Kung Fu poses.
;My sweetpea, what are you doing?’ asked his Mama, Missy Bai as she watched her little boy.
‘I am the Brave One who is as strong as a Water Dragon!’ and with that he rolled here and there.
‘And what was that?’
‘A dragon moving through the big ocean, of course! Ta Dum Ta Dum Ta Dum!’ and Chubbers rolls into a ball.
‘Let me guess, you are now a raindrop?’ asks his Mama amused.
‘YES, you are so smart!’ yells her cubby gleefully.
‘And what a nice round raindrop you are too,’ remarks Bai as she eyes his round tushy.
Then Cubby rolls till he is near his Mama. He raises his head. She sweeps him up and gives him a kiss on the nose. He kisses her nose and tries to blow a raspberry on her snout.
‘Mama, close your eyes please,’ pleads Gao Junior, ‘Count to twee then open your eyes, K?’
‘OK, pumpkin.’
Cubby ties a huge red bow round his neck. Bai opens her eyes and she guffaws.
‘An early Christmas present?’ she asks.
‘No, I am just a small gift, Mama, and my gift is my wuv. I wuv you lots and lots and lots.’
Bai picks him up and looks at him in the eyes and she whispers ever so softly, ‘And you are my miracle! And I wuv you lots and lots and lots!’
‘Mama, let’s play.’
‘Thought you’d never ask.’
‘Hee Hee Hee, Mama, Hee Hee Hee!’
That was precious and so clever! And it shows how the various names come into play — I love it! Thanks, Bai Yun and Cubbie #6…
Hello everyone from Italy,
between names proposed, I prefer Yu Di (Yǔdī).
But the name that really I like for Panda Cub is MENG WU (萌物)
It’s 9:42 est and Bai just got done doing some serious housekeeping. What a riot! Looks like she was digging to China
Poor little rain drop 
didn’t know what the heck was going on. She finally decided the den was up to her standards and now she’s cradling him – for the moment. What fun.
I think that the name Little Gift is so appropriate. He is truly a joyful little gift in this world where so many things are so difficult for so many people. He is a wonderful diversion, if just for a few moments a day, for all of us and gives us hope!
What a brave little soldier he is…after 2 sharpies shot into his fluffy butt n he didn’t feel a thing! wow..cutie’s mind is set on pwatissing his walking. Now that he can see every day is an exciting day f him n us.
Shui Long is a most appropriate name for our little cub. He has brought me many hours of cheer and I drop in to see him and his mom often during the day. Sometimes he is “home alone” and some days he is “out with mom”. They are both so precious in my eyes.
I voted for Qi Ji since it’s a miracle that the Bai and Gao’s “Rainstorm Rendezvous” produced Our Widdle Guy. I for one thought Bai was too old to have another cub, so for her to give birth at age 20 is miraculous! He’s a miracle!
For those that weren’t watching the Panda Cam back in March when cubbie #6 was conceived, here are a couple of videos of Gao Gao and Bai Yun together …
2012-03-18 Bai Yun and Gao Gao Mating
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xv8JFB93Kw
2012-03-19 Bai Yun and Gao Gao: The End of the Breeding Season?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzYGx5u3SrM
Cubbie just keeps getting more and more rambunctious during his exams ~ what an armful for y’all, and a paw-ful for Bai Yun. Is he a raindrop, a gift, a miracle, or a dragon ~ I’ve pretty much decided. Shall be interesting to see what this 7.7 pound bundle of joy is named.
What I do not understand is why the pool is empty. They could have had a romantic little dip before they said goodbye, since they got soaked anyway. And Bai seemed confused as to why she was getting hosed more than him, he was the one trying to put the moves on her not the other way around. If they get together again it might be nice to have a pool warm or cool depending on the weather, a bottle of the bubbly, and decorate the pool wdith some apples…they float and the bears could do fun things sharing them. Maybe the problelm with Pandas is not with breeding but with lack of romance. So lets light a few candles, put on some bear (or BARE) music….you know what the girlies like.
Please, everyone, go to Google Translate to hear the pronunciation of the proposed names. Some of them aren’t very pleasing sounds, and we must call him by the name chosen (unless we use a nickname, of course). I think a few of them would be hard for us to pronounce.
Just viewed a touching scene–Bai seemed to be teaching cubbie to sit. And she’s so patient and loving.
Agree ! Which is why I chose Yu Di !! It sounds fun, strong, easy to pronounce, and pleasing to the ear !
** Note ** listen to Babara in Midwest – go to google translate, and listen to your name choices
Love the name Gift. He is that, but we’ll continue to call him Lil Tuger.
What was happening at 8:27 am MST time? Someone came in to the den and was moving the bamboo and then the cam went up.
Moderator’s note: It sounds like one of the cub’s sessions with a keeper, where he gets used to their touch. You can see the results of these little sessions during the exam videos.
Aw….sooo disappointed that Gao isn’t part of any of the possible cub names, particularly after Yun Zi was named such in honor of his mother, and Mr. Gao Gao has done such an excellent job as the natural dad for all five of his cubs. NOT FAIR!!
However, having said that, I think I will vote for Shui Long, Water Dragon. It seems the most fitting, and it’s a nice, strong name.
I do wonder, though, how many of the the panda cubs born in captivity this year in China are also named Shui Long, given that it is the Year of the Water Dragon.
I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong, but it seems that Da Hai (Dàhǎi), which means big ocean/big sea, is an homage to Gao Gao. We were previously told that Gao Gao means big big, although the Meet the Pandas page has modified the meaning to “Tall tall” or “High high.” Still similar.
I still like Shui Long.
Thanks for the info, Lisa in SD! : )
After listening to Dr. Pye describe the cub during his 10th exam, I had to laugh when I saw 200+ pound Bai Yun handle her squirming 7.7 pound cubbie in the afternoon. Sometimes he’s content to rest quietly on Bai Yun’s chest, but not this time
2012-10-23 Bai’s Wiggly Cubbie Wants Down NOW!
http://youtu.be/HE8x202__KY
I was thinking exactly the same thing, DoxieMom. I guess since the SDZ keepers would not let him go, he was going to try to persuade Mama later. Well, we all know about the Mama!
so funny, he’s doing the same thing now (12:24 PT). that kid is not a baby anymore!
Oh Myyyy, what a squirrely, feisty little guy ! LOL !
MamaMia! Get out the baby gate! This ones ready to break out at any moment! I think this is the most active I’ve ever seen him. What a great Kodak moment. Thanks so much for sharing DoxieMom. By the way, how do you capture all these special clips? Are you a SDZ employee or an avid Panda fan and computer wiz? Just curious and grateful whoever you are. Thanks again for your dedication and clips.
Love this one Doxie, just as i love all your others. Looks as though cubby really wants down, and Bai Yun is saying No, not now! I’m sure we’ll have many more little scenes like this as time goes on. Thank you for capturing this, it is really fun to watch.
Helen
ok…i be so dissappointed my lil ‘chubby cubby’ wasn’t one of the chosen! lol
he’ll always be MY lil ‘chubby cubby’ to me! But I did vote for Yong Er ~ Brave Son….he is absolutely precious!!!!! Thanks all zoopeoples for taking such wonderful care of our babies!!!!! ;D
Water Dragon is a very strong name for a male panda. Remember he will have to live with the name….make it a strong one not a wimpy one, our little guy deserves that!!
I don’t think anybody beat up the Male Panda from another Zoo who had been mistaken for 6 years to be female, since a name change takes time, and her~his~it’s not reported that the other Pandas bullied him. I think he was smart and wanted to hang out wit the girlies.
I haven’t seen Yun Zi lately. Am sure I just missed him. Do you show him from time to time? I have been watching the soon to be named cubbie on a regular basis, but just thought of Yun Zi lately and wondered about him!
Moderator’s note: He is indeed shown from time to time and is doing great.
Judy do you have access to watch during daytime hours? That is the usual time you get to see either Yunior or Gao Gao. But there needs to be sufficient volunteers doing the cameras, and during Panda lunch time, for us to see them then. The keepers are very busy when Bears are hungry, or their areas need cleaning~~And we have a bit of a problem with scratch marks on the Cam stuff if we let the bears into the Cam area to do it themselves. They would not mind and might do a funny job of it, following the NannyKeepers and watching where they try to hide the treats and such, but those scratches on the equiipment…do you think they might wear gloves while they work????? Love grammmie
I love you little cub! I vote Xiao Liwu (Xiǎo lǐwù), which means little gift. The Chinese characters are 小礼物
Be strong and healthy, little panda! I vote for Shui Long (Shuǐlóng), which means water dragon.
We are seeinga few “waters” here~~I hope he likes the water a bit better than Yun Zi did at first. He would only get in the pond standing on a surfboard for a long time, but he did it well.
Yun Zi around lunch time found a nice place to perch his butt high above his hammock. I love how SDZ has constructed his jungle gym so he can climb high and even sit up there comfortably to survey his kingdom or take a snooze
Sorry he is only a prince, he can survey his Principality….Chubbers will survey the Kingdom, learning it from his mom when she surveys her Empire!
Whe then have to address her as Her Imperial Highness Empress Bai Yun and Family.
I don’t remember how old the cubs are when they really walk. I thought it was 12 weeks but this cubbie hasn’t really mastered his back legs yet. Do you think anohther week?
thanks
Moderator’s note: Our other cubs started belly-off-the-ground locomotion at 14 to 15 weeks, with coordinated walk achieved at about 5 months.
Yong Er please!
Yong Er (Yǒng er), which means brave son. The Chinese characters are 勇儿
Yes me tooooooooooooo !!…gr8 name..I forget you can only vote once
With all the bamboo that Bai has moved into the den, when will the keepers shovel some of that out so sausage will have an easier time of getting in and out of the den himself. I’m assuming the keepers will be doing this or will Bai paw it out herself into the bedroom for the keepers disposal
According to a Moderator in a previous blog since #6 Birth Bai Yun, and only Bi Yun arranges anything about Bamboo in the Den itself EVER. Just before the Den was closed when Yn Zi was Past normal time of usage I saw a bare floor in the Den and figured the Keepers emptied it in an attempt to get him out of the Den before11 in the morning, but did not ask. When I read about it in the last month or so here I remembered back and had the answer to my old question.
I think Bai must have spoken to a keeper to say it’s okay to take some of the bamboo out as the cam caught one of the keepers snitching some bamboo. I think it was yesterday or the day before.
The bamboo placement is just not the same once the CAM operator moves the camera to den ceiling
I have voted on one of the names. Having listened to them the choice was a lot easier than just choosing one for the meaning as some of the names had quite a harsh sound.
Celfy — I agree — some of the names sounded quite harsh. Listening to them pronounced certainly affected my choice…
To work in the SDZ Bear Section, two rules must be observed at all times. Please keep them in mind when you are around the bears, particularly the P bears:
SDZ Rule #1: Don’t kiss the bears.
SDZ Rule #2: See Rule #1.
SDZ Panda Keepers & Staff, including Jennifer: OMG!!! Don’t kiss the bears… Don’t kiss the bears…. got to feed the P bears! Don’t kiss the bears… Bamboo… Don’t kiss the bears…. Carrots, Yams… Don’t kiss the bears… Get the baby P bear!?!!!… Yikes! I think I kissed the baby P bear, that may not count as Don’t kiss the bears…. oh no, what to do… check the rules… Don’t kiss the bears! (.)(.)
Life really must be difficult at the SDZ for the keeper and staff. I can tell that baby has been kissed more that once! He is very well adjusted, big inquisitive eyes, kisses, hugs and all, well done job, I think Bai knows too.
Love your post Beverly~just after I read it I saw on my other open window on the screen that Bai Yun came in to check on the cubbie in case somebody was kissing him. She gave him a few kisses to make sure everybody knew he needed no more, then thought beter of it and took him with her and left!
My baby has been kissed by hoomans?
Yes ma’am! since the new HD cameras have been put in, I can see almost all of them (kisses) on my screen too! Now about those fancy ears of yours… I thought I noticed they were extra special, did any of your babies get them?
Beverly, I am not going to tell Bai this butttttt~~~You Are Bad!!!!!
My Dear Bai, Your baby is very very safe, your SDZ staff and keepers are the best there is any where. Please don’t be concerned about the “air kisses”, they are the good feelings hoomans get when hoomans see your precious babies and even you and your sweetie Gao cause this effect on the hoomans. Sometimes the air kisses escape so quickly it surprises the hoomans, if you felt them, you would grin big ear to big ear! These little air kisses could never compare to your tender and perfect care you give your babies. You bring us so much happiness, You are the best Mom and You have taught us so much. Thank you… with love, hugs and air kisses!
Well, in that case, *blush* I will let it go. A mama needs to protect her baby and make sure he is not too spoilt. He is a cutie bug isn’t he? I want this phase to go vey slowly so I can enjoy snuggling him. He makes a great pillow btw.
Come by and see us some time.
Panda Love,
Bai
Oh, my goodness! I have never laughed so hard at a post as I have this one and the replies you received as well, Beverly! I am sooooo glad you explained things to Bai Yun so that she wouldn’t be too upset with those loving keepers. She might never trust her little cubbie with them ever again!!! And yes, how we all send those air kisses to the little cutie, I mean cubbie… I cannot wait until he is out on display for all to see in the flesh, not just on the cam.
Thank you PandafanDS, that was a close call (ô)(ô)!!!… none of us Panda Fans want to see an upset Momma Panda, she would be sitting on us big time! Gosh, I thought for sure she knew about our Air Kisses. BTW, if the truth was known, I bet “Don’t kiss the bears.” runs through the Nanny Keepers mind all the time, don’t you?! That must be the real challenge of the job!!!
I’m voting for Water Dragon.
Yu Di – Rain Drop – For Sure !!
Sounds more fun, easy to pronounce, and I like “Rain Drop”.
3:13 PM. I think I’m seeing Yun Zi (left ear looks nice and round!) chowing down on bamboo leaves as though they were chocolate chip cookies. lol
He seems to eat everything like they are chocolate chip cookies—we can count on that. Before he could really eat his “Boo” he loved to lay in his hammock (the little one not the one he has now) and taste the leaves.
I chose Yong Er (Brave Son). I, too, wish we cud hv named him after Gao Gao…Gao Xing maybe. Although he started off smaller than his siblings he also attempted crawling early ar 9 wks even fell out of the den several times. He is determined n he’s quite loud n vocal esp when he wants his way. Besides, after 3 sharpies stuck in his fluffy butt n not a wimper, I must this pandatot w a pandatude is a brave little cubbie…little mighty mite.
I almost forgot… I had too much fun with the above post!
Without a doubt Baby Fluffy Bottom really is a wonderful Miracle.
San Diego Zoo is giving us a Rare and Special Gift. Thank you so much, this is only a tiny amount of gratitude and certainly not enough. It is a wonderful experience to observe this miracle with his perfect Mom Bai.
All the names are very nice and appropriate for him.
I am thinking, like everyone else… I want all to be the best for him, something very auspicious and keeping in mind his Chinese heritage, I voted for:
Shui Long (Shuǐlóng), which means water dragon. The Chinese characters are 水龙
He is a beautiful healthy baby now and will be a fine grown up male Panda, just like his Dad Gao, too soon with any one of the great names.
Again, Thank you for sharing, San Diego Zoo Panda Keepers, Staff and Meerkats, great job, you are the best. Hope to visit you soon!
St.Annes-On-The-Sea
Lancashire UK
Gao Gao played a significant role in San Diego Zoo giving us 5 healthy cubs and his name is not even on the list. There are 6 names chosen, not even one has a Gao in it.
I am really disappointed that Gao Gao is not honoured. The cub who is smaller than the others takes after his daddy. Without Gao Gao, we Panda fans, would not be able to watch all these cubs grow in front of our eyes.
Being Chinese myself, I knew very well the Chinese Panda Team would choose Lóng (Dragon). The Dragon is a traditional animal symbolic of auspiciousness bringing good luck, good fortune and prosperity. That’s why my dad named my twin sister after a Dragon. My Chinese name is named after the Phoenix.
Personally I think Gao Lóng goes well with this cub because there is a Gao in the name and the Cubbie was born in a Dragon year.
If you call the Panda out loud, “Gao Lóng! Gao Lóng!” it sounds better than “Shuǐ Lóng! Shuǐ Lóng!”.
I strongly agree with Maureen in Michigan, Martha, Teresa in TN and all Gao Gao fans out there that Gao should be honoured.
I like Xiao Liwu (Little Gift) as he is the littlest of all his siblings.
St.Annes-On-The-Sea
Lancashire UK
Dear Gao Gao,
I have never met you before but I am really disappointed your name is not chosen. In recognition of you, I have decided to name a swan after you.
I always give names to the swans that I feed in the lake and ponds. They all have English names. This is the first time I am giving a name in Chinese.
2 swans recently flew into a pond where I feed ducks. I call them Swan Swan and I talk them a lot.
Today I will name them Gao Xing and Bai Xing. Xing means Star.
Gao Gao, if one day you notice a Swan fly above you in San Diego Zoo, you must remember, there is a little bit of Gao and a little bit of Bai in 2 swans on a beautiful pond in St.Annes-On-The-Sea, Lancashire, UK.
Gao Gao you should be named Panda Dad of the year because your Bai Yun already won the best Mom title last year.
Dear Sweet Cynthia,
Thanks. And for your info Gao Xing may mean High Star but what is nice is that in Chinese it is a homophone for Happiness. I am happy to have a swan named after me. My missus is as pretty as a swan and I think it is nice you named a swan after her.
My cubby is a sweetie and I love him. He deserve a great name given him by all the hoomans who love him. The family will give him our name for him. It is his secret panda name.
May there be much boo in your life,
GG
Awwww, that’s nice, 2 beautiful names too!
Such a wonderful thought on yr part, Cynthia. Seriously Gao Gao sb named Panda Dad of the Yr or Panda Man of the Yr complete w picture n award (big round panda cake) if we look into his life history, how he survived an attack in the wild to go on to make a great life for himself at SD Zoo n the fact he sired every cubbie naturally…the panda gods are definitely smiling on GG n BY.
The whole post is just lovely.
How many cams outside? its 6:44 cst and its showing a panda eating…I assume its mom? do you show other pandas outside too?….years ago you would indicate what cam is showing who..I dont know why you took that away, now its a guessing game who we are seeing..
Moderator’s note: We currently have 3 outside cams: one each for Gao Gao, Yun Zi, and Bai Yun’s garden room. When we upgraded the cams to high definition, we lost the ability to have them show a number. We are looking into solutions. In the meantime, we hope you are enjoying the improved views.
The views are so lovely, as are the photos we can snap again too. I snapped quite a few when Yun Zi was growing up, but they are hard to see, these are much better. Now with a few more Meercat volunteers to aim the cams……………………..
Exam # 10 is really cute……he just keeps getting cuter and cuter. I also did some research on the Webbed toes question, and copied and pasted the answer here of the questions and answers from archives of Exam #3. Cubbers is the ONLY Gao Gao child without the webbed toes 2 and 3 left rear foot.
Susan, PA
Posted September 7, 2012 at 6:22 AM
Web Feet?
Moderator’s note: No webbed feet on this cub.
Reply
Grammmie
Posted September 7, 2012 at 1:18 PM
The second and third toes are webbed on Gao Gao’s left hind foot, and so have all of his cubs and cubettes….so far. We are awaiting word to see if this one gets “the Toes” too. If he gets Pappa’s toes and Mamma’s ears (she got hers from the Disney store) then he has the best possible start in a Panda life. Bai wins the Imperial Ears award every year.
Moderator’s note: No webbed feet on this cub.
I did remove some spaces between lines, and am adding this…..The reason we got this twice was because in the same comment 2 of us were asking about the same thing, overnight or a weekend, and it was a few days before we got to the anwers. I believe the moderator who told me I had a false memory of sound on the den cam when Yunior was a baby~and I believe them here too. Now if we could get this tail thing straightened out or me straightened out abut it, I would be happy. I have been under the impression that the first in he family to have a black tail tip was Yun Zi and that he was the only member in the family to have it, adults included~but if I find out I am wrong I will tell you. Since I have not been able to find a person to tell me if Gao Gao has it, or someone around long enough to confirm, I am researching in photos to see if I can get an answer there. If anyone reading this would like to share information or photos showing it I would really be happy to know one way of the other. I hate being wrong, but hate disinformation given by me even more…..Love Grammmie
Keeper Jennifer responds: It’s a white tail with a black spot on the tip of the tail. And originally we thought this was a Gao Gao trait, but we found an old picture of Hua Mei and she had the black spot, too. So it must be a Bai Yun trait since all six cubs had this.
Thank you for the quick answer….I do like keeping my facts straight, especially if I am going to share them.
My first grade class has been watching the baby Panda by video cam. We saw him crawl out of his den for maybe the first time. Where is he now? Would it be possible to create a video at the zoo and say the names that were selected? We would like to hear how they sound before voting. Thank you!
Salem, Oregon, First Graders
Moderator’s note: If you’d like to hear how a name is pronounced, you can visit Google Translate: http://translate.google.com where you can copy a name’s Chinese characters, paste it into Google Translate, and hear it from a Chinese speaker. Have fun!
Watching Bai Yun and cubbie “Brave Son” for me, cuddling and just loving each other, what a beautiful site. how blessed are we to be able to see this. Thank you SDZ!
Shui Long is the perfect name for this little sweetie. “Shui Long” rolls off the tongue easily and truly sounds like a panda name.
‘have been watching since 7:45 upto now… so sweet to see Mama Bai feeding the little one while he is nursing…Bai was kissing his face and then cuddled him so tenderly. What a wonderful and nurturing mother! Bai is just so beautiful with her cubs… then cubbie went for some cleaning which he seemed to mind and kept scratching his Mama’s snout… then he fell into a deep sleep Zzzz
. How sweet! ‘will never tire watching them and kept sending myself snapshots to capture the tender moments
Concerning names – do the pandas born in China each have their own name, or some other type of identifier? I was just thinking how fun it would be to see what they all are named, not that I need to!!! I agree that a name with water is the way to go for this little dude. Was just watching Bai Yun holding him for no reason at all except that she wanted to. Amazing mom and lucky little boy. He looked soooo comfy on her soft tummy
Bai is laying on her back with little one laying across her chest on his back. She is kissing him, so sweet. I just can’t get over the love Bai has for her cubs.
Moderator…if Bai and Gao met without her being ready for breeding would they fight? Would Bai fight with Yun Zi? They look so calm. I know they would most likely kill a human in short time as they are bears but wondered if they would hurt each other.
Moderator’s note: Bai Yun would never tolerate having Gao Gao or Yun Zi as a snacking buddy! You might find a blog post from 2005 interesting: Pandas Play Solitaire.
Awesome blog, and lets you understand why these bears are apart, and it makes perfect sense. So again, thank you SDZ for the education.
I agree~~great blog to review.
Hi Nannykeepers,
My Mama is hewping me wid this post. I wanna say I really really wiked the belly wub I got at the exam. My Mama says I should say Tank yew. AND I wanna say I wan more, hee hee. I did not mind the sharpie. It was no ouchie.
Wuv,
Chubbers aka Cuddle Bug
What a lovely Momma you have….not only the best looking Imperial Magesty on the block, but smart and helpful too. You are a lucky Panda Boy.
Why, dank yew Auntie Grammmie! Errrr…..is that right to call you Auntie Grammmie? Yesteday I was taken by the hooman nanny in bloo and she rubbed my belly and scritched me behind my ears. I hope I have Mama’s perfectly round ears which Unka Mr Mouse gave her.
My Papa dropped by for a visit last night. He is ever so handsome and Mama cooed. Hee Hee Hee. Ge Ge says that happens when a girl panda wikes a boy panda. I hope I get a girl panda cooing over me. Ge Ge says it is his turn first tho.
Please vote and give me a nice name, OK?
Love,
Chubbers aka Sausage aka Fluffy Butt aka Tuger aka Xiao Gao……
ps Auntie Lucilla helped me with this letter. She loves my family too.
Cubbie#6: You are so fortunate to have Auntie Lucilla helping you write your letters! She has such a way with words! We all love her stories. I hope you get to read them some time. And how glad I am that you told us how your mama got those lovely round ears. I too hope yours look just the same. You certainly are an adorable little cubbie!
Lots of love, Auntie Deborah (aka PandafanDS)
PS — I love the name “Xiao Gao”. Sure wish we could vote for that one..
Anything you say King Fluffy Butt!
As told her by Yun Zi:
‘Ge Ge, what is that?,’ yells the cute sweet cuddle bug as he saw Yunior coming with a bag.
‘I brought my baby brudder a sweet treat – a milkshake!’
‘YAY! My Ge Ge is my hero!’
‘Slow down, Little Water Dragon who is a Raindropin a Big Ocean!’
‘HAHAHA, soon soon I will have a name……this milkshake is nice!’
‘And are you a Brave One who is a small miraculous gift to us.’
‘Ge Ge, you are teasing me! I wish I could have all these names and more.’
‘To me you’ll always be my baby brother.’
‘Ge Ge, what flabor was dis milkshake?’
‘Booberry. And when you are finished I am going to take you out for a ride.’
‘A wide??? Where?’
‘I am going to carry you up a tree and then you can see faraway.’
‘WHEEEE, I wike that very much. Ge Ge, you need to burp me though.’
‘OK, come, I am gonna swing you up and place you here!’ and witht that Yunior picked up his brother and placed him on his shoulder.
‘Yeek, OK. I am OK now Ge Ge, Let’s go, I wanna climb a twee with you…..What’s dis?’
‘Its a safety belt that will tie you to me so you wont fall.’
‘I wont cos I will be holding you tight tight, Ge Ge. And Ge Ge, there is a lot of you to hold, no?’
‘Yes, little one, hold on tight and away we go!’
‘Away we go, two brothers on an adventure! Wheeeeeee!’
I can hardly wait to find out what they see….it is a big zoo, but tall treees are in the mix.
I felt it was very sweet when Bai return to the mouth of the den to lay down with her chin alongside cubby and her paws wrapped around him. even though I would agree Bai can be a rough bather (or whatever that biting behavior is for) but she also seems loving and attentive. the naturalist whose panda book I was reading said something like: our observations of animals are more reflections on ourselves than on the animal.
the other day when there were closeup’s on Bai on her garden platform, Bai was resting with her eyes open. I felt like she looked so pretty.
thinking about the panda exam videos. usually there is a rotation of the vet who gives the exam. are the vets usually staff members at SDZoo? do vets specialize in a certain group of animals? do lizards (and other non-baby, healthy adults) get vet exams too? sorry but one question domino’s into the next…
Moderator’s note: We have several veterinarians on staff at the Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. They all have to know about every species! Many of our animals get annual physicals, others are checked as needed. One of our Zoo hospital keepers wrote several blogs about the different animals that arrive there that you might enjoy reading. Her most recent one, which has a link to the previous one, etc., is: Zoo Hospital: Leopard Youngsters.
thanks for the link and response.
Little known factctoid…..The Vets kickback half a paycheck to get a chance to handle one of these rare and beautiful creatures. I am not sure if Gao and Bai get a 50-50 split, or if Yun Zi arranged the whole thing himself.
Grammie… you are so smart and yet so funny! I love you! xxoo
I would like the San Diego Zoo to provide the pronounciations for us! Like you haven’t anything better to do, I know….but I am not good at finding things on websites. I voted for Yu Di (Raindrop). Is it You Dee? Will have to wait until the ceremony!
The pronunciation is provided in the blog. That’s what in the parenthesis. As for how to say what’s in the parentheses, that’s another story. I know what you’re looking for as this is what I did as cheats for foreign language study. I gave you my closest guess with words we know in the English language based on what Google Translator said. All pronunciation is for Mandarin Chinese. Cantonese Chinese would be different.
Qi Ji (Qíjī), miracle, 奇迹 — chi gee</i)
Yu Di (Yǔdī), raindrop, 雨滴 — yule dee</i)
Da Hai (Dàhǎi), big ocean/big sea, 大海 — da hi</i)
Xiao Liwu (Xiǎo lǐwù), little gift, 小礼物 — shah lee woo</i)
Yong Er (Yǒng er), brave son, 勇儿 — yune er</i)
Shui Long (Shuǐlóng), water dragon, 水龙 — sway long where long is like “oh” and not “ah” as</i)
I hope this helps. If you can, you should go to Google Translator and get the lady to say it for you you.
I’m voting for Shui Long (Shuǐlóng) : … perfect to me … ! :
- pleasant and melodious pronunciation
- easy to memorize
- very different from the other names of the family (Example: Yun Zi and Yu Di are too close names phonetically)
- high and positive chinese traditional symbolism
- particulary meaningful name for our Cubbie created in the rain and born in the year of the Water Dragon !
- imposing appearance name well suited to huge male bear and will add value to our dear Cubbie
- in Qi Gong, a chinese “gymnastics”, there is a movement called “The dragon is playing in the water”. This movement reminds me of both the power and flexibility of an adult panda movements…
This week has been so exciting seeing all our bears. Thank you San Diego staff for your outstanding job of keeping your panda fans in the loop!
Today I cast my vote for the new cubbie and decided that since it is the year of the dragon and cubbie will have this name for a long time that it was appropriate to name him Shuilong. Checked how it sounded on goggle. Thanks for the suggestion. Actually all the names are wonderful and whatever happens will be fine!
Can you explain what she’s doing when she is tossing him around and licking him?
Moderator’s note: Bai Yun turns bath time into play time!
Its my lickety-spin cycle on the Mama Monster Washing Machine
BY
I like:
Yong Er (Yǒng er), which means brave son. The Chinese characters are 勇儿
I like to think that he has a happy and healthy future to look forward to and will be able to handle whatever life has in store for him.
Beverly’s post is to cute. She wins the posting contest, if there is one. We don’t live in SD, so this is so precious to have the Panda Cam. Thank you SD Zoo. WE check in on Mom and baby several times during the day.
I have been looking for this post for days and was beginning to think I imagined it! I wanted to Thank you SA Wallick, that was so nice of you to say that. It was so much fun and I am so happy you got a good kick out of it… again, Thank you and enjoy!
PS The P bear kissing is still an ongoing issue!
9:05: what a sweet picture. Baby is curled up tightly, sound asleep, on Mama’s chest.
Is there anything that can be done at this point in time to get gao gaos’ name put into the mix for the cubbies name? I too am disappointed that daddy Gao is forgotten. It is sad, because after mating, he gets chased away, and never gets to even smell his little boy, let alone see him, or play with him. He should at least be included in the naming of his cubbie. Being a natural breeder alone should give him that honor.
I agree, doug, considering Gao Gao was an orphan, naming this cub after him in some way would be his legacy
We agree, too
… Gao-Gao has been a good mate and Papa
I also agree, and while I think that the six names are very good and had great difficulty deciding which one to vote for, I am really disappointed that Gao-Gao was not remembered in some way.
Thank you moderator….I did read the Panda’s Playing Solitaire article today and it was interesting! I don’t think most of us know about the tunnels and set up of the bear facility. Jusy did post some pictures of how Bai Yun’s set up is and it was much appreciated. Is there a way for you to post some photos to show all of us how the tunnels and so forth are set up? I know we all would love to see that if it is possible. Thank you so much. Thank you for the infor about the vets as well. One thing you do that is so important is….you show the rest of us how intelligent and important zoo keepers and moderators are. Thank you for that. Good job.
Moderator’s note: You are very welcome, tanda. We don’t have any photos of the tunnel system, but picture those areas as stretches of chain-link fence that connect each bedroom area to an exhibit.
Mary Kay,
I just saw your question wondering about the names of all the pandas in China. I don’t know where to get all of them, but a website called pandanews.com has a big database of not only current pandas, but deceased pandas as well. Each has its own species number, perhaps like the ID numbers that animals in the AZA’s Species Survival Plan have. All of the pandas outside China are present too, and you’ll find that there are even entries for cubs that were stillborn or died within a few days, like the Ling Ling and Mei Xiang cubs at the NZ. Some even have pictures, and there are lists and links to offspring.
Unfortunately, I’m not sure if it’s up an running at the moment. When I learned from the moderator’s comment a week or two ago that the famous Pan Pan weighed 300 pounds (!), I went to Panda News licketysplit to see a picture–and found that the site didn’t come up. It’s such a comprehensive database, though, that I don’t think it will just disappear. Keep trying if it doesn’t come up right now.
Thank you so much for taking the time to give me the information! I’m going to the site now and if it doesn’t come up I’ll try again. What started my curiosity was wondering if there were too many “Gao” names used and that being the reason none were chosen. So off I shall go to see what’s what. Maybe, and I’m sorry Bai Yun for suggesting this so close to your last birth – the NEXT panda boy can have the honor
Christine N J I get my short Panda News in an email whenever they put one out. I searched the page I had jut gotten last night and could not find anything that would take me anywhere else.
I must add my sadness to those who feel Gao Gao has been slighted with the naming choices. With his wild-born genes and ability to breed naturally, he’s contributed so much to panda conservation on a global scale–and of course to our ability to enjoy his children on a personal level. We really owe him some honor. We submitted gao rongyu (forgive the missing accents) to mean the ‘high honor” of experiencing this great little guy. I like Cynthia’s gao xing even better, though, and wish it had been selected!
Just to say thank you to the camera peson who is following Yun Zi at present (12.10pm PST). Wonderful shots. Reminds me of watching him just 2 weeks ago live at SDZ. Wonderful, happy memories. Still deciding on name for cubbie#6. Will make a final decision soon. Greetings from Scotland.
Question to the keepers of this magnificant kingdom – Will there be a formal announcement of the date that our baby will be introduced to his public? I’ll want to make my travel plans to be there!
Thank you.
Moderator’s note: We will let his many fans know when he is about to make his debut, but we don’t yet know when that will be.
Thank you very much for taking time to reply – I’ll be watching! It’s going to be a very special trip for a very special reason. Thanks again.
OMG Yun Zi playing in that box is the funniest thing I have seen in ages! Thanks so much for sharing the cam!
1:40….I’ve been watching Yun Zi rolling around in a box, obviously entranced with the smell. What had been in it that attracted him so?
Who is this delightful bear playing with the box? He/She is putting on quite a show for everyone, with various positions, rubbing, rolling, somersaults and other fun antics! Boxes are fun!!
That would be Yun Zi! Can you believe how big he is now?
I am extra fluffy
YZ
It is so delightful to see Yunzi playing. I hope someone is taking good pictures to share? The “send postcard” to myself is a little slow.. Thanks if someone can post pictures of playful yunzi
I’ve found the color postcards take longer to load & send. But they’re worth it.
Oh, best performance by Yun Zi right now! He is playing with his box. What a joyful guy he is! I hope DoxieMom is taping it. Unforgettable, I would say.
Thank you, camera team. for these fun moments!
Yun Zi, you rock!
I do, don’t I, hee hee hee. Baby Brudder is pretty cool too.
YZ
thanks for putting the box toy in with Yun Zi today. I haven’t laughed so much this week (the last time may have been reading a Grammie post). think I had more fun watching than even Yun Zi did playing. lucky family with front row seats to watch him fit himself into the box in every possible position. then flipping the box over himself to play with it w/ his paws. and I go to see his finale – a big roll. I give a standing ovation! encore, encore…
Thanks for finding my posts humorous~~I try to get smiles whenever I can….Love grammmie
I LOVED watching Yun Zi today around 1:35 PST. He was such a little clown rolling around and doing summersaults. Now I know how he gets so dirty, but he looked like he was having so MUCH FUN! Thanks for the show! It looked like someone slipped him some pandanip the way he was carrying on! Hopefully Doxiemom caught all of his antics and will upload; it’s hilarious, and those lucky zoo visitors were treated to a real show. Love you Yunnie!
I just looked in on the panda cam to see Yun Zi was thrrilling a crowd of photogrohers (with their phone cams), showing off the gymnastics routine he is working on for the next Pandalynpics, then safety issues were covered in his drop and roll demonstration. Our Yun Zi is a real crowd pleaser.
Was watching Yun Zi this afternoon on the panda cam and oh my he had a energy burst!! Running all around, playing with a box and doing summersaults.. was the cutest thing to see! What an adorable big boy he is. Such a cute personality…
Angie: I think it had something to do with the cinnamon they put in that box. I am wondering if I should try some of that stuff myself to see if can get that kind of energy going…
He certainly was adorable!
We’d very much like to have a chance to vote for a name which honors Gao-Gao. If SDZ could and would include one, I already voted for one of the selected names, can we have another chance? … pretty please
Yun Zi is a big fluffy Butt cutie clown. I wish we were all sometimes as clowny as him (at least I wish I were as clowny as him).
Wow, how much caffeine did Yun Zi have today? Between 1:30 and 2pm he rolled and ran and slid and played with a box, obviously intentionally entertaining a crowd of children. He even looked directly at a camera and I swear he posed for the picture! I’ve never seen a panda run so fast, what a joy to watch! Thanks to the wonderful camera operator who did such a great job following his every move too! Goes to show when you have a wonderful mom like Bai Yun give you so much love then have zoo staff continue that love and care it makes for a happy guy!
Sheryl — it was cinnamon, not caffeine. I guess it has quite the interesting effect on our boy!
Gotta love him…
I like Raindrop. Ringing and cheerful name. We have a saying “маленький да удаленький” – if despite small size, the person impetuously brave, desperate and perky. It seems to me, it corresponds to character of the baby.
Many thanks to San Diego’s zoo – I look the Panda Cam every day. It is a huge pleasure. In the same way, how to read this blog.
I would like to thank the moderator. I learned a lot of new and interesting information. I hope that you can understand my English
Yana
Moscow, Russia
Moderator’s note: Yes, indeed! You’re very welcome, Yana.
I guess Yun Zi is going to Swim in the Pandalympics….he just spepnt some time in his pool. For those fighting cold weather, this is not only a warm climate, but we are gettting our annual Santa Anna Winds, which can really heat things up.
If you were watching the Panda Cam around 1:35pm today, you were lucky enough to see Yun Zi being a goofy teenager, anointing himself with whatever the keepers had put in the long box.
2012-10-25 Yun Zi and the Scented Box
http://youtu.be/F6XuNaOlsAQ
Whatever the scent was, he really liked it as he went on to tumble out of the hammock numerous times and scampered around his exhibit to the delight of those lucky enough to be visiting the SDZ today.
Moderator’s note: Cinnamon.
Thank you very much for the capture! It will be added to my collection of SDZ panda video links to view over again
I laughed so hard at this that I woke my cats! I couldn’t imagine what captivated him so…and it was cinnamon. Who would have guessed. I have forward this link to SO many people who might have missed it. Thanks again, DoxieMom…what a treasure.
Thanks for the video. OMG! My ribs hurt . LOL That reminds me when I would give cat nip to my cat. What a clown….
Am exhausted
Yuni was having a ball (or rather box) 
What a hoot / I had missed the goofy cinnimon Prince Fluffy Butt / too darn cute / thanks Doxie Mom.
Thank you Doxie! What a wonderful and joyous time Yun Zi had with that box. What fun to watch him enjoying the cinnamon. That is a video to keep and play many times. I know I have saved it for dreary days.. it will brighten up the darkest day. Many thanks, am so glad you captured it.
Helen
I’m glad you caught that on video. I could not tell at the time that there was a scent in the box. I wonder does that mean that Yun Zi’s rolling around in the box was him trying to rub the scent all over his body? If pandas like a scent, will they try to lick and eat it as well?
Doxie Mom thanks so much for this video. It’s the funniest thing I’ve seen! Can anyone tell us what was in that box?
Moderator’s note: Cinnamon.
LOL — simply adorable! Thanks once again, DoxieMom.
Yesterday I received certification of a Genuine Nut Case when I called the IT department, inquiring about my computer speeding up all of a sudden as on my screen I see a Panda Bear moving very very fast and I was sure they don’t move that fast!!! I may never live this down! Thank you Doxie Mom for the videos, I was able to prove I was not hallucinating to the IT department and everyone they told!!! Thanks Moderator for the Cinnamon info, I may never smell cinnamon the same!
You know. We still call him Lil Tugger. Can’t seem to stop calling him that. Does the cub drink anything but Momma’s milk? For that matter, what does Momma drink? I suppose just water. The human thing working there I guess.
Moderator’s note: It’s just milk for Cubbie and water for Mommie.
I missed Yun Zi playing with the box. Could we be lucky enough that Doxie Mom took a video? lol Just wondering.
Moderator’s note: She did! See her comment above.
it is now 7:58 edt, and our sweet prince is trying so hard to return to his den. he is wiggling, pawing, doing the “oh my” thing, you all know, where he raises both paws up to his head, determined to get back in for a nap. then bam! gone!
mama got him.
hillarious.
hugs to the bears,
joan
It was so funny today watching Yunnie giving the vistors a show with his box then running around like speed racer. Doing tumbles from his hammock or just tumbling. I think the keepers put something in his biscuits that made him really happy today or was it the nice weather in San Diego.
I believe this little one is truly a “miracle,” I agree, to come to Bai and Gao Gao at this time in their lives.
A miracle for all of us to be thankful for…
Yun Zi in the cinnamon box is probably the funniest video I have seen of him in all the past 3 yrs. He was so high on that stuff.
Sure made him a very dirty boy……but I bet he smells wonderful!
Thank you Doxiemom for posting that!
Hi! I voted for Xiao Liwu, Bai Yun’s GIFT to all of us! I think it fits this cub since there could be a chance that Bai may not be able to get pregnant and have another cub again in about 2 years (around 2014). Bai will be 23 years old by September, 2014, and her chances may not be that good in getting pregnant again by then. But, you’ll never know with her as amazing as she is!
Been checking in on the pandacam over the last few nites, and sometimes I will see both Bai and her little boy in the den, just the little guy in the den, and seeing no one at home! Been a hit and miss week for me, but I will keep checking in to catch them at home again! Right now, they are both out in the garden looking at the stars!
Will be back again later!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
Yu Di (Yǔdī), which means raindrop. The Chinese characters are 雨滴 is very original and I love it! Perfect fit for this little one!
雨滴（Rain drop): This is my personal favorite. The first character (雨) means rain and the second character (滴) means “drop”
Rain is considered as a blessing from heaven in the Chinese culture because it makes the crops grow. The formation of this character (雨) has four “dots” in it that looks like water drops. I think this name symbolize that the panda is a drop of blessing (gift) from heaven and it is easier to pronounce (Yu Di)
Thank you Doxie mom and moderator. That was so fun to watch. I love Yunnie Boonie. I remember now why I called him that when he was smaller. We came to the zoo almost 2 years ago to see the panda’s and Yunnie was having so much fun I started calling him Yunnie Boonie. You make so many people happy with all the infor you give us and Doxie mom the viedos are wonderful.
Oooooh wow..just saw someone take baby….time for exam??? 10 am (cst)
Did anyone tell Bai?????
I didn’t see anything! (-)(-)
Where did the baby go? I just seen the keeper take him away. I thought he had his exam this week. So cute approached the den so gently. Moved the bamboo stick then started to pet the cub and then grab him. He was sleeping so cute. Right at the opening of the den with his head sticking out. I love him
Moderator’s note: No exam today, just a quick weigh-in.
will you post the results?
Moderator’s note: 8.2 pounds (3.7 kilograms).
Thank you moderator! So relieved chubby cubbie has gained weight this week, he’s making up for last week!
Those are happy numbers. Thank you!!
Perehaps last weigh in he did not have all four feetsies on the scale just to fool everybody.
Nice view of papa Gao munching his boo this morning!! I LOVE his one ear!!
Since Bai Yun means “White Cloud”, I find it very fitting that Yu Di “Raindrop” be the cubs name!
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed seeing our favorite San Diego teenager Yun Zi anointing himself with cinnamon (yes!) yesterday. Afterward he was still on a roll, only he was using the hammock and it’s structure to tumble from. Yun Zi has grown into a goofy and great-looking panda!!
Here’s the very short video:
2012-10-25 Yun Zi Rumbles and Tumbles off the Hammock
http://youtu.be/LNn8efcZSUw
Kudos to the camera person trying to keep up with Yun Zi ~ he was all over that exhibit!
D~mom~~~~perhaps he was channeling goofy ZZ, his big sister, just a lttle bit. I bet the zoo gets donation of so much cinamonb you can open a new Cinnmon Bun snack shop. Do they use essential oils or powder when giving the bear their Panda~nip????
Yun Zi was always a fun guy…and has stayed the same. Thank you again Doxie, for capturing this one, too.. what a great day for Yun Zi, and for all of us, too,
oh, that was too much. thanks for sharing the video. I felt from Yun Zi’s sleeping positions, he was quite the acrobat. now I think he is ready for Cirque du Soleil. yowza Yun Zi.
for Grammie, at the beginning of Doxie Mom’s other video on 10.25.12 it looked like cinnamon powder had been sprinkled in Yun Zi’s box/tray.
DoxieMom, you’re the BESTEST
Thank you!
For those expressing concerns that Gao Gao’s lineage not being honored:-
In Han Chinese language, Gao means ‘tall or big’; similarly, in ‘Da Hai’(one of proposed cub names), Da means ‘big’. Hence, if ‘DA HAI’ becomes cub’s chosen name, it would be a tribute to his father, Gao Gao.
I think so too. Thank for your explanation!
Fellow Chubber Lovers~~He and his family are the reason we all get together here and enjoy eah others compny, including the moderators. They have been beaten up a bit this week about name choices. It must be tim to cut them some slack, this is not their choice, it is what they were given to give to us. They have been patient with us, and tried to maintain their sense of humor. I propose we each THINK of Chubbers by any name we find we like, but REFER to him in our written comments by whatever name the majority votes in. As many have pointed out, we will surely be getting lots of knicknames anyway, if Yun Zis any example, so lets just work with what we have and enjoy everithing as much as we can….Love Grammmie
Well said Grammie!! I myself cannot imagine even LOOKING at 7,000 name suggestions and trying to narrow it down to the 6 they did – WOW!
THANK YOU SDZ keepers and staff for all that you do to provide awesome informaiton to those of us out her in cyber panda world. But also – and mor importantl;y – THANK YOU VERY MUCH for all you do for your family of all the animals at the zoo and wild animal park!! You give us all such an opportunity to share this with you and we certainly don’t want to seem ungrateful!!
I can’t see why voicing disappointment is “beating up on the moderators”. All have been very respectful. That said do appreciate all they do
I am sure they did not mean to beat up anybody, each was only voicing their disappointment~I was thinking of the volume of those, there were a whole lot, and the moderators did not react negativeoy at all, something I am not sure I could have done. We all have a right to voice, but after a week I hoped it was time to move on since we could not change anything. Love Grammmie
My sis and I were talking about the selection of names and the nickname Suzanne gave him, Sausage.
We love chinese sausage and she thought the little one should be called that
腊肠, chinese sausage, in Mandarin (Làcháng), in Cantonese (lap chong)
It looks like the little one has discovered his feetsies.
Does cinnamon act like a upper for Panda bears. I just saw the second clip of him on the hammock. THANK YOU FOR SHARING your bears private moments with us!!!!!!
One last video for the day … and I can guarantee that after watching it, most of you will wish that you had their job
2012-10-26 Keepers Take Cubbie for a Weigh In
http://youtu.be/n2bCiAWKQu4
Have a great weekend!!
I would PAY to be able to pat and pick up that sweet baby!!
(O)(O)!!!… (*)(*) OMG!!! What a dream job you have, I am in line should you need a extra HAND! I’m thinking I need this job… OMG(*)(*)?@!!! waiting… waiting… (*)(*)?!!! Now?
My hours of availability… 24/7/365/Infinity!!! (*)(*)
Ah, yes — green with envy! How I would love to scritch his little ears…
Sigh… Thanks for sharing, DoxieMom.
To all those disappointed that Gao was chosen as a name for cubbie, are you all aware the cub will have the name that China wants, When Zhen Zhen was born Bai took her out of den at a very young age. Staff didn’t know why so we speculated that Bai and cub were sleeping under the stars. Someone started calling the cub “Bight Star”
The bloggers loved that name so she was called that until the names choices were announced. Bright Star wasn’t included and the story we got was China said every panda was “a star” and they didn’t want to make one more important 
Make sense…. we didn’t think so either. Our “star” was a star in the sky.
Anyway, when the winning name was announced it was a huge surprise to most of us. Same thing this cubbie
Yep. I’m sure the name chosen by China will be Shui Long
There is an awesome cam on Daddy Gao now… oh WOW, he is so handsome! The HD cameras are great and the Meerkats and others who keep the cams on them are fabulous.
Deb….I didn’t give a thought to White Cloud being Bai Yuns name….Raindrop would work after all. Thanks for pointing that out.
Dear Nannykeepers,
Hmmmm, why was Cubby No 6 taken away just for a weighing? I smell a secret plot to scritch and stroke him as often as possible. BTW that was all he remembered that a nice hooman auntie took him away for a cuddle. Humph, if he turns out spoilt and impossible to manage, guess who will have to look after him?
Love,
Missy Bai
Precious Bai, It is tempting to agree with you, but I think it only LOOKS like that now, I will keep an eye on them from my end for you. Should he turns out spoilt and impossible to manage, I want to offer to be the first one in line to look after him for you starting today if you need it!. However considering how Yun Zi is turning out, I think all will be fine, after all, I doubt you will need any help, you are the Perfect Mom with all the love, hugs and cuddling you give him, you are the only one in his life that truly matters!
You tell them oh Imperial Majesty Empress Bai Yun. They are not messing with a first time mom with you, lots of us do not have as many kiddies as you do. I only had 2 little ones, my two make me very proud of them all of the time.
Ok, its 10:30 cst and den is empty…does mom carry baby to other room? do they spend the night in the den?..just wondering what she does with him in other room? would be grt if we also had a cam in there….
They come and go throughout the night ususally. Sometimes she settles him down then goes off to do her own thing. Other times it is “come on with mamma~oh here I will pick you up by your bottom and carry you” and then there are the nights they spend at the Balboa Park Ballroom dancing the night away. They do not always tell us what they are up to, and when they don’t we make up stuff about them….that shoul keep them on their toes.
At 8:45am cst got to see Bai do her cleaning. So funny to watch her do this.Good thing the little one was out of her way for this. Now she is just munching on her bamboo while he is sleeping.
Why you want to call a panda “water dragon”? That’s a stupid name…
Dear Ping,
For the Chinese, this is the Year of the Dragon and that is considered auspicious. Also dragons are male symbols of valour and many Chinese boys have ‘long’ in their name. This year the element is water hence my son is a water dragon. As to whether he should be named as such is entirely up to you and others voting. It is a nice name.
Panda Love,
GG
Bai seems to be spending more time with Lil guy. Does she spend more time with him as he gets older? Also, do pandas age like a dog 7 years to one? Your answering questions is such a wonderful thing. Otherwise we’d not know much about pandas.
“” great list of names – my vote goes for “xiao liwu” – “little gift”
2:02 PM Our little guy is napping, but he’s flexing his toes. Maybe he’s dreaming of the day when he’ll be fully mobile. How endearing!
I vote for Yu Di — easy to pronounce, and rhymes with “Cutie Patootie”! Also, according to Google Translate, “Yu Di” can alternatively mean “Drip-Drop” — which seems kind of a fun, boyish nickname, along the lines of the old nursery rhyme, “What are little boys made of, snips & snails & puppy dogs tails, and such are little boys made of.”
OMG!!! The panda is getting to be so big! He is so CUTE!!! OMG!! (>.<)
I chose the name little gift. He is really a amazing little gift.
A Pandas ears seem disproportionally small for the size of the animal. Do they have good hearing?
Moderator’s note: We have been conducting an extensive panda hearing study. See Panda Pillow Talk.
Do Pandas age at the same rate as say a dog? Doxie, you do a great job of keeping up with the antics of these bears. Loved the play time this morning.
Moderator’s note: No, as pandas generally live a good deal longer than dogs, some up to 30 years old in managed care.
Has the baby cublet ever been kissed by anyone other than his mommie? And if so, what part of his body was kissed?!? Is his fur silky or woolly? Thanks!
No he hasn’t and he better not have been.
Panda Love,
Bai, his mama
Heaven help the first one caught! (ö)(ö)
Are there multiple cameras all over the enclosures?
Moderator’s note: We have one Panda Cam camera in both public exhibits as well as Bai Yun’s den and garden room. There are other cams for keepers to monitor activity throughout the Giant Panda Research Station.
Considering where born….name : Rey means king in Spanish… or Don de San Diego means Gift of San Diego….pride for where birth took place….Rey or
Don (KIng or Gift) can add San Diego whatever…..it is sooo sweet
Are Bai’s camera’s down. Haven’t seen baby in many hours. Love watching the others though. What a privilege to see these animals in their areas. Thanks SDZ for your attention to detail and answering our questions. Happy Halloween to all.
Anxiously awaiting exam 11….
will we get one soon?
Happy Halloween to all at the SDZ!
Moderator’s note: An exam has been scheduled for this week.
Dear Nannykeepers,
I will be watching you! Scritching, stroking, rubbing belly….what next? Chubbers is so adorable, I know I know cos I am his Mama, but it looks like everyone is showing him da love and he may just get used to it. Already he keeps asking for belly rubs all the time.
And no kissing, strictly no kising although I know there is a great temptation to plant one on top of his wee head. I love planting raspberries and he always squeals in delight.
Thank you for givin Yunnie a cinnamon box. Ahem, I am missing the smell of my man and some cologne might help. Hint hint.
Love,
BY
I have enjoyed watching Yun Zi and Gao Gao but it seems the camera is always on them especially during the day. Please show more of the baby and Bai Yun in the den before the baby becomes a big panda too! He’s the cutest when he is little.
Moderator’s note: When Panda Cam is not showing the den, it is usually because the cub is not in the den. We have a camera in the garden room, but Bai Yun has not taken him there yet. Rather than continue to show an empty den, we hope viewers enjoy glimpses of our other pandas until the cub comes back into view.
I am loving seeing ALL the pandas. Cubbie is usually asleep or gone and I must say it is refreshing to see the pandas in color, among the green bamboo and relaxing in their favorite spots. The hammock is awesome and watching Yunni climb to the top of his tree last week was great! they are very entertaining! Gotta love them all. : )
Oh absolutely… yes it is great to show us the other Pandas! We would have missed Yun and his cinnamon caper!, then we would have missed the magnificent shots of Daddy Gao, who I have a crush on, oh those special paws of his are too much! (*)(*) Thanks Meerkats!!!
When will you announce the cubbie’s name?
Moderator’s note: The cub’s naming ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, November 13. Details will be posted soon.
Do these Pandas ever get a bath? I know they don’t bath in the wild. When will you bring on the cinnamon again? Luv luv luv this site. Thanks.
Moderator’s note: We feel it’s each panda’s responsibility to keep clean. And the next cinnamon day is a surprise!
I know this is a really uneducated question, but how do I tell them apart?
How big is their heart? Anywhere close to the size of our own hearts?
Thanks for putting up with and answering my questions.
Moderator’s note: The more you watch our pandas, the better you’ll be able to tell them apart. The big difference between Gao Gao and Yun Zi is that Gao has a smaller, torn ear on one side from an injury he received in the wild as as youngster.
I’m back again.
They seem to tear off the outside of the bamboo. They don’t like it or is just the best part on the inside?
Moderator’s note: They prefer the soft culm inside.
Hi. I love this site and follow the panda cub every day. It is lovely to feel part of his growing up, and the medical exam videos are a delight! He is sooo cute and adorable. Thank you for sharing him with us. Yesterday he seemed to “disappear” and Bai was frantically looking for him. What happened? Did the wee cub escape?
PS Loved the cinnamon episode!
I BELIEVE THAT WAS GAO TAKING A NAP ALL SNUGGLED UP IN HIS HAMMOCK. I wish I have a hammock too.
Has any difference in behavior been noticed in Pandas before a earthquake?
Yu Di !
When is chubs 11th exam? Can’t wait to see him in action at the next video. It seems like a while since his last one.
Moderator’s note: It was this morning. Blog and video will be posted soon.
AAGGHHHH!!! Not soon enough!!!! LOL tu!
changshou means ‘long life’
Is that Bai laying on the tree limb? Sure is a clean rear!!! Gosh her baby has wore her out, she’s out like a light!
My vote is Da Hai.
Qi Ji or Xiao Liwu but I like more Po ^^
They are cute names, but I would have to go with Xiao Liwu or Da Hai. Little gift is very cute and Da Hai reminds me of Donghae or east sea in Korean
My vote is Yu Di because it’s so beautifull. I ♥ Pandas, they are the best!!!
Yu Di !!!!!!!!!!☺
My vote is Yu Di because it’s so beautifull. I ♥ Pandas, they are the best!!!!
iam voteing for yudi becose it is a cute name.
the name of the baby panda could be yu shi because they are the bests.:) XD
and i also think that they are the cutest animals i´ve ever saw. they are so cute and adorable.
♥♥♥