A boy and his moat!
As of January 17, Bai Yun showed us keepers that she is done using her den. How? By leaving a fecal sample in there. When this happens, we clean the den (remove the bedding and disinfect the floor) and close the den door for good. Xiao Liwu is now old enough where he will be spending most of his time high in the trees with Mom.
Some of our panda fans have been curious to know about our panda cub’s nursing activity. Xiao Liwu and Bai Yun both decide with he nurses these days. He seems to nurse early mornings and early evenings. I am sure he nurses throughout the day, as we are not always watching, but it’s not on a regular schedule, since he nurses when he wants to!
We do weigh him regularly and have the nutritionist look at him to body score him. The body score is a great tool to measure body fat and hydration levels. At his exam on January 15, Xiao Liwu weighed 17 pounds (7.8 kilograms) and measured 33 inches (85 centimeters) long.
Click to enlarge chart
One of our readers asked if baby pandas shed their coats, like human babies get new hair later on? When panda cubs start getting fur, it has a slightly pink tinge to it. We call it “baby fur.” As they reach around 5 to 6 months, the pink fur does grow out and shed. Have any of you noticed this with Xiao Liwu?
Jennifer Becerra is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo. Read her previous post, Happy 10th Anniversary, Gao Gao.
Today I saw Bai Yun in front of a door attempting to open it.
Valentino
An outside door perhaps? There is no longer a cam in the bedroom, where you could see the den door/opening, so it could not be that door she was trying to open.
Bai Yun was in the North Exhibit at the doorway leading to the tunnel system.
wow I have seen activities and behaviours that are fantastic and cant wait to tell someone. But this is spectacular. OnlyLun Lun and Yang Yang from Atlanta ever showed that they like t o open doors. Mostky it is the screen(mesh) above the door tht they l,ove to bang back m and forth(attention getter) but once in awhile Lunnie tries to open the door to her garden room.Used by keepers from the other side.
Mr Wu is just hypnotizing with his antics. After reading today’s update about him not having the den to go to and how little he nurses..If he was no eating enough would the keepers supplement his meals..Thanks for sharing this adorable ball of Panda fur…
I love the way little sausage finds his mama and lays down for a little snuggle. He is so cute and still such a little one. I just love watching him and mom play and when she tries to clean him, it is historical. I so wish we could hear them .
Thank you for the update.
Question: Is the baby fur information new? I thought that the pink tinge was from mom’s saliva (panda cookie tinged?) from so many baths, and faded with less bathing frequency.
Laura, I thought the same thing. Where did we get that information????
Moderator’s note: We’ll get Jennifer to clarify her statement.
I think this explanation was provided by National Zoo for the pink color of Tai Shan’s fur
Moderator’s note: I just found a previous post that addressed this phenomenon: Black and White and Pink All Over.
Thank you for pointing out the post which seems to explain the phenomenon.
great explanation from Suzanne regarding where the pink comes from ! Probably from the pink kisses from mom, too!
… or the pink lipstick of the SKS Nanny Keepers!
Beautiful Bai Yun may bring out her magnifying glass for a up close inspection for P. Bear hair and other clues!! Grammmie told her how to do this!!!
Why are leafeater biscuits red?
Moderator’s note: They contain beets.
I mentioned the pink because it had come up when Yunior was growing. It was information passed on through the blog. I have no memory of who told us that, but I bet it was my big mouth that passed-or typing stylus that sent it along to this blog. Will I get a smoke and a last beverage before the shooting takes place? I love a Sloe Gin Fizz, and 30 years ago when I smoked I liked mentholated cigarettes. I cannot drink or smoke because of meds I take, but if I am to be shot at sunrise—what harm can it do? Love grammmie
No, no, no…
No smokes! No bullets! All the booze you want! You have to stay here and feed us all the juicy knowledge you have forever!!
Well…….I didn’t really have plans for the next few years, can I get back to you?…..love grammmie
I watched Mr. Wu the other day trying to get up that embankment of rocks. What a chore. Then the next day, he decided he would sleep in that little nest at the bottom. Yesterday I saw him trying to get comfortable in the limbs of the tree. You could see he was dying to nap, but could not get comfortable. Finally, he got down and since I couldn’t watch any longer, presume he took his nap in a comfy place. Re: healing using the panda cam. Kudos to them and what great idea!
Hey Edie~~
The same thing happened to him today. He was too worn out to make it back to the top. You could tell he was about to fall asleep trying.
He got back to the bottom, curled up and sleep was already there.
hehe!! Being a hooman, I would prefer his soft nest rather than tree limbs for a bed!
Hubby & I often fall asleep in our recliners watching TV, especially in the afternoon on weekends. We seem powerless to prevent it. We call it being “overcome by sleep”.
I think Mr. Wu was overcome by sleep.
How interesting about his fur, I have learned so much about Pandas since Little Gift was born, hard to tell his fur colour these days as he is always getting covered in dust!! My heart pounds every time I see him on a high tree limb or rolling down to the moat, he is made of stern stuff!! The James Bond of Panda Land! Interesting info about the den as well, thank you for this education. On my next trip to Scotland (I am a relocated Scot) I shall go Edinburgh Zoo and see Little Gifts relatives, then maybe one day I will make it to San Diego, and visit with my on line Pandas! Thank you once again for allowing me to enjoy the world of Pandas, but especially Wu Wu!!
Be sure to take lots of photos or videos to share with us and our panda family. What would a trip like that be without the “Vacay” photos to show off….love grammmie.
Little fuzzball is asleep in his moat!! He does have a pink-ish tinge to his fur but I always thought that was his skin (like my Maltese who always has pink glow ot his white coat because of his skin!)
thanks for the den news. too bad, that means no more nighttime viewing of Bai and Xiao Li Wu sleeping. but they are pretty cute napping together on her platform and him in the moat. he is growing up too fast!
Try watching for them on the nights that a light is left on accidentally, or a full moon and you will enjoy pure magic. The picture will be of black and white but the magic will be there, it washes over everyone who watches them, enjoy, love grammmie
Not only can I finally get some work done at night, but also some sleep
Kidding aside, I really enjoyed watching Mr. Wu from the very beginning. Thank you so much for letting us into their world. He’s grown so fast over the past 5 1/2 months.
To those of you who need a panda fix and Woozy is no where to be found, here are a few links (some sent to me) that I want to share before I misplace the links:
I found a video on YouTube on Lin Hui (mom) and Ling Ping (cub) from Chiang Mai Zoo in Thailand http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HO8k7x8wCU
The cub gets stuck and is trying to get out. When she is unable to get out, she cries out for help and mom is immediately there. Unfortunately mom can not get the cub out after many tries.
In the background you can hear the keeper calmly calling out to mom, so that she can go to the back room while he goes to help the cub. She starts to obey…
did she go to her keeper or did she go back to help her cub?
Here are some cute pictures:
http://www(dot)mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/cute-baby-panda-waves-to-crowds-930117
http://animaltracks(dot)today.com/_news/2013/01/14/16509885-say-hi-panda-cubs-wave-relax-in-adorable-pics?lite
http://ngm(dot)nationalgeographic.com/2006/07/panda/hoffman-photography
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=367232940042151&set=a.346967472068698.72794.167008056731308&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf
The keepers were trying to call Lin Hui out but she stayed and helped her daughter. Lin Ping was o.k. She just got stuck
Seeing this video makes me appreciate all the more SDZ’s not trying to humanize (i.e. caricature) the pandas and to recognize and celebrate as much as possible given the circumstances, their wild natures.
A tense few moments. But leave it to Lin Ping to get into trouble. I remember when she was squeezing thorugh the bars of her cage and getting out. What a little mischive maker!
Princess Lin Ping was the biggest mischief maker. By the time she was a year old as big as mommy. I loved the chair swing they put in the outdoor area, with bamboo holders rather than drink holders on the sides. Even huge daddy was seen in that chair every time he was in the excercise area.
I was pretty sure Bai Yun did not clean her own den. She would have had to be pretty good with a broom. lol Will there be cams on the areas where Bai and wuwu will be sleeping now? I am going to miss watching them. Where did the time go? He grew up to fast. I am glad we get to watch Yunnie and Gao, I enjoy them both.
I remember reading at one time about the pink coats on the pandas being caused by eating the treats with beets in them.
Moderator’s note: There is a cam in the garden room, but there is no light there at night, so Panda Cam won’t be able to show much, I’m afraid.
Maybe we can all donate a light fixture and bulbs to put a light in the garden room!
What wattage???
Thanks for the blog and chart Jennifer. I see that his weight is finally starting to drop down below Su Lin’s. We will just have to see if he starts going back up or stays the lightest. Both take after Gao Gao though and we all know that he is a perfect panda, in every way.
One of them has to be the lightest. And we all know, from Gao Gao, that very good things come in small packages,
I was wondering if they will have a cam in the garden room or bedroom we all miss mama and baby at nite its just sad to not see them anymore
Moderator’s note: Carol, there is a cam in the garden room, but it is not lit at night. However, the days are getting longer!
What if there were to be a fund raiser for a night vision in the area where Bai yun and Wu are at night. When I called to renew my membership I was asked if I would like to donate $5 to the Conservancy. Would it be possible for members to check a box to donate to animal cams with night vision included? So much could be raised quickly. In fact, how many involved in watching and reading blogs are members? I am sure plenty, but 100% would be awesome. It really does not cost that much to belong and does benefit the animals. Things to consider! so many of us love all we learn and enjoy here!! Many thanks for all you do and would gladly give $5 for cams if I knew that is where it would go. It needs a specific goal as such.
Hey Pat~~
What a Wonderful idea!!!!!!
Would love to do this
Hope someone from the SDZ will post for us how much they will need for this and where to send the contribution.
Please.
Thanks So Much~~
puppygirl
Pat! That is absolute genius! I am not very good at the computer thing, so I am envious that others can see all different areas where Bai and Wuwu hang out, so I would be totally IN for donations to “Black & White At Night” cameras! I’m excited just thinking about it! I am so glad that this comment section exists so that I know I am not the only one crazy for all things Panda, I love reading everyone elses opinions and questions. I am in Ontario Canada and cannot believe how the San Diego Zoo has put together this amazing blog and video area for those of us that are far away and are addicted to the Panda world! Did I mention that little Wuwu was born on my birthday? Yes, it’s true. He was born on July 29, 2012, the same day that I turned 52! I am so sad that the den will now be closed and that Bai has indicated that she is finished with the hard work she put in 24/7 in that little nursery making sure her baby had the best start in life as possible. Bai is an amazing mom, so loving and gentle! Except, of course, on “Media Day” when every time baby wanted a hug or something, she gently pushed him away with a look that said “hey wu, not right now I’m posing for the cameras and eating my Bamboo tree”. The cutest part of that was that little wuwu sort of rolled away like a bowling ball every time she nudged him! Thanks to San Diego Zoo and all of the kind people there and here at “comments”. The thought that the world could have had to exist with NO Pandas as I know their numbers in the wild were getting lower and lower, is totally heartbreaking. Thanks to all of the scientists and doctors in China and in the beautiful San Diego Zoo, we will never have to know that sad world! I hope that it is still possible for Bai to have more babies! She is an amazing mom and her partnered with Gao is an amazing combination that seems to bring us the most perfect cubs in the world. Thank you again to everyone! This middle-aged woman dealing with chronic illness is determined to some day make it to San Diego to see all of the gorgeous creatures that live there and thrive! It’s #1 on my “bucket list”!
Sincerely – Jules – panda-obsessed woman from Ontario Canada
Does Xiao Liwu eat the biscuits or bamboo he puts in his mouth? Or is he just “practicing”? I’m also curious about his response to the public – does he notice or is he usually sleeping when the exhibit is open?
Moderator’s note: At this stage, he is just investigating solid food items. Cubs start to mouth bamboo at 7 to 9 months of age.
I just wanted to say a big thanks for the web cam. I have really enjoyed seeing Mr Xaio Liwu grow up. Although I am based in the UK I was lucky enough to visit your amazing Zoo in August. On the day it was Yun Zi who was entertaining the public eating his boo. Hopefully I will get back there one day and see Xaio Liwu in the flesh so to speak. Again thanks to the staff and volunteers who control the web cams. The San Diego Zoo app is the most used App on my ipod! Love to see the other bears as well. They all have their own very unique characters.
Thank you for the explanation Jennifer, and for the exam info. One door closes, and another opens for Xiao Liwu, our cub is growing up.
Here are the videos I posted today so far.
Xiao Liwu was visited by housekeeping this morning. (Yes, I posted this link on the last blog but thought it was worth repeating.)
2013-01-18 We All Want This Job!
http://youtu.be/-uorGZs9sW0
And it just seems appropriate that a cub that was conceived during a long rainy weekend would be very fond of water. Our dirty little water dragon was IN the water bowl playing twice today!
2013-01-18 Xiao Liwu: Dirty, Itchy Water Boy!
http://youtu.be/DP6atpTKmzo
Here is one more Friday video
2013-01-18 No! You Cannot Climb that Tree, Xiao Liwu!
http://youtu.be/yf3Bg1dxB0g
…and I’m working on one more
Been a wonderful Panda Cam day ~ thank you SDZ!!
It was so much fun and I really appreciate your vids DoxieMom!!!
DoxieMom
Thanks so much for your videos. I don’t know how many times I watched Bai Yun tell Xiao Liwo, “I told you not to go up there!” I so appreciate your time and effort in recording, editing, and posting these videos.
Oh my goodness. He is such a kid! Thanks for posting this. Best thing I have seen all day!
Toddlers are all alike, are they not? Poor Bai Yun … can’t get a moment’s peace to eat her boo.
He really loves to sit in things, doesn’t he? Sure glad momma got her drink of water before Mr. WuuWuu decided to take a bath in the ‘tub.’
A mother’s work is never done! Her little cubbie is keeping her busy these days!!
thank you for video of Little Gift climbing up the tree. boy, momma sure has her hands full, he is one adventurous little panda boy!
i was holding my breath during the whole video! Hope momma Bai has the energy to keep up with him.
love you momma Bai! as always, amazing momma skills!
At least the keepers get a perk or two for picking up panda poop all day.
You do know that they sell paper in the gift shop made from the panda droppings!
The other one looks like he is enjoying a whirl pool bath!
Bai let him climb up that other tree that he almost would fall off. Wonder why this tree was a no-no, Guess she wasn’t busy eating at the time and could keep an eye on him more.
Such fun videos, I will miss the night time viewing.
Thank you DoxieMom.
Thanks again for all the videos, Doxie Mom. Sweet one with the keeper & the sleepy boy.
This is the deal on those 3 videos. Number one speaks for itself…we all would love that job!!! Number two….it was a hot day, he needed cooling off, and found “The Cubbie Tubbie”. It is just the right size to not be in danger in, you can get everything wet that you need to, and by size he knows it is obviously made with cubbies in mind. Bai Yun sees it just a tad differently, she knows it is HER drinking fountain…and dirty little cubbie boys should not use it for washing his head, face, limbs, and especially his Toushie. What will the people think if H I H Bai Yun uses a drinking fountain AFTER her silly boy has exposed it to so many parts of himself!!!!! What could he be thinking????? Love grammmie
Above was number two….this is number 3!
When you crave attention from your momma find the tree she worries might be associated with food. You will notice the thing hanging from the tree. I bet it once had some food in it. Bai remembers theses things, so when attention from mommy is desired, just climb HER TREE and she will “rescue you”. She gets to show off for the media, you get to climb a tree, AND you get to bug her numerous times, while she gets to shower you with love. Unless the media gets wise everybody looks good…..love grammmie
SDZ keepers .. Thank You .. Thank You So Much for all that You do to keep us informed. I’ve only caught on to Panda Mania since this passed Christmas and have not stopped sharing this site with everyone i come in contact with. Of whom are now with their kids and grand kids .. bonding and finding new ways to connect where there was none before. Learning about these Precious Gifts of Animals breaks through barriers in all aspects. The care and love that You and Your SDZ team shares with us of these special gifts truly enrich all our lives.
Yes, the news about the den being closed is sad, but then You teach us so much more .. such as Bai Yun and her “present” left inside the den to let SDZ know that she was done with the den part of Mr. Wu’s upbringing .. is so fascinating .. makes my mind want to learn even more .. such as:
1) Has Bai Yun always communicated this way about closing the den?(with all her cubs)
2) What other ways have she communicated and or Yun Zi or Gao Gao too?
as an outsider looking in .. there is only so much we can see from the guard rails .. What all of You Blessed Animal Keepers know and do behind the rail is truly awesome and when You allow us little glimpses into this very special world .. i just can’t help but be most grateful ..
Moderator’s note: Rose, you might enjoy reading an account of Zhen Zhen’s last days in the den One Step Forward.
Shucks, Would it be possible to put a light in the garden room?
Hey Tanda~~
I just left a reply to Pat’s post about setting up a fund for this and ppl sending in contributions for it.
I think that’s a Super idea she had!
puppygirl
Hey Jennifer~~
That is a terrific system Bai has worked out with ya’ll. Smart thinking!
Has she always done this to let you know?
As others have said, Really going to miss watching them during the night and in the AM when they are waking up.
Always fun to see them waking since they always seemed to have a good play time. lol Even though sometimes he drove her nuts in a fun way!!
Thanks so much for your article and letting us know about the den.
This is Great learning about the Pandas.
Li Wu Wu truly is a “Little Gift” to the entire world! ♥
He is So Adorable! All of you are so fortunate you got to hold and hug him
Golly, wish I could have! So Sweet.♥
Ya’ll do such a Super job caring for them!
Kudos to ALL of you! 
Thank you~~
puppygirl
Hey Grammmie~~
Where have you been today??
Haven’t seen you all day.
You have been missed and hope you are feeling well.
Li Wu Wu said “Wuuuuuuu Wuuuuuu missed Grammmie today”!!
puppygirl
Do you think Grammie is looking for her new stylus?
Hey SA Wallick~~
Don’t know.
If she is, hope she finds one that works for her.
Sure did miss her today. She knows all the Pandas and how each of them does “their thing” so well !
Grammmie… where are you??? we miss you!!!
I feel like I looking for Snugglepuff! That’s it, she is practicing being Snugglepuff, you sly P. Bear!!
Gosh, hope you are alright.
OK Now I’m worried! I just went through the blogs and the last posting from Grammie was on the healing blog on the evening of the 18th. Oh how I wish the moderators or the nannykeepers had a way to check on her.
Know what you mean. I ‘m concerned about Grammmie.
Hope the SDZ is able to contact her.
Grammmie, if someone with you would pls post and let us know how you are, Please!
We love and miss you! ♥
We and the Pandas need you here!
Love~~
puppygirl
Please don’t worry about me. I have been a bit tired (I was too tired to look for my new stylus when I lost it on the first day, borrowed my son’s new stylus) but there is so much reading to be done that there was little to write. I saw my doctor, had my “tests” and I hope to know more in a few days.
Since this is the Panda’s blog we must concern ourselves with their health or Her Imperial Highness Empress Bai Yun may have us banned from the blog. Oh my! How could any of us manage that. Speaking of Panda health how are our family doing? Poor little Mr. Wu, has he wasted away to nothing just because he did not know grammmie watched him more than read and wrote about him. Speaking of which, I just LOVE the photo above “a boy and his den” at the top of the blog, but then is there such a thing as a bad photo of him??? His Sweet Daddy Gao Gao, and big brother Yunz have worked hard with him, teaching him how to handle his public, and appear as if he does it like that every day. With Daddy’s charm, and Yunz good looks, or even visa versa, he would have a hard time making a photo of his bottom look bad! Love grammmie
Besides cleaning and closing the den after each cub has outgrown the den, does the staff do anything to commemorate the occasion? And given Bai Yun’s age, did it give you pause to consider it might be quite some time before the den is used again?
Hi Senior Keeper Jennifer! Over the past couple of weeks I’ve seen Bai Yun swat Xiao Liwu off of her or off of a wood post several times. He tumbled to the ground and seemed to be ok, but is this something to worry about it? Or is this behavior normal? It was a little disturbing.
Moderator’s note: No need to worry, Michelle. It is very normal for a bear, and pandas are bears.
Now that Momma and Baby can no longer retreat to the den, what happens in inclement weather? I do realize in nature they “rough it”, but are the artificial “caves” in tree stumps, etc, sufficient for the two of them? What happens when the moat fills up with water from the drainage pipe you can see at the base of the wall? Does Bai Yun cuddle her cub where we cannot see them?
Moderator’s note: When not out in the exhibit, they have a bedroom, a sunroom, and a garden room to choose from. These are all covered areas.
I am so going to miss watching those 2 during the night time hours! They have been such a joy and delight! Mr. Wu has become a household name for my family and everyone knows all about him! LOL! Watching him during the day is absolutely a joy now that he is outside most of the time! And I do agree, he does love that “tub of hay!” I would love to just give him a big ole hug!
I’m having so much fun watching him today! Was there a scent put in the box today for Xiao Liwu and Bai Yun? Also is that the watering hole that Xiao Liwu likes to lay in? It was so funny watching him today stick his head down in there an then sit in it.
Lisa—he didn’t know which one needed washing more. I guess in a case like that it is best to wash both. It seems we have a smart little guy on our hands, let us hope he does not “outsmart” his NannyKeepers and take a stroll among the guests who come to see him? Now THAT would be a day at the Zoo!
Just read this article, and boy, does Bai Yun know how to deliver a message to her keepers!! Leaving a poop pile inside the den to let you all know that she’s done with her temporary room! What a message!!
Xiao is old enough to be outside every day from now on, but there are also areas where he can go to to stay dry from the rain if he doesn’t like to be in the rain so much. I love that picture of Xiao in that moat laying down on his back snoozing! That is soooooo adorable and cute!! That’s one favorite spot that he can claim for his own! Now, we’ll keep watching him learn how to climb trees and stumps, playing and wrestling with mom, trying to steal her food, playing with toys, and napping in the trees! More fun with Xiao for the next year or so!
How’s Yuni’s artificial tree doing? Got it up yet? Yuni will be having some fun trying to redecorate that tree!
At National Zoo, the sloth bear baby cub and the Andean bear twin cubs are doing very well, growing, nursing, squealing (but not as much), and are very active. All 3 cubs should have their eyes and ears open by now which means that they will be getting more mobile learning how to use their 4 legs, and they’ll be keeping their moms pretty busy keeping up with them. Sloth bear moms will carry their cubs on their backs when they get old enough to climb up on their moms. Another zoo that was mentioned on Zooborns had a sloth bear mom have twin cubs about a couple of weeks ago or so. How that sloth bear mom will carry her twins on her back is something that she will have to figure out when they get older!
Well, gonna go and get back on the pandacam! Will be back later on!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
I check up on the NZ bear cubs too Chari. Can’t wait till we find out the sexes and be able to see the markings of the Andean cubs. Also interesting that sloth bear cubs are pretty smooth coated. I just get a kick out of the fuzzy, unkempt appearance of the adults.
Good thing about that other zoo’s sloth bear twins – one male & one female. No matter what sex the NZ cub is, it will have a potential mate.
Thanks Chari, I always enjoy your updates and they are always very informative.
Your welcome, Bev! I do try my best to keep you all updated when I get some news about pandas and other bears!
Chari
Is it of any concern to the keepers that of all the cubs Xaio Liwu is the lightest of all the cubs that Bai Yun has had?
Moderator’s note: No. And remember, he’s had a LOT of veterinary exams and has been declared healthy each time.
Looking at the growth chart, I don’t think Xiao LiWu’s lower weight has anything to do with Bai Yun’s age, since Yun Zi as we know, was her cub just prior to Xiao LiWu. When she was younger her cubs were smaller than Yun Zi. I would like to see her have another cub if she has the health for it, since she seemed to enjoy Little Wu so much, at least until he started walking around stealing her boo! ( teenager? ).
Glad to hear that
As someone has said “somebody has to be the smallest” and I think it is nice that the possibly last be that small one. He only needs to charm, he does not have to be able to uphold the world, just make it smile, and have hope in it’s heart. Our little gift is beloved around the world, what more than that could we want? I think there are two reasons for for his daddy’s size, his abandoned condition when rescued as a youngster, and he just also happened to be small. I think Mr. Wu takes after Sweet Daddy-come on boys, give us a big kiss….love grammmie
moderator will they video any more of the exams for all of us? Will Doxie mom still do videos? I think all of us are thinking withdrawal. lol
Moderator’s note: Now that Xiao Liwu is out on exhibit for all to see, our weekly cub exams are coming to a close. After all, he is getting big and strong and will soon be too rambunctious to safely handle for measurements and check ups. We won’t be providing video or photographs of any further exams unless time and resources permit otherwise. Doxiemom records her videos directly from what is shown on Panda Cam, much to the delight of many viewers!
Maybe it’s best we didn’t get much warning about getting the plug pulled — Bai knew what was best, and we have been blessed that we got to see as much as we did for these many months. I love how the SDZoo Moderator is so polite in answering all of our questions–regardless of what subject matter may be!
I’m scared Jennifer, maybe it was just an accident by Snugglepuff… no den?… what if it really gets cold and windy?
Moderator’s note: Remember, pandas are made for cold weather and they can seek shelter from inclement weather in the bedroom if they want.
I think I am having a hard time doing that… he is a baby, I love him, I want to hold and cuddle him! He is so irresistible, just like his Sweet Daddy Gao… Sigh…
I know, I know… I am not a P. Bear!! named Beautiful Bai Yun!!!
There is a beautiful shot of Beautiful Bai Yun and Snugglepuff Xiao Liwu on the platform… Snugglepuff is PINK!
Friday, Jan., 18, 2013, 6pm EDT: Got back on the pandacam, and there was Bai and Xiao on the platform in the bedroom area. Bai was eating her boo dinner, Xiao was trying to play with her and some of the thinner boo stalks. I was wondering how Xiao got up on that platform, and when the cam was pulled back to a slightly wider view, I saw the reason as to how Xiao got up on that platform! A log was placed on the platform to the floor for Xiao to climb up and down on it. When I left the cam to write this, Xiao was trying to figure out how to climb down from off the platform. He was really studying his options!
Back to the cam!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
Gao Gao munching on his dinner boo!! Yep, he does have hairy front paws–his slippers are on! The Eating Machine is back in business!
Chari
Thank you Jennifer for the update. I never knew that was how Bai Yun told the keepers she was done with the den. I will miss seeing them in the den together but look forward to seeing them outside. Little gift sure loves to sleep in the moat.
awwwww going to miss the lil one curling up in the den with mom…speaking of fecal, I see mom and baby on platform and 2 brown like stuff that looks like fecal..is that possible they (mom,) went up there? i would assume its mom cuz of size and that baby isnt eating solids yet…maybe someone else saw this???
Moderator’s note: Yes, those are Mom’s deposits.
Oooooooh thats what I thought it was, but kinda surprised she went up there where she sits,sleeps, etc ya think she would go in the corner..I guess they go where ever they want to.
I have seen Gao Gao “make a deposit” while he was lying down fast asleep, and Yun Zi make one standing at the top of his Keebler. They just go whenever the need strikes, it seems! With all the bamboo they eat, they go to the bathroom a lot!
With Liwu and Bai going outdoors a lot, does she still groom him quite a bit? It is just hard to see that nowadays. Also, does she still help him do the “#2″ or can he do that more now without his mother’s help?
Bai Yun still grooms Xiao Liwu, and when we start adding water to the pool slowly you might see her give him a bath. We don’t see a lot of grooming when we are watching. Bai Yun will continue to help Mr. Wu defecate and will continue to consume the feces for a little while longer. Mother pandas do this to keep the den clean as well as to prevent predators or other pandas from learning that there is a cub around.
Thanks for the information! My, consuming little Wu’s deposits??? Now, that is such a good Mama.. ‘was wondering how come we don’t see little deposits and only the ones from Mama.. Really good to know.. and when Little Wu is dirty muddy little ball, next time we see him so clean! Real good Mama Bai!
I remember when a pregnant cat I was fostering gave birth, and she did the same thing with her babies- licking their bottoms to stimulate them to urinate and make bowel movements. Once they started eating solids, she stopped doing that, and taught them how to use the litter box. Amazing how there are such parallels among different species in the animal kingdom regarding rearing their young!
I’m just wondering…if pooping in the doorway of the den means they’re not going in there anymore, what does the pooping on the platform mean? Does mama not want Mr. Wu up there with her? If so, that’s no working.
… or is she saying she doesn’t want her platform anymore? I kinda had thought that was a favorite place of hers.
I noticed the same thing. She poos on the platform. If that’s a sign “I’m finished with the den”, what does it mean on the platform?
Bai Yun is an immaculate panda; she likes her den clean and tidy when she has a cub. When she decides to use it as a bathroom, she will continue to use it as a bathroom. This just tells us keepers that she is ready to move on and that the den is not significant to her anymore.
Pandas are fairly lazy; they tend to poop where they sleep or where it’s convenient.
Just to clarify: Panda feces are odorless.
Moderator’s note: Pandas poop about 40 times a day. When they’ve just eaten bamboo, the feces smells like bamboo. One keeper described it like putting bamboo through a wood chipper.
Yes he getting so big and growing too fast.I wish he stay this way I know he won”t stay this way he well get biger.
Thanks forn the updates in the Meerkats.Busy and characters t hey are fun to follow-especially the female on the outside. sHE HAS A HARD LIFE, i AM GLAD THEY SHIFTED HER ELSEWHERE. MAYBE SHE WILL GET HERSELF A GROUP. ?The Meerkats are one of the favorites at the Zoo. Has a great following.
Well, I did my share of pandacam viewing a lot today
! Now, got to do some chores.. but oh, so nice to see Mama and baby in the platform. I hope someone can capture it so I can see them later 
??? Thank you in advance to anyone 
We will all miss the denning phase. Bai and Xiao Liwu on the platform in the Garden Room sleeping side by side is just as sweet. They are there at the moment sleeping side by side……………what a gorgeous photo!
Is Mr. Wu okay? He just took a header off the platform. Mama went down to check on him. OMG I hope he’s okay.
Interesting growth chart – Xiao Liwu continues to be the bottom of the curve, even below Su Lin. It will be interesting to follow him to adulthood. Will he take after the dimunitive Gao Gao? Or will he get a teenage growth spurt and bulk up?
No matter, Gao Gao has already proved that bigger is not always better.
Oh, dear, Bai just sent baby over the side of the platform – head first. She went down but not on screen. I hope he’s okay. Maybe a platform safety railing would protect him from another spill.
Mr. Wu can fall out of and off just about anything, and he does. He can fall out of a tree. But he is built for this, has a very thick coarse coat. Most of the time he doesn’t fall very far.
I just saw Mr. Wu fall off the platform. I am sure baby Panda’s fall all the time. Just wondering if he is ok? Thanks
Bai Yun and baby were napping on the ledge and then he fell off!! Is he okay?
Mom and baby were both sleeping on the ledge at about 5 pm Pacific Time, mom on the inside, baby outside near the climbing pole. It’s a tight quarter for both there. Mommy stretched her arm in her sleep and baby was pushed and dropped down in his sleep. Mommy got up and look around down below and when she look and studied where baby felt she was down in a hurry. The ledge remained empty for at least half an hour and the cam is even blacked out now. Hope the baby is OK but it’s one thing falling off a tree prepared its another being drop down 4 ft onto a concrete floor.
Now why are they not allowed to sleep in the den until they actually are comfortable sleeping on trees? Poop is seen on the ledge too.
Dear Sweet Li Wu Wu~~
We miss you Lots when we can’t see you!
You sure did have a big day today. Am sure your afternoon nap felt pretty good.
We Loved seeing you playing with your Mommie. She Loves you SO much! ♥
That was So Very sweet of her to lift you down from that tree branch.
Hope both of you sleep good tonight.
Sweet Dreams~~
Sending you Love and Big ((((((HUGS))))))~~
Nitey Nite~~
puppygirl
Just so you know, we ALL L.O.V.E. You SO Very Much!! ♥♥♥
Sooooo sad
no more night time/early morning den watching. It’s been such fun on nights when I can’t sleep watching Bai and Liwu. Well I’ll just have to do more day time watching. And thanks for all the staff updates and Doxiemom videos – I LOVE watching them.
I have read a lot about pandas and have been watching Xiao Liwu since day one, but I have a question that I haven’t found an answer to. Are pandas that are raised around humans always friendly and comfortable with humans in their habitat? Do their keepers come and go in the adult areas? If not, when do humans have to back off and keep their distance? They seem pretty mellow, but I have never heard anyone talk about the relationship when the panda becomes an adult.
Moderator’s Note: Our animal care policy states that keepers do not have contact with large predators.
Mom and Cubby were playing together ALOT on the platform and I was privileged and estatic to be watching at the ‘right time’. They romped, tugged and Cubby climbed all over mom. It was such a delight to see! However, I saw Cubby falling over the side and am deeply concerned. Mom looked down and almost immediately went down. I waited and waited…no camera update. Please tell me that Cubby is alright.
Healing is right…Since regular TV is so terrible any more, it is so wonderful to have animals to watch. I am sorry about the Den being closed. I am a Late Night Person, and I often watched into the night. No more, I guess.
Sally, try to remember that he has another year of being a “baby” and during that time you will get lucky sometimes and catch them on a camera in black and white. All you need is a good moon, a playful pair, and to check at just the right time. Sure it is a long shot, you won’t catch them every time, but the times you do are magical……love grammmie
For an animal to do fecal in the area where they protect their young would be a direct invite for preditors so I do understand that would be a sign Bai is finished with the den. Remember how clean she was with her den. She was telling her cub it is time to move on now, not the zoo keepers. The zoo keepers know animal behavior well enough to read the signs. Little Gift was so cute today sleeping with his mom on the ledge and pestering her when she was eating. He is so cute when he tries to copy what she is doing when she eats.
I have to ask too, does one poopy mess mean that’s it? Can’t we give her another try? Has she been doing this often? I just don’t feel she was ready to give up the nest completely. It was so sudden. : (
From what I gathered from previous blogs and talking to other panda fans, all of her previous cubs were about the same age as WuWu is now when she decided that the den was no longer necessary. Kind of like moving a human baby from a crib into a toddler bed- bittersweet, but an important milestone. Bai knows best!
I agree with you, bears will be bears, when you got to go, you got to go, where ever it is.. I have seen mommy and baby want back in. They need a soft bed, once in a while instead of hanging on a tree, or they wouldn’t keep going back there. They are royality, should get to go where
they want to.
I will miss the web cam at night when Xiao Liwu and his Mom Bai Yun slept in the den , with the baby all curled up snuggled by his Mom……
Thanks Doxie Mom 19 for the great video of snuggle Puff and Mom catching her baby off the tree…..I had missed that today!’…
It’s nice to know that the pandas have a bedroom, a sunroom and a garden room to choose from that are covered areas in case of bad weather-rain…
Thank you to all the staff and all the volunteers who take care of these precious animals….
And thank you so much for the web cam so we can see the pandas during the day…….Xiao Liwu is such a joy to watch daily, he is growing so fast learning different things, he is adorable…..I love the pandas……
Well you have to treat an Imperial Family like Royalty, not like just common old Pandas. They have lots of rooms, but love the outdoors during really bad weather. What are you going to do with that????
Not one but two more videos from late afternoon Friday
2013-01-18 Platform Peek-a-Boo with Xiao Liwu!
http://youtu.be/7QblWGEbCV4
2013-01-18 Platform Play: Whoops Mr Wu!!
http://youtu.be/y61lQng5LSs
If you’ve missed watching Xiao Liwu interact and play with his mother, than these are must-see videos, especially the 2nd one, the “finale” of the day.
One more video ~ this is from early Saturday morning, around 7am PT. Xiao Liwu shows off his tree climbing skills, climbing high in the tree while Bai Yun eats on the mini-hammock.
2013-01-19 Xiao Liwu: Climber Extraordinaire!
http://youtu.be/kLmgCYMlL6Q
Panda see/panda do.
One word — wow!
He is getting stronger and growing so fast! He makes big sister, Zhen Zhen so proud with his acrobatic skills… and maybe later (much later, hopefully), show off his decorating skills (as all Gao babies do) ! Good boy!
Busy busy boy! So cute how momma bites his arm & pushes him around while trying to eat. It’s a wonder she gets *anything* done!!
Tks Doxie. I got to watch the peek-a-boo game in real time but I missed the play session. Best I’ve seen in awhile. So glad you have our back when it comes to capturing these Kodak moments.
PS: I can see why Bai didn’t want Mr Wu to climb the tree now. He was really up there! I was holding my breath til he chimmied down. What a daredevil!
It is 5:55 am, on Saturday, Jan 19. Bai is up against the wall(farwall) legs up and baby is at her side. Inches from edge. And Bai is smiling in her sleep. One can see very well. postcard. These are truly happy days. Spreading sunshine(Baishine)all over the world.Cute baby!
Probably, the baby (WUWU) decided his position for sleeping. Baby decides all, Bai goes along.
Hummm… the SKS Nanny Keepers have rather small and large surprises for them on Beautiful Bai Yun’s platform when they visit her this morning!!!
What does it mean??? Has this happened before?? Is she unhappy about something?
Morn’n lil one..someone is up early
…so glad to see him this early, sure missed him lastnite 
..I guess when the keepers open the door in the morning they cant wait to go outside, he is sleep’n in the keebler shhhhhhh
There’s a fascinating explanation for why pandas are so cute in a march 2010 article on SDZ panda blog titled “Panda Attraction” by Chris Tratnyek. Also, in comments, cute videos by doxiemom of Yun Zi at roughly the same phase as Xiao Liwu.
earlier Xiao Li Wu was trying to figure out how to make his way to the keebler tree. the middle platform was occupied by Bai eating bamboo. XLW finally decided he had to go through the platform (would mom swat him for interrupting her meal?. without missing a beat (or bite of bamboo), Bai raised her hind paw (like a entrance gate), XLW climbed over Bai, and she lifted a forepaw to help him on his way to the branches leading to his napping spot.
How different are Pandas eyes than humans eyes?
Moderator’s note: Your question has been forwarded to our Panda Team.
I remember reading somewhere that studies have been done in Zoo Atlanta to find out what colors the pandas are able to see (meanwhile in San Diego Zoo, the hearing study has been going on). I Googled a bit and found this article that sums it up quite well:
www (dot) live science (dot) com/4217-panda-world-black-white.html
Since this article was posted back in 2006, there might be new findings by now!
Well, Bai, that’s *another* way to tell your landlord you’re moving out!
AS I WAS WATCHING BAI AND (LITTLE MAN) THIS MORING BAI SHE KEPT GOING TO THE DOOR .SHE WAS WON”T TO GO IN. SHE COULD:NOT GET IT .THA WAS SAD. THEY NEED TO GO IN AND OUT WHAT HAPPEN TO CAM AT NIGHT I LOVE WATCHING THEMS AT NIGHT .
Is the green mirror toy also used to hide Bai’s treats? This is the 3rd time in the last couple days I’ve seen her pull WuWu down from the tree when he gets near it. She does it tenderly, but it almost seems like she is saying keep away from my toy/treats!
Somewhat odd question for the panda team. I’ve heard that panda droppings really don’t have much of an odor due to the fact that most of what they eat is bamboo, and it passes through them so quickly. Is that true?
Moderator’s note: Your question has been forwarded to our Panda Team.
Hello, J L, the video link that I posted below happens to have the answer to your question – panda droppings don’t have the unpleasant smell usually associated with feces, they even give off the light fragrance of fresh bamboo due to incomplete digestion.
Here’s the link:
tv (dot) cntv (dot) cn/video/C10660/f80eefadc5b84fbbbb2ac4ac4406de45
(please refer to my post below for more info on the video)
Panda fecal that contains bamboo or bamboo leaves does not have a strong odor to it, it just smells like plants. When we find the fecal from when they eat biscuits, apples, carrots, and yams, it ha a strong odor and is on the smelly side.
I just wanted to say the person operating the camera does a fantastic job! Today was my first time watching this year. It won’t be the last!
wu keeps climbing the tree with the green thing hanging down and bai keeps taking him down.. she has gotten him down 3 or 4 times why is that?
Perhaps it is her favorite color so she thinks only she should ascend it??? We should ask her……love grammmie
This is how we bears play.
Love,
BY
we are travelling to San Diego from England in August to visit these wonderful animals. Soooooooooooooo excited. No closure days please.
We went this August and you are in for a treat. Especially seeing as Wu should be on show as well. On the day we went the bear we seen the most of was Yun Zi and what a treat that was. Apart from the Pandas the Zoo itself is brilliant. The polar bears in the plunge pool was certainly a memory. Easily the best Zoo I have visited. San Diego itself and the park the zoo is in Balboa Park is a great place to visit. Have fun.
When here please turn towards the cam and wave. It is so clear that I saw a pal in the last two weekends taking photos of Yun Zi. We have never met face to face, but I was able to picK her out even with new hair length.. And wave to all of the pandas for me too….love grammmie. Elm joy your trip!!!
Every time I check on Mr Wu for the past two days, he’s sleeping. He seems to do that alot. Is this normal?
Can I just say a big thanks to DoxieMom as well for her videos. Being in the UK and with the time differences means I do miss stuff which happens later on in the day. UK daytime used be a good time to catch them sleeping in the Den. I will miss that now that the den period is over. I would say the main use of my ipod for the last couple of months has been watching the San Diego panda cams
The poor cam operators trying their best to keep up with each pandas.
I keep thinking the cams are going to fall off their supports one day from too much moving around to capture the pandas.
I can also hearing myself *mentally* screaming at the cam operators…
No! No! Go to the left… further more… zoom in… quick… no!… he went right… focus… you’re too close, zoom out a bit… now center the panda… up a bit… no! that is too much…
Thank goodness I am not around them to drive them crazy!
Bai Yun has some red marking on the middle of her back. would that be from smashed biscuits or does Xiao Li Wu bite hard enough to break her skin?
I think she rolled on top of food or her own poo…..lol
I saw mommy bear trying to get back into the den. I think they should be able to go in there if they want to. I don’t see why it can’t be cleaned like any other part of the park. Is it under cover or does it have an open top.
I left a comment last night right after Mr. Wu fell off the platform. I was so happy to see him up and around this morning, just as eager to explore as always. I was worried about him all night and almost called the zoo from Canada. He does look like he has a bruise on his nose, or is that just dirt? I’d still like to know what happened after he fell though. Did the vets come in and give him an exam? I couldn’t believe they were wrestling around on that platform again this afternoon. But mom was very careful to keep him away from the edge, though he did start to go down again. I thought, “Oh no, not again”, but she got him back. Good job!
Oh, I forgot — I noticed that mom had pooped all over that platform after Mr. Wu fell. I thought maybe that was an indication that they weren’t to go up there anymore.
Good Late Afternoon SDZ keepers .. i’m quite curious about a slight reddish/orange colored stain on Bai Yun’s back. it only came about after one of those really big biting play sessions with Mr. Wu in the North Exhibit this morning. So, my question is: is Mr. Wu strong enough now that he could hurt mom without truly meaning to by nibbling at her so roughly at times.
5:02 p.m. Pacific time —-Can’t a worker clean the top of the platform so
the cub is not rolling around in Bai Yun’s droppings? He also appears to be
mouthing bamboo which does not appear to be too clean.
I sure do miss the panda cam in the den It was fun watching them at night. But watching Bai trying to take Wu down from that tree sure did show what a good and caring mom she is. There must be a reason that she doesn’t want him climbing that tree. Do you know why?
I have a narrator question. You are out of doors facing the pandas and the people too…..how long during shifts on our regular good weather days are you there, how often do you switch out? I cannot imagine a better job than watching and talking about pandas all day, except being the one who picks them up out of den for exams…..and that usually last a few weeks. Love grammie
And just what can you say when everybody but you is taking a nap???
I do not need to know actual schedules for security reasons—-I am just curious about how things are run, and done to keep fresh etc. love grammmie
A special TY to friends helping me find “special stylus” or none of these posts would come up tonight. My hands are shaking so bad I could not aim so well, you friends are just super. I lost mine in first hour, Greg gave me the one he ordered (we found other tonight) but I croucheted a waiste length cotton chain to clip on pen end on it for use and storage. Does Bai need one on WuZi to keep him where he needs to be for nursing. Ha ha ha ha………..
Yeah ! ! ! ,”. For the. Wonderful stylist, all who sent their help…I couldn’t have done this without you.
Glad you’re back Grammmie; you were missed,
Also, you can just speak into the iPad and it turns into words! You have to enunciate clearly. If you want to try it, you just press down the microphone key (to the left of the space bar) and start speaking. When you are done with your words, press the mic button again to stop recording your words. FYI, the mic is near the top of your ipad when you hold it in portrait mode. Hopefully this is another option for you. Love the lanyard idea for your stylus
Thank you Shawn. I learned something new today from you.
Grammmie is having a bad weekend — hard to read and write–slow going, but keep checking back here AND other blogs, I will looking back too. Love mie
Oh Grammie, I’m sorry your not feeling well but I sure am glad to see you back online. I was sooo worried. Hope wuu feel better soon.
‘Catching up on the comments just now… and reading wonderful contributions. Thank you! Special thanks to Doxie Mom for sharing lovely videos of moments I’ve missed yesterday and today! (still have a lot to watch for the rest of the night
!
If SDZ wants to place a night cam video (in lieu of people not able to watch on the den cam anymore) in the panda wish list, we’d be more than happy to contribute
.. just let us know..
we are also looking forward to comments from Grammie and little tid bits of information. ‘Hope you are doing well
And Lastly, thank you again to SDZ for the care and love you put into your work everyday, the video cam operators for giving as very nice views, and the patient moderators
I found this 24-minute documentary that’s JUST aired in China, about wild pandas in Ya’an (where Bifengxia Panda Base is located), how they make frequent visit to villagers. Also included is Tai Shan (with footage of him, of course) and a group of American visitors who happened to be visiting him.
The best part? There’s English captioning!!! Enjoy!
tv (dot) cntv (dot) cn/video/C10660/f80eefadc5b84fbbbb2ac4ac4406de45
Something to remind us how DoxieMom’s videos are giving us a chance to see once-in-a-lifetime moments like this —- Bai Yun and Wu-Wu when he was only 15 days old…..(Thank you DoxieMom!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUvvEv2oBXI
For the first time I could see that Pandas have eye lids. If you watch carefully, you can see Bai blink. This is an awesome video. Thanks for sharing with us DoxieMom and Yvonne.
Yvonne~~
Thank you SO much for posting this!
I had not seen this.
SO precious and tender ♥
This morning when I turned the cam on, WuWu was playing with one of his favorite leaves but settled down for his nap shortly after so I went to the polar bear cam instead. No polar bears in sight but I got a good look at the Artic Foxes. Quite a few months back I just got a glimpse of one of them but today the both of them were running around in the corner behind the slab rock. I could see a keeper through the viewing window. She went somewhere out of site in thier direction so I’m assuming they were all excited because she was bringing them breakfast. Bone appetite
They sure are beautiful. Puppygirl would love to get a glimpse of them I bet!
Hey bonny~~
Thanks for thinking of me about the Artic Foxes!
Bet you’re right that those “babies” were ready for some breakfast.
Aren’t they just the prettiest and cutest little things scampering around?!
Such sweet little faces! ♥
Am so glad you got to see this.
puppygirl
I am concerned that when Mr. Wu is at the bottom of the moat, which it seems he is often, that the public who pays to see him can’t see him there. Is this the case? If so, can it be remedied?
You take your chances
Or get back in line 
When we were there to see SuLin as a cub she was HIGH in the trees 
Got back in line 4 times throughout the day. Hubby decided to sit on a bench outside the exhibit and seems he had a perfect view of SuLin in her tree 
Mr. Wu! You are adorable in your moats cubby, sound asleep! I love that he found a snuggly place! When he climbs high, does Bai pretty much ignore him and let him figure it out on his own, or does she sometimes fetch him down if he is making her nervous. I mean, the climbing is all about learning and I am sort of guessing her philosophy is that if you got up there, dear, you can get down!
Debi
Bai Yun has her own ideas. We are not able to really know what she thinks. Yun Zi hated climbing-he seldom went high high, and his mama one day had him by the scruff of his neck and took him into the higher limbs and dragged him along. She was saying- climbing starts here! He got better at it but spent his days on top on Bai’s throne and sleeping in the shade of his hidey hole in the tree. Everyone should go back to Doxie Moms videos or to the blogs about Yunnie and see the relationship of Bai and Yunnie. It was unlike her others. And she seems to change with each baby. We love them both, and known that she will find a way. Yunnie was a handful for her , and she gave him space too.
Saturday late afternoon highlights: from 3 – 5:30pm PT: At the end of a very busy day, Xiao Liwu is very tired as is his mother Bai Yun. He still has enough energy left to play a bit on the platform in the Garden Room … until the camera gets too fuzzy..
2013-01-19 Xiao Liwu and Bai Yun: The Light Fades Too Soon
http://youtu.be/SfumRLPLgEg
Hey DoxieMom~~
THANK YOU So Very Much for you videos!!
:)
:)
You do a Wonderful job and they are Super!!
This one made me LOL! There was sweet Li Wu Wuuu trying to climb that mountain (Mom Bai) again!
So funny when he was behind her and standing with his little fluffy behind
up in the air and that was all you could see of him LOL!!
Loved how she was so protective and holding on to him so he would not fall off the platform.
Also how Bai didn’t get upset when “Baby” knocked her boo off!
Golly, So Terrific how you got SO much action in this one!
Hadn’t seen, until this, Bai flip Wuuuu over herself since they left the den.
hehe!! She really puts him where she wants him!
You’re right about the light fading. Really wish there was some way we could contribute and get lights out there!
Hello!! Hope you are reading, SDZ, and tell us how we can do this!! Please!
Thanks again, DoxieMom
puppygirl
Morn’ lil Wu..I see you sleeping in the moat…your out early!!!..do they stay outside at night? or is it the keepers just opening the door to the outside exhibit in the morning?
Will this blog be shut down now that the den closed? I am sure we will miss it and each other.
Nope, the blog stays
The best of Mr. Wu is yet to come as he tries Mommy patience and she teaches him how to be “a big boy panda” 
I see the little guy is awake just in time to greet his adoring fans.
Is Xiao Liwu the squirmiest thing you have ever seen? His little legs are on the move all the time when he’s laying down and not asleep.
Hey SA Wallick~~
LOL!! Isn’t he though!!
Always tickled me when, in the Den, Mom Bai would be trying to hold him still and his little legs would be just a-goin’ !
hehe!! couldn’t see any part of him except those little legs!
HeHe~~
puppygirl
Any word on how many teeth Liwu has these days? He seems to be really intrigued by bamboo.
Moderator’s Note: He isn’t eating the bamboo yet, just teething at it. We can try to get an update on teeth from the panda team.
Thanks. I’m sure we’d all be interested to know.
I happened to get 17photos in the middle of the night on the 17th or 18th of fighting, playing, nursing, cuddling, sleeping, and loving in about 1 to 2 hours time on my laptop. It was and is wonderful. I think the only thing I might not have seen is a BAFF!!! Love grammmie
I saw the baby panda yesterday at the zoo! I went through the line 4 times to see him. And I wasn’t the only one that went through several times. After watching him on the panda cam for months it was so nice to see him. He is soooo cute! Mom made him get down from the tree branch he was climbing when he started to go too high!!!
A big thank you to my “stylus” friends. My hands are shaking so much, and my fingers trembling I would not be able to type at all, you have no idea how much you have helped me. My son “Son The Disbeliever” even got one for himself…..smart move since I lost mine on first day. He found it last night, I have been using his. I chain crocheted a lanyard for it. Now my pandas are safe from having it lost near them—-they might want their own to use on their iPAWS or minis too….love grammmie.
First sighting of pandacam this morning was Mr. Wu in the tree top crib.
Grammmie,
They have software for your computer, IPad, etc that you speak and it types. My cell phone has it too. Something to think about. Take care, Sophia
Grammmie,
Here you can buy 10 of them for $8 (free shipping for 1st time buyers).
nomorerack (dot) com/daily_deals/view/212156-10_pack_of_stylus_pens_for_capacitive_touch_screens
I’m so happy all is okay with our Grammie. I’m happy that we were able to suggest an alternative for you. Maybe the next thing could possibly be a wireless keyboard for your iPaw
(Oh, I don’t have any info on one as I’m fine with my finger and stylus.)
Yunza adopted his mother’s garden room for napping in the morning, but then baby has decided to have choices. He uses early on, after feeding, to go into the moat and then when the sun rises higher and it ,warms up his “nest of hay” high up, he chooses his keebler . That is fine now that he stumblingly found his way down when he wanted to go. Did not have to wait to be helped or fall down to get to the ground. Our Yun ZA cared nothing about being high. The ground and tiny platforms were fine for him. Same mother, different strokes.
I just love to see when little Wu is all curled up in the keebler tree getting some sun. The last couple of days when the cam views Yun Zi exhibit he has not been their. Where is he at?
Good morning all, I have been watching Bai and Mr. Wu off and on every day now and have seen the two of them trying to get into the door of what I believe is the den. I have also seen Bai make little deposits in her sleep while up on the platform. Is it possible that it was an accident in her sleep that she left in the den, or were there other signs? I know that you know better then we fans do, but she has gone to the door several times, including this morning with Mr. Wu. I was just curious. Do you think that she could be doing it due to her age? FYI, other fans have seen and mentioned it too. Thank you all for your magnificent work. You have opened up a wonderful, happy and informative world for all of us.
Moderator’s Note: Your questions have been sent to the panda team.
Sophia, that door you see inside the exhibit is not the den door. It leads out into the tunnels that pandas use to get around from one area to another. If you look at the SDZ’s video, “Panda Cub Debut, Behind the Scenes” (located just to the right of the blog) you will see what is behind door #1. It clearly is not the den
Still, it’s pretty gross that Bai Yun poops on the ledge on a regular basis and then she and the baby are forced to sleep there.
Their garden room is pretty big, and she has other places that she can curl up to sleep if she chooses to. I believe Jennifer posted a comment above that pandas are relatively lazy bears, and will just go when they need to wherever they are. In the wild, they would do the same.
P.S. Can’t you open the den up just to see what they would do? We are all wondering why Bai keeps pulling Mr. Wu out of the tree with the green thing near it? We know that you have super natural powers and can read the bears minds, that it why we know that you will have the answers to our questions. LOL Have a great, safe weekend.
Why is Bai pacing and trying to get that door open? Is she wanting to get some fresh boo and treats? Or is it that she want to go to the garden area?
LOL someone needs to take a bath tonight before bed time! He is just cutie. :0)
He is so funny when he is down in the moat using the stones down there as his own little chair. He just looks so at home down there playing with his leaves
He really does, doesn’t he, Colin !!!
I’ve laughed and “ooooed” a Lot watching our little “chairman of the board”
sitting in his “chair” down there!
LOL Pretty nice having your “boardroom” and “nap-room” in the same space!
He just looks so content in his little stone throne when he is down there. Fits him perfect. All of the pandas have their own unique funny characters and funny ways
Xiao Li Wu looks like a little prince playing on a stone throne
Okay….the oooohs and aaawwwwwws have it….love grammie
Warm weather in Winter! Suddenly the 40′s became 70′ s and the fifties became 80′s. So now the baby has switched from the t ree in the morning, 50-70 degrees, to the coolness of the moat, daytime 70-80;s. one can see the change and know that the baby doesnt need mama, he feels the difference. So many changes, so many notes.so much writing to do.
Virginia do you think he might benefit from a weekend sleepover at your house???? I bet Missy Bai could use a weekend at the fur and claw spaw, don’t you??? She, Gao and Yunior could have a nice dinner out together, and Wu is no trouble except for diaper checks, baffs and feeding him fast enough. By the time the weekend is over you will be an old pro, and the zoo will want you on call 24/7 forever! Love grammmie
The way Mr Wu sleeps in the hay at the bottom of the mote indicates he might have not been as ready to leave the den as was thought by the zoo keepers. His mom sure was upset pacing around trying to get in this morning. What difference would it have made to let them use it longer? Is there a reason for that? Just curious. Thanks.
They told us that Bai left them a message last week, she never uses the den as her restroom, unless she no longer cares if she has the den to sleep in. I always wondered what kind of message she leaves for the Panda Team. She could just send them a note on her iPAW, but I guess she wants to work more privately…..love grammmie
Mr. Wu is teething I think because he is trying to eat the pole in the den. Do you or Bai Yun bring in the boo? He seems to need someting to chew on maybe a chew toy from the pet store??
Is there another glitch In the blog?
My posts are going above Grammie again. Strange
IF I CAN MAKE A COMMENT.. REGARDING THE WAY BAI HANDLES WU AND HER FEEDING TIMES FOR HIM OR THE WAY SHE AT TIMES IGNORES HIM OR FOR WHAT EVER REASON SOME FEEL SHES NOT TO CUDDLY WITH HIM… SHE IS A BEAR FOR ONE AND SECOND BAI HAS RAISED 5 OTHER CUBS SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE IS DOING AND MR WU LOOKS GREAT .. SO COME ON LETS CHILL AND JUST ENJOY HOW GREAT SHE IS AS A MOTHER .. AND WHAT DELIGHT IT IS TO WATCH HER … THE WAY SHE KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT TO DO.. THEY ARE AMAZING CREATURES..
From reading some of the comments I guess I am not the only one concerned about the cub’s fall off the platform. Whenever I watch he is close to the edge – and moving! Can’t the platform be lowered? or maybe place material under it to cushion the cub’s possible fall?
Moderator’s Note: The cub is fine. Try not to worry too much about him falling since it’s very normal to take some falls.
at 3:31 PM, saw Little Wu playing with Mama Bai.. But she was so tired… and little Wu kept getting swapped off the platform 3 times already.. but he still kept coming back.. I feel so sorry for the little boy, he is just a baby.. I hope he will be fine with all those falls!
Hey Lil & Bill~~
It does now thinking about it.
I worried about him also.
Couldn’t believe she did that three times!!!
She is supposed to protect him, NOT hurt him!
IMHO, that was mean of her to do that.
I was glad to see that he was alright but landing on the concrete had to hurt!
Big Ouch!!
Was surprised she did that as it was not a food or water issue.
As far as teaching him? Yep, here is that hooman thinking again! She was showing him~~see what I can do! Bug me, will you?! This is what I can do to you!!!!
I wanted to pick him up and (((((HUG))))) him. Made me cry to see what she did.
I, too, hope he will be fine after all those falls!
to the moderator… is mr wu ok? bai just pushed him off the platform considering his small is he hurt? do the panda team check him out? oh gosh can you tell us please
Moderator’s Note: The cub is fine. Try not to worry too much!
Is that panda poos on the platform or some of the treats her keepers supply? (Little torpedo shaped thingies)
I understand they deficate any where, any time, they want to, even on their sleeping platform. Oh we’ll, Bears will be Bears!
We were all watching the Panda cam and Mama threw the baby off the platform. At first I thought this wa an accident but she did it twice more. Is she trying to wean him. I have never seen her so mean. She actually growled and showed her teeth finally after being knocked off the last time he managed to get behind her.
Is this normal behavior?
Panda team responds: This is perfectly normal behavior with Bai Yun. She is teaching the cub a lesson of competition of food. If he wants the bamboo or biscuits he will have to try harder to get to them. Remember that Bai Yun is a bear (bears are not always nice) and she is teaching the cub to be one as well. Being a male she is going to push him around more and be a little more rough with him. This way he learns how to take care of himself in the future.
Thank you Panda Team… you are great! I appreciate your hard work.
Sometimes this nice explanation is needed to help us get through these times we hoomans don’t really understand.
Kudos to the camera person! Thank you so much for panning down when Mama sent Mr. Wu over the edge again from the platform. I was so glad to see that he was all right. The little bugger got right back up and up the tree branch. I think Mama has some issues!
Video from Sunday afternoon in the Garden Room: Three times Xiao Liwu fell off the platform and 3 times he bounced back. Bai Yun is an excellent mother with years of experience raising healthy, well-adjusted cubs. And Xiao Liwu is a 25 week old cub, his bones are still soft and he can withstand a fall of this distance easily. As you can see at the end, he’s his okay, adorable self.
2013-01-20 Bai Yun Pushes, Xiao Liwu Bounces Back!
http://youtu.be/QtT2rzfL02g
Moderator: It appears we have a few dangling comments at the end again. I hope tech support can get this fixed!! Thank you
Doxiemom—–you are the best.
Way to go d-mom better and better all of the time, Love grammiecoopie.
This video makes her look mean…he is looking for affection from mom, and she just pushes him away, and thank goodness he did not get hurt. Since his bones are soft, I would think falls like that would be worse.
For every time she is “mean,” there are five sweet moments of her holding him close, nuzzling him, bathing him, feeding him, playing with him- she is just teaching him how to be a bear and teaching him boundaries.
I hope you get the glitch fixed tomorrow. Strange it is happens when grammie does posting and not anyone else. Why do you think that is?
Because grammmie talks too much, too long, and can hardly wait to answer questions……or grammmie is a computer incompetent helping to make a little problem much bigger….love grammmie
Wu Wu’s first essay
My Mama and Papa
My Mama is Bai Yun or White Cwoud. She said her name was given to her when she was a cubby wike me. She cwimbed up a twee all the time and all you can see was her white bum bum. She looked wike a cwoud. Hee Hee, to me she wooks so beautiful. I fink of her as Bootiful Cwoud.
Gao Gao is my Papa. Mama wuvs Papa vewy much. She says he is a good dancer. I hope to be a good dancer too. Papa wuvs his boo and hay. I wike Papa’s brown furry paws. I hope I get them too.
My Mama wooks after me. Every day she baffs me and feeds me mewk. She also plays with me. I fight her, I cwinb her and I bite her. She swipes me. Sometimes she hewps me cwimb the tree. I wike that very much. I fink she is the best Mama ever. I wike to hug Mama. When I do that, Mama laffs. she says I twickle her. I wike making her laff.
Mama teaches me. She says I must be good cubby. I must be nice to all the unkas and aunties and the hooman cubbies who come to see Wu Wu. Wu Wu will twy to be good. I want Mama to be happy.
Bye Bye,
Gao Xiao Li Wu
So nice to see Mr. Wu’s first essay. Will we be treated to his report cards??? Love grammmie.
Auntie Grammmie,
I am home schooled but I join the panda kindy to play. I wike Unka Bob T Panda. His fwend Babette is really pwetty. Mama told me you are not feeling well. Can I come and hug you? Take cawe.
Love,
Wu Wu
Beautifully done Mr. Wu. You’re first essay gets an A+ from me
Dear Precious Snugglepuff Xiao Li Wu,
Your first essay is excellent! I am so proud of you! Maybe you could become the first Giant Panda Anchor on the National News, you sure have all it takes! Watch out Brian Williams!!
P. Bears Hugggs,
Beverly
Today!!!!! my husband and I went back to the San Diego Zoo to see the pandas, waited in line a long time with everyone else….. The baby was sleeping in a tree stump, and mom (Bai Yun) was up on a tree …..then we went to see Gao Gao , he is so handsome, he was sitting there eating , then he got up, went for a walk and came back to sit again and eat…..His other child was sleeping in a tree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! At one point, it looked like Gao Gao waved to us his fan, it appeared to look like that!!!!!!!
We made the walk back and forth several time to go see Xiao Liwu and Bai Yun, but baby was still asleep each time, and mom seemed to look at all of us looking and smiling….It looked like that, she is such a beautiful mom…..
When we came home and looked at the panda cam on the computer screen, baby “Little Gift” was climbing up the tree branch to be with his mom on the platform…..Bai Yun, was not eating or sleeping, just kind of resting, and I know pandas are near-sighted, but Bai Yun pushed her baby off the platform and the poor Snuggle Puff fell HARD on the ground, I felt so bad for him, poor little baby panda!!!!! he got right back up, and up the tree branch to be by his mother….
This time she did not push him, and he went behind her…Bai Yun somehow hang her head below the platform and stayed in that position, while her baby was very close to her from behind…..
I was wondering WHY did Bai Yun push her baby off the platform???? she wasn’t eating at the time or sleeping?????? I felt sooo bad for Xiao Liwu as he fell and the camera showed the whole thing!!!……
I thought it was only when she is eating she does not want to be disturb??????
It was wonderful to see the pandas, and such a beautiful warm, sunny day here in San Diego……
In the evening, I sure do miss not seeing Bai Yun and Xiao Liwu together…..
Maybe the Zoo Keepers will put another camera where we can see them together again at night……
moderator. None of these Bai and baby wtches seem to get why BVai and her baby are trying to go back to the den. Bai is getting nomsleep the baby cant get any it seems, and bai is TIRED!! When the baby went to the den to sleep it slept an d bai did too elsewhere or there. I have alughed until i am sire over this. None of them get it. That is the difference between my hundreds of hours YunZi and Bai wtcing and their few hurs. Althoughn Grammie takes up a lot of space. so maybe she r ememb ers Bai and the garden sleepy time. I am still laughing! Bai said I cant get any sleep with this kid. She needss her den space an d I need my nap time and beddie b ye . My othe babies went to the platform and went to sleep. Litte fuss b udget keeps me awake. You have to know how she is lacking sleep. T ake the baby b ck to the den, she brought him there.
Hey Grammmie~~
Golly, it’s SO good to see you posting!
Glad you got your stylist to help you with it. Such a good idea about your croucheted chain.
All of us were concerned about you when you weren’t posting. So happy to know you are ok and you are back with us.:)
We missed you!!
Boy Howdy! Can you believe how our precious Li Wu Wu is zipping around?!!!
He is the cutest little baby! LOVE watching him!
puppygirl
Thank you, puppygirl, that means a great deal to me. I get to see my dr. Tomorrow, if we can figure out how I can negotiate the four steps into and out of the house. Perhaps my knees will be able to handle it. Perhaps the diagnosis will be weak knee’ed due to overexposure to Pandas??? That will be good, unless the treatment is no more pandas!
Hey Grammmie~~
Glad you are going to see your doctor tmr. Hope he can help you.
hehe!! overexposure to Pandas!!! Good one!!
If his treatment is no more Pandas, guess you are sunk! cos am sure you will not heed his advice!!
Here’s wishing you lots of luck with the steps.
Keep us posted, pls, how you are doing.
puppygirl
Panda Team
When you touch a Panda Bear are they as squishy as they look?
Gao Gao looks like the ultimate bachelor (aside from when he’s breeding with Bai).
The Ultimate Bachelor type he is! ! ! I think lots of guys would live his way, if they could find a way, don’t you? Love grammmie
He is the most wonderful supportive husband, and definitely no batchelor.
Thanks.
Panda Love,
Missy Bai
hahaha, if I say anything more I will just get Gao Gao (or myself) into trouble. no offense Missy Bai. to many more happy years together.
I was watching out for you Mosaic! Yikes!! Beary Beary thin ice you were on!!!
I have three comments not posted by the moderator because of the glitch in their program. This happened once before. Can it be fixed?
Moderator’s Note: Sometimes it takes a while to get all the comments approved therefore sometimes there can be a delay. Are you still seeing a problem?
Was at the zoo yesterday! Waited in line to see Bai and Xiao – just had a glimpse of the baby sleeping in the top of a tree trunk but had a great view of Bai lounging nearby!
Hello Moderator, I have a question for the keepers about Xiao Liwu and his fur/hair growing out…. do the keepers find clumps of it in the exhibit space, kinda like us hoomans find cat or dog fur that has been shed?
Do you know if the Pandas sleep in the Keebler house ever?
Although I miss the early morning viewing of the pandacam from the den, seeing Xiao Liwu grow and learn outside is providing educational opportunities and fun for my 4th grade class (and their teacher!).
In the Gao Gao anniversary post, Jennifer mentioned that she thinks “Lil G” is most like his dad. I was hoping she, or other members of the team, could give examples. We didn’t have the technology to observe the older siblings, so how does his behavior compare to theirs? He seems pretty mellow and independent, is this typical? How did he adjust to Bai Yun’s decision to leave the cozy den? Also, we would like to know Mama and Baby are vocalizing when they wrestle and play. I loved that we could hear Xiao Liwu’s “comments” during the weekly exams–and I think the sound (including the joyous laughter of the keepers) is what I’ll miss most about the video updates.
My class chipped in to symbolically adopt a giant panda, and we are thrilled with the tote, stuffed mama & baby bear, magnets, and the adoption papers. They are on display in our classroom until June, when some lucky students will win them in a drawing.
Thank you so much for allowing us such great access to the panda world!
I think it’s so wonderful that this Panda experience is being brought into the classroom and adopting one — I love the raffle idea being saved for the end of the School Year! Switching from the Den, the Live Cam continues to bring us such joy, as we now watch Wu-wu grow and learn how to be a Panda from his Mom, There are so many amazing videos and information on all of the animals at the SDZoo and the Safari Park, many projects that can be made, a field trips to a local Zoo — and there is always something to learn — at any age!
I’m amazed at how these Pandas can consistently pull of the outer edges of the bamboo. Fine tuning I suppose.
Has anyone seen WuWu this morning? I just see the other members of the family but Mr. Awsome is not visible today.
I bet he loves being called Mr. Awesome!
Ladies,
Please do not give Wu Wu a big head. He is a cutie and the nannykeepers already spoil him as do I. He calls himself the Super Wu Wu
Mr Awesome is nowadays Mr Naughty as he tries to chew everything he finds including my perfectly round ears.
Panda hugs,
Missy Bai
Dear Beautiful Bai Yun,
Perhaps Grammmie or I can crochet or knit you some custom beautiful ear covers for your Perfect Ears, you could wear them until Sugglepuff gives up bitting on them! I have seen him bite your beautiful ears too! Ouch!! Do you have a favorite color you want them in and we need to come take measurements too, let us know when it is a good time for you.
Love, P. Bear Hugggs and Air Kisses,
Beverly
Missy Bai, I’ve noticed he’s been pretty rough on you lately. Maybe a stuffed Panda bear would be a good surrogate for him to chew on once in awhile. Teehee
XXOOXX Your the best!
On the subject of her shoving him off the platform last night. I watched it live and she was very very patient with him before she finally snapped. It was obvious she wanted to sleep and that he did not want to sleep. It must hurt a bit to have your nose bit by his little sharp teeth! I think these panda cubs are built for bigger falls than that one. Anyway it could not have hurt that much as he kept coming back for more
Having watched Bai Yun bring this cub up from the start I think she has done an amazing job.
Moderator my post went above Jan 19th again. There is a glitch. This post is Jan 21.
Moderator’s note: Thank you, tanda, and sorry it’s giving you trouble. We’re still looking into the glitch.
Mr. Baby WuZi is making good use of the lllooonnnggg lunch break, taking his Royal nap in his Royal Moat. What a life….do you suppose we are too hard on him since he is a toddler now, rather than a royal prince baby????? I know when he hits teenage he will be a Royal Pain In The Petutie, thank goodness that is way past this time…..love grammmie
Hi Grammmie!
So glad to hear from you, we missed you and was kinda loud about it too!
One thing I have noticed since they are not using the Den anymore is the, should I dare say it… The Bafff situation!!! I have not seen Beautiful Bai Yun give Snugglepuff a baffF, not even once. I have not seen her go into the moat to get him either. Do you think he has found the perfect way to avoid getting the bafff buisness??!
Also, the SKS Nanny Keepers need you to crochet them chains for retrieving Snugglepuff in addition to Beautiful Bai! I have seen them standing at the edge of the moat contemplating the issue… this will be a big help for them!
P. Bears Hugggs!
Beverly
Love to see how Xiao Li Wu is able to find different games to play on each level of stones in the moat! It looks more like a remote area and hope there aren’t too many fleas or bugs down near the drainage pipe
It may be too early to tell but do you think that Xiao Liwu will be small like his Dad?
Let’s be honest here: I felt that I might lose something when the denning phase was over, but was I wrong! Thanks to the cam operators and the doxiemom videos, I’m still entranced and enchanted. Thanks to all of you, you bring a smile to me every day!! I am indebted to you all.
Ok why does mom insist on pooing on the platform? I thought animals usually dont do this where they sleep? Are they inside at night? if so, and they are out when its time to close the zoo, how do you get them in? bang on their food bowl? or do they just know when its time to come in?..thanks!
Adult pandas are trained & usually come when called to ‘shift” (in or out)
Cubs can be a challenge when they get a bit older than Mr. Wu. Maybe it’s called the terrible 2′s 
They are trying to make their own decisions and sometimes that’s not what mommy or the keepers want. That another reason why Bai seems rough. She is trying to teach wu lessons that might keep him alive (in the wild) i have seen Lun Lun (ZA) knock Po off the climbing structure at least 12 times. It was “splat” on the ground, shake his head, climb back up, another splat and on it went For some reason she did want Po up there. Mean,. no, but as a mere hooman I couldn’t figure out what the lesson was. i did laugh a lot. 
Cubs usually follow their mommas
Besides the SDZ pandas, I also watch the National Zoo pandas. They will poop whereever they happen to be if they got to go. Nothing is sacred except for when Mama has a den for the wee one in the first several months.
The beauty of the panda’s digestive system is that they will poop often and fast and will do so even in their sleep. Lin Hui the panda mama at the Chiang Mai Zoo in Thailand would cover her sleeping wooden platform during the night with her poop. In the day time, the pandas at Chiang Mai Zoo would poop in their moat. There is no smell and consist of the fiber they cannot digest. I understand the poop has been made into paper and also used to fertlize coffee.
Two videos from late afternoon Monday>
The 1st shows Xiao Liwu enjoying his mother’s treat box, and grabbing for her ears as he climbs by her on the log:
2013-01-21 Xiao Liwu: Bugging Bai, and The Box
http://youtu.be/52vT-t1Qxwk
…the 2nd is just pure panda preciousness …as Xiao Liwu joins his mother on the platform and climbs all over her, engages in a bit of play and snuggles.
2013-01-21 Xiao Liwu: Climbing, Cuddling, Unwinding on the Platform
http://youtu.be/l8YkxXdOihA
Adorable moments as usual Doxie. I don’t think you can get any closer to the edge without going off than he did. Momma Bai could’ve just let him go but she hung on with loving care.
Awww, such a sweet video, thanks for that. Gotta feel for mama Bai tho, that’s near 20 pounds climbing all over her! And I could swear baby Wu had a growth spurt just last night!
yippee it posted right. Little Gift loves his life doesn’t he? lol What a bucket of worms he is, always on the go if he is awake. I adore the way he tries to copy his mom sitting by her chewing his bamboo. Several have asked about where they sleep and I saw no answer, do they sleep inside? Thanks.
Moderator’s note: They have access to sleep inside the bedroom or sun room, or outside in the garden room.
Not sure if this was posted at all in any of the panda blogs, so not sure how I could have missed this if someone did. It is a compilation of Liwu’s 1st 12 exams. Anyway, it was a joy to watch all his exams and seeing a summary was just as enjoyable for us! Amazing how this magnificent gift has come such a long way (… actually got teary-eyed watching this!)
Here is the link (I hope it is Ok to post, moderator
Unbearably Cute Panda Cub Exam Compilation from SDZoo:
http://youtu.be/cp9RTY1H7xs
and there are some nice pictures of Liwu at sdzoo.tumblr.com which I just found the site this evening when I found this video!
Dear Lil & Bill, Thanks for this. I never would’ve found this compilation otherwise. I forgot how pink his little nose & paw pads were. When did they turn black on us?
And here I thought I was paying such close attention. Regardless, Mr. Wu is still the cutest petutie on the block. Ahhhh 
While viewing this video, I was really aware of the care and tenderness of the Panda Team, you all are so good, words escape me, I am just that mesmerized of you all. WOW!
Thank you Lil and Bill for this wonderful compilation of exams, that was so much fun to see! Oh he is THE CUTiE for sure.
We are so lucky to be able to watch bai Yun and Xiao Liwu on the web cam…Today, mom and baby were so cute together…..baby was on her back, just climbing all over his mom, she loves her baby , it is so there!!!!!!, then they both fell asleep side by side….I’ve been watching Bai yun since the first web cam and she is such a wonderful mother, what a beautiful Mom!!!!
I miss not seeing the two of them at night all snuggle up in the den!!!!
It would be nice to be able to see them at night again…. maybe someday!!!!!
Gao Gao always seemed to be so contented, what a dad!!!
Thank you everyone at the zoo who makes it possible for us to see them on the web cam…..
Reading some of these comments concerns me. We need to remember these are animals. They are not humans, and we should not try to humanize the pandas. In any society, even the human ones, each group has their own way of raising their young.
What we see may be wrong or upsetting is natural for them. I think we need to tone down on telling SDZ keepers and Bai Yun how they should be taking care of Xiao Liwu. I’m sure they have had many more years of experience than we do. We may not like it but they are the ones with the experience. I’m sure SDZ knows when to step in as they are “watching” as close, if not closer, as we are.
The law of nature is a mysterious thing. One wonders how animals instinctively know how to raise their young, even take care of themselves, especially when the young are left on their own before they are full adults.
It is such a gift to be able to watch the pandas, elephants, polar bears, orangatangs and condors through the video cameras. Like you, I try not to humanize the animals, and just observe and appreciate this opportunity to peer into their world. When other watchers’ comments seem over the top, I just stick to the cam and avoid the blogs – or skim through until I find a factual comment. We all approach nature in our own way and I appreciate the moderators’ abilities to respond to all in a respectful way and answer our questions.
Moderator’s note: Kathy, you’ll be pleased to learn that our new Koala Cam debuts the end of this month!
Hi to everyone who loves pandas,
One of the things that I love about this blog is the way we personify our pandas. They write letters to us and we write to them. They tell us stories of their wonderful parties, life, shopping trips and experiences. Bai and Gao Gao salsa to make babies, It is such a rich imaginary life that we all contribute to and it makes those of us who read it smile and giggle out loud. Perhaps the other side of this is that it is easy to forget that Bai and Gao are not salsaing…they are mating as nature dictates. Woo woo never will have any fun times with his ge ge. They likely will never meet. Because they are so much more than animals to us, it may be difficult for us to see Bai as a panda when she swats Xiao Liwu. We can’understand when she poops on the shelf because her nature is to conserve energy due to the calorie poor food in the wild. Our panda team and moderator try their best to allow us our pretend but they always gently remind us that they care for wild animals, not Missy Bai and Gao Gao the bachelor….so sorry Missy Bai….Ii meant your wonderful and handsome husband.
I agree Jusy, while we all get worried about “our” baby, we have to remember, this is a Zoo, and after nine pandas, I think they know what they are doing. While at the Zoo last week, I noticed that there is someone watching the animals at all times, not just the Pandas. No need to worry.
Well said Jusy!
Jusy,
I agree with you 100% and hope you will keep repeating this message. The Panda Team are here to care for the pandas and NOT for the humans who watch and worry about them, often needlessly. We are privileged that members of the Panda Team respond to our questions and concerns.
‘Bai Yun showed us keepers that she is done using her den. How? By leaving a fecal sample in there’
THAT MADE ME LAUGH! Bai Yun is priceless!!
now that Mom and cub are no longer in the den will you still be doing th weekley exams ? It must be a challange to get them seperated .
there used to be a camera number to identify who was who at the zoo.
I think each panda had an assiged area so you could let us know who we are seeing
Moderator’s note: With our newer HD camera system, we do not have the numbers on the camera anymore, so viewers are learning to ID the pandas based on looks and location. Keep watching, Pat, and you’ll be a pro in no time!
Pat, you will be able to tell apart Gao Gao and Yun Zi because Gao Gao is smaller, with very fuzzy feet (“slippers”) and one smaller ear. Bai Yun is with the baby, and Yun Zi looks very much like Bai Yun, but he is by himself.
Yipeeeeee Is that Yun Zi I saw this morning. He’s a handsome bear.
It probably was! I was so excited to see him too
Watching the video of Bai and Mr. Wu on the platform. Why everything he looks like he wants to nurse, Bai pushes him away. What is the reason for that?
Moderator’s note: She is most likely teaching him that SHE calls the shots and will allow nursing when she’s ready. It’s not quite the same as human mothers, but this is how bear mothers are with their cubs at this age.
noticed a mark on cub’s nose.. did he bang it up with his climbing or falling
Ooh! He is up in something sleeping all snuggly! What is this and what part of the exhibit/gardens/bedroom is it? He found another new favourite napping spot? Cute!!
Moderator’s note: He’s sleeping in the “mini-Keebler” tree, which is found in the north exhibit that is open to our guests from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Thank you! I’ve never been to the zoo, living in the Northeast of the US, but absolutely love the cams and appreciate the info. Watching him now…what a lovely exhibit area they have. So pretty with lots of fun things to climb! Panda Paradise!
Moderator’s note: We hope you can come visit our pandas in person one day, Debi!
On Monday I had some random clips that I didn’t want to delete, so I made a video. This shows the 2 times Xiao Liwu slipped yesterday …. one time he was sleeping/resting on the log climbing structure in the North Exhibit ….the 2nd he was on the climbing structure in the Garden Room. Both times he made impressive recoveries. Then there are the clips of him playing with his mother’s leafeater biscuit and her bamboo.
2013-01-21 Xiao Liwu’s Slips and Some Cute Clips
http://youtu.be/XmGHYoUCKFM
Thanks for that cute compilation of the precious panda antics! It’s such a treat to see his ‘best of’ moments. I don’t dare let myself watch too long during the day or I would never get anything done so really appreciate your videos. He made some good ‘saves’ – didn’t he!!
I thought you might enjoy seeing one of our Scottish pandas playing with her snowman, with thanks to those who captured her.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNnyA-hmMew
So gorgeous, Maria – and funny. I thought Yang Guang was the more playful of the Edinburgh Pandas (love him!) but this shows Tian Tian in a new light.
Yes Cara, I have never seen Tian Tian so active. Every time I’ve been (about ten times and hoping to go over again in the next few days hopefully with more snow), she has been either sleeping, pacing, or eating – mostly sleeping. I mentioned last time to the keeper that it would be good if our pandas had toys, like Gao Gao and YunZi, balls, swings, tubs of Bermuda hay, and cinnamon boxes LOL. He did say that other visitors had also mentioned their lack of toys. I think this video of Tian Tian running around with the snowball shows that toys would also stimulate them. The good news is that our friends at Edinburgh zoo have been watching wee Mr Wu on SD panda cam and find him as adorable as we do.
Maria, we’re obviously two of a kind, pandawise! I visit YG and TT every time I’m in Edinburgh on business! So far, 14 visits – I see new things every time. My favourite was shortly after their unsuccessful mating when YG was back in his own enclosure and spent the entire time I was there doing handstands and marking his territory – including several handstands at the howdy gate as if to say ‘mine, Tian Tian, mine’. Hilarious. Agree that they need more toys, though. I loved how playful Tian Tian showed herself to be with the snowbear! In fact, made me want to visit, so have booked a train for Saturday…
What a hoot! Thanks for the smiles
Agree about enrichments Maria. Spoke to Alison McLean at Edinburgh Zoo yesterday. She said they have enrichments etc at night. They are more active then beause of the noise from construction of Penguin enclosure by day. A hammock is being made and hopefully the pandas will get outside again in the daytime at the end of this month. She said they have told the builders they must be finished the noisy work by then as work towards Panda breeding will be beginning in March/April.
Both Pandas sleeping yesterday!!
Cute!! Are the little noises one hears the panda or visitors?
I thought the little noises came from Tian Tian, at least I liked to believe so.
Here is more info. Hope it’s ok to post this.
http://www (dot) rzss.org.uk/media-centre/press-releases/press-release?urlName=panda-meets-snowman
Thanks for the video, Maria!
Thank you Maria, really enjoyed your video, first time I have seen The Scotty Pandas, so adorable! If Wu Wu would like to play in the snow as well, I have more than enough in my garden here in Ontario Canada!
Question: Just some observation, Liwu is sleeping soundly on the keebler “nest” ( 10:22 AM PST) though with a fast paced, what appears like shallow breathing and at other times, when he is sleeping soundly (especially when he is in his moat), it is similar to human babies with very slow-paced, relaxed, deep breathing. Is that normal for bears?
Just making a comment, as I am no pro, but I bet when you see the shallow breathing he is in a deep dream state, where he is probably running, climbing, playing on Bai! I know my cats did that…so does my husband. lol
Oh my! ‘hope is not a nightmare of big jungle animal running after him
… He is doing it again right now at his keebler nest (12:54 PM).. well as long as the baby is getting his much needed Zzzzs before he bites and tags at his Mama again for play time!
I had the same question. It is very disconcerting and hope a Panda expert or Vet can tell us. Have never seen any cub breathing so hard and shaking despite being asleep. He continued to do so when awake and walking..have seen Bai Yun like that in the birthing den when overheated, or so I thought, but am worried about little Wu
It is histerical watching Mr. Wu trying to figure out how to rest/sleep on the limbs … like mama!
Did anybody vote for the Giant Panda Zoo Awards 2012?
http://www.giantpandazoo.com/panda/news/giant-panda-zoo-awards-2012-online-voting-closes-on-january-23
LiWu is up for the Panda Cub of the Year AND the Panda Personality of 2012: “The Bear”
Hua Mei, Mei Sheng, Su Lin, and Zhen Zhen are up for the Favorite “Returned” Panda
Bai Yun is up for the Favorite Panda Outside of China
Jennifer Becerra from SDZ is up for the Panda Keeper of the Year
Vote @
http://www.giantpandazoo.com/panda/giant-panda-zoo-awards-2012-voting-page .
The voting ends 1/23/13, so HURRY and vote.
NOTE: the pages takes a while to load.
Already voted for all of them!
I voted!
Also, there is a picture of Pan Pan in there!
Why is Xiao Liwu breathing so hard today?? He seems out of sorts, fell a couple of times. Now he’s laying on a platform kind of on his side, just breathing very hard. Is there something wrong??
Check the earlier comments/questions..several of us asked the exact same thing. Still awaiting replies.
Panda Team responds: Thank you all for your concern regarding the cub’s breathing. Xiao Liwu is fine! He slept in the sun instead of looking for a shady spot, so his little body was dealing with the heat by panting, which is very normal. All of our cubs have gone through this learning curve. We did place a tub of water at the base of the climbing structure for him to use if he wants to cool off. And on Wednesday, we plan to put a wading pool in the pond area of his exhibit so he can really splash around.
Why is he panting so hard? He looks like he’s going to hyperventilate!
Wu seems to be breathing awfully hard today. Is he hot?
Mr. Wu seems to be panting/breathing very rapidly this afternoon, at first in the moat and now in the Keebler tree. I had seen him running after his mom a bit, but then she went into through the door and he was alone. But, he seemed to be breathing rapidly even before that. I thought maybe it was really warm there could be the reason, but the polar bears are not breathing the same way. Is this normal for him? I’ve been watching since he was very little in the den, but you couldn’t see his breathing movement in there.
A question for the experts, when the bear scratches with his back leg (my dog does the same!), is that on purpose or is it an involuntary reaction to the itch? Like just nature? Just wondering since the little guy was scratching like crazy earlier and it almost seemed he was annoyed with his own back leg after so many times scratching and swatted it away!
Could someone check on Mr Wu as he has been breathing very heavy in the last hour. Is he ok as we are worried about him
Seems like Mr. Wu is breathig heavy today — maybe it’s just my imagination. Worried!
Moderator’s note: To all who have expressed this concern, it is probably due to the very warm day we are enjoying in San Diego today and he is panting to cool off. We’ll get a final word from the Panda Team and share it with all.
Thanks, yes..we are allll concerned. Bai Yun seemed like she was going to have heat stroke when y’all had your heat wave and she was in the den with her newborn months ago but did not realize it was so hot this time of year
Panda Team responds: Thank you all for your concern regarding the cub’s breathing. Xiao Liwu is fine! He slept in the sun instead of looking for a shady spot, so his little body was dealing with the heat by panting, which is very normal. All of our cubs have gone through this learning curve. We did place a tub of water at the base of the climbing structure for him to use if he wants to cool off. And on Wednesday, we plan to put a wading pool in the pond area of his exhibit so he can really splash around.
It seems from the weather news, it is a little warm over in San Diego.. so hopefully, Liwu is just a bit warm, maybe needs some fluids .. but like the others, we are concerned as he has been breathing in a fast paced and restless.
Our prayers are with you Little One.. We hope you are fine … and nothing more!
Is he going to have an exam this week?
Moderator’s note: An exam is scheduled.
CAN YOU (PLEASE? TELL ME IF LITTLE MAN IS SICK?? HE WAS ACTING DIFFERENT UP IN THE TREE TODAY? SOMETHING IS WRONG??????????????
Thank you all for your concern regarding the cub’s breathing. Xiao Liwu is fine! He slept in the sun instead of looking for a shady spot, so his little body was dealing with the heat by panting, which is very normal. All of our cubs have gone through this learning curve. We did place a tub of water at the base of the climbing structure for him to use if he wants to cool off. And on Wednesday, we plan to put a wading pool in the pond area of his exhibit so he can really splash around.
That will be fun to watch! Thanks for the update. You guys are the best!
I, along with lots of others, am relieved. Thanks for the quick reply and reassuring message
A splash pool for Wu! How fun, I hope he loves it. Now I really won’t get any work done
Thanks..what a RELIEF!
Thanks from Hawaii.
But, here is another concern. This cub has fallen, and from higher distances, more often than any other cub I’ve watched grow up with your wonderful Panda Cam (Thank You). Today after Bai Yun “accidentally” pushed him off the platform in the Garden Room, he managed to weakly get up to it again only to have her intentionally knock him off at a rapid speed and descent. When you have his next exam please reassure us that his reflexes are normal and that he has not been harmed by these numerous falls from such heights
Yes, I was so very concerned about his falls from the platform today, too… Although, many have said that is part of the bear training, just that today, Liwu looks more vulnerable and in a weak state that I hope the falls will not affect him long term…
We hope the exam this week will reassure us he has not been affected by any of these falls. Thank you SDZ vets/keepers ad Panda Team for caring for him so much!
… and if there ever is time for a video, many, many panda fans will be very grateful for such generosity
! I do miss his “gentle voice” in some of his exam videos!
Away from the Panda Cam for a day – what has Mr. Wu been doing today to get so dirty? Love watching him and Bai …. can’t get much done when they are interacting. Watching the cubbie alone is also addicting. Good thing I am retired!
Glad to hear it is only the heat making him breathe harder. He looks like he is wet. Did he play in some water to cool off. He also seems to be rubbing his left eye quite a bit. when is the next exam going to take place?
Moderator’s note: He has a tub of water to splash in. And his exam is scheduled for this week.
“our little gift” has a lot of anxious and loving fans. Please have patience with all of us.
Moderator’s note: That’s what we’re here for, Carol. We know there’s lots of love out there for our little guy.
Do you think the Panda Team knew they were also signing up for the Panda FAN Team too?!
They may decide we need a lot of help and need our own set of Nanny Keepers and Doctors!
Thank you Panda Team… love ya!!!
thanks for the recent update. I was wondering how he got so wet today. looks like he’s learned to use the water tub. the pool will be a lot of fun.
oops, forgot. I like watching Xiao Li Wu and Bai’s afternoon wrestling match on the garden room platform. I thought maybe Xiao Li Wu would get a baff but Bai wanted to take a nap. XLW climbed on Bai’s back, she turned onto her side and down went XLW (luckily on the wall side and not the open side).
What happens when Mr Wu”s mom stops nursing? Does the Panda team provide the proper nourishment for his growth? He has become the darling of the world and has a lot of “moms” keeping a watchful eye on him.
Yesterday I had to stop watching because his mom shoved him off that elevated platform she was sleeping on, not once but twice. He was OK but it was tough to watch.
When is his next exam?
Thank you for all the great work you do.
Moderator’s note: Louise, Bai Yun won’t wean her cub until he is comfortable eating bamboo, and that won’t be for another year, at least.
Bless your hearts, Panda Team! Thank you! He is just so very, very precious!
Viewed him just now and he looks wet… maybe he got the much needed water in mist
I’m sorry and I guess I’m the only person who doesn’t think that Bui Yun is this sweet, precious, wonderful, and perfect Panda Mom. At times, even when she was in the den, she acted mean to Li’l Wu. Now it appears to me that she is tired of being a mother and doesn’t even want Baby Wu around her at all. Of course, I do not see everything that goes on. Just my observation and opinion. I do feel sorry for the little guy. Too bad he has to nurse from her for another year.
She is a B E A R.
It is not her job to be NICE (according to humans) Her job is to raise her cub.and she seems to doing a great job of doing that.
omg!! did you really just say this… she is a bear not a human and you should not judge her as one… your comment is very inconsiderate please don’t post any more negative comments
Want to let you know that you are not alone. While trying not to project human emotion on bear behavior, one can not help but suspect that Bai Yun really is tired of mothering, having cubs and, in what is her middle age, one can not blame her. This cub seems to have plateaued on his weight gain curve and she may not be allowing him to nurse as often as he needs to? All I know is that she has little tolerance for this last cub, is so much more impatient than she was with Yun Zi . I never saw her shove him off the platforms, like she is doing so often, so she could sleep or rest or just keep him out of her hair
Perhaps it is because this cub is so much more bold, active and persistent. Who knows? But you are not alone with your thoughts.
Yes but she is a bear! she is being humanised to much. This is not Disney, it is a real bear and I guess life in the wild would be tough too. Give the bear a break
I think she has done an amazing job.
This is her sixth cub, and the sixth one that the panda team has been able to observe. If they had ANY inclination that the cub was in any kind of harm’s way, he would be in the NACU with the nursery keepers, not his mother. This is just how mother bears raise their male cubs. Big cat mothers are very similar with their male cubs- it’s a rough world out there for a young adult male big cat or bear and she is the one teaching him how to handle himself and survive. For every rough moment you may see, I guarantee that there are dozens of moments of her nuzzling him or gently helping him down out of a tree or cradling him. Look up YouTube videos of when Yun Zi was a cub and you will see that she handled him very similarly, and Yun Zi is now a very well adjusted and sweet tempered sub-adult bear.
Help!!! Where’s Yun Zi?
Here are the 2 videos I did for Tuesday ~ the 1st one shows our fearless darling daredevil climbing up the tree and spending some time up there. The 2nd shows Xiao Liwu’s training continuing as he tries to share the Garden Room platform with Bai Yun. And there are some really darling close-ups of the wet-headed cub too that should make you smile
2013-01-22 Xiao Liwu Climbing: High in the Tree, Out of the Moat
http://youtu.be/RBXhHE9e6SY
2013-01-22 The Hard-Knock Education of Xiao Liwu
http://youtu.be/wWEZrZgR_wc
Thank you to the Panda Team for the explanation of his rapid and erratic breathing.
That is a cute title. I imagine him dancing and singing “it’s a hard knock life” from Annie, in his toddler voice that we’ve given him! “Iz a hard nowk wife for woo…”
Ask and you shall receive. Beautiful Yun Zi eating bamboo. Thank you camera person.
Yun Zi in his favorite spot–the green hammock–taking a big nap on the pandacam!!
He’s done some more growing, too!
Got some news from National Zoo about panda research. There’s an article on the NZ panda news page about some brand new ongoing research about female panda reproduction and AIs that’s being done at SCBI, Front Royal, Virginia and in China by a new group of young energetic researchers that are very interested in solving the puzzle of why mother pandas are so notorious about their estrus cycles being so short and the process of getting pregnant or not. The article was written on January 18, 2013, and is a very interesting read. You can get on the NZ panda page to read about this wonderful research that is going on right now. This could help NZ vets and keepers alot when it comes time to watch Mei Xiang for signs of her estrus cycle coming in later this spring.
At Atlanta Zoo, the weaning process for Po, Lun Lun’s toddler cub, has come and gone in just 3 weeks! Po started his weaning from his mom Lun on Friday, January 4, 2013, and he went thru 3 stages of this process fairly quickly with off and on time with Lun during that time. He did miss his mom a little bit when they were seperated, but he was very successful by the time he was fully weaned. By Friday, January 18, Po was totally on his own in his own room or yard, and he’s starting life as an independent panda boy! Now, we’ll see whether Lun will start her estrus cycle again for the first time in over 2 1/2 years, whether she will mate with Yang Yang or have AI procedures done, if and when she will get pregnant, and whether she will have cub #4 later on this year. Only time will tell, and we will see what happens over the next few months. The AZ panda keepers are very good at writing their own updates about their pandas in a timely manner, so we should all get some regular news about Lun during the spring when her estrus cycle should be getting started. When you get on the AZ panda update page, there is a very cute, funny picture of Po and Lun sitting side by side with their backs and butts turned towards the camera! I had a hilarious laugh when I saw that pic of those 2 pandas sitting there showing off their backs to us! Just ignoring us, as usual! BTW, Lun’s other big panda boy, Xi Lan, is still in Atlanta. There is no date as to when he will be going to China yet. He’s 4 years old, and still enjoying his daily routine at AZ!
Gonna go back to the SDZ pandacam to see what pandas are on there. I’m hoping that the cam is on Xiao and Bai!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
Thank you Chari, our Super Roving Reported for the great informative P. Bear news. I feel sorry for Po, all by himself. I guess it would not be good to keep them together any longer. I’m going to look for the funny picture of Po and Lun, sound cute. Thanks!
BTW: After much studying… I do think Lun is very beautiful and no disrespect to China, BUT Beautiful Bai Yun is even more beautiful in my book, it’s in the ears!!!
Thank you, Bev, for the confidence in my reporting about the pandas! Don’t feel sorry for Po, ok? Since his birth came so late in the year in November, the AZ keepers decided last year (2012) to let Po stay with his mom, Lun, until this year, then he was weaned this month. The purpose was to get Lun back on her regular schedule for her estrus cycle which usually begins in late winter/early spring so that the vets and keepers will have a better chance at having her mate with Yang Yang or have a couple of AI procedures done within that estrus time frame. Keep your fingers crossed for Lun and also for Mei Xiang at National Zoo!
Chari
WOW, thank you Chari… see you are the best at giving really super information! Now I understand what and why! Thank you so much!!
Moderators ill we be lucky enough for them to video the exam this week? We all hope so, we’ll I think …all
Moderator’s note: I’ve just learned that the exam has been re-scheduled to next week, and there will be photos/video taken to share with panda fans.
Oh Thank you Moderator for the great news! That is wonderful and should be loads of fun to watch everyone trying to keep up with him, he is an adventurous one!!
I have a question…When Bai is laying on her platform, her poor (teats) if that’s what you call them on a bear, look so sore and red, and Xiao Liwu has another year to go. Is there any kind of salve you can put on her to help it. Also, is it painful for her to nurse him now that hes got more teeth? Poor Bai. : (
Thanks for the update on the den situation. No more latenight scaps of the sleeping pair (so adorable) but, as others have said, it was nice while it lasted. Regarding Bai Yun’s mothering skills, maybe she’s not perfect (who is?), but she has given birth to and raised 6 cubs so she is as close to a perfect panda mother as there is outside of China.
Do the pandas get blood work done as humans do for the latters’ physical examinations? If so, for the panda cubs, at what age do they get blood tests or are such tests done only if the veterinarian thinks it is necessary?
I know when our pets get some unexplainable illness, sometimes the vet gets some blood work taken to rule out certain things. Although, some sedation is needed at times which is the unpleasant part.
We hope Liwu passes his exam this week with flying colors and get a clean bill of health. From the cam, he looks like he’s gotten bigger… maybe more muscles and more inches
… He is so dearly loved by many and will always wish him the best!
Moderator’s note: Xiao Liwu will be trained to accept blood draws so no sedation is needed.
Dear San Diego Veterinarians and keepers of the panda team,
I have been observing Bai Yun for several months now, and I’m wondering if she is getting tired of being a mom?????
It appears on several occasions that she is kind of rough with her baby, and this was before Xiao Liwu was out of the den…Now that he is out of the den, and up he goes on that platform, his mom is really a bit aggressive with Xiao Liwu…Today again, she pushed him off, and poor baby not yet 6 months old fell hard on the ground….I noticed he didn’t try to go back up like yesterday, he looked alright, a little bit stunned, and went to teeth on the bamboo leaves that was near by…..
I know in the wild, pandas would fall to the ground, however, the ground is not cement in the wild, it is with leaves that have fallen off the trees….The fall would not be as severe as it is falling unto the cement, like Xiao Liwu fell….
Wouldn’t it be better for the baby panda to have some leaves put under those platform, or would that be too much work for the keepers to clean up?????
I am concern for the baby panda when he falls, as he is getting bigger and I’m sure those falls are not easy on his growing bones, falling on the hard cement…..
Babies bones in animals are soft, just like humans, but as they grow, the bones get bigger just like humans, and the falls on the cement are sure to hurt any kind of animal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m sure I’m not the only one who is concerned for the baby panda Xiao Liwu when he falls off from the platform…
Also in the past, I don’t recall Bai Yun being this way with her others young babies…..
Maybe she IS getting too old to be a mom anymore!!!!!!!!
I’ll be glad when the team examines the baby panda Xiao Liwu and tells us how he is…….
Thank you for reading this long post……
We have similar concerns about those falls, too.. as I am not sure I have observed so many falls with previous cubs (or perhaps not noticed it on the cam )… and the hard part is they are animals and cannot tell humans if they are hurting internally or have some problem until it becomes obvious to us, especially for a cub who just likes to play and explore … I mean, like for humans, sometimes they fall and may get a blood clot, or football players who get many years of trauma and don’t find out what is wrong till later in life.
… well, maybe we are overly concerned and bears are bears, but as we know, Liwu is very much loved ( especially since he seems to be the smallest one of the cubs) and we all wish him a very good start
… Bai is a great Mama but maybe a little cushion of bamboo or something as suggested might help ease the fall 
????
Moderator’s note: Perhaps it will help to read the same questions/concerns asked about Yun Zi at this age: Ten Panda Questions
Thank you very much for the information and your patience! The memory forgets after 2 years of such information and every new cub is a new experience with new set of concerns
.
Thanks for reminding us and the reassurance.
Wu Wu’s Second Essay
What Wu Wu likes to do
Every day Wu Wu wakes up early so I can play. I like to climb trees very much. Each leafie on the tree is so nice and I like to munch on them. I also like the leafies that are yellow in colour. They are on the ground. Mama tells me they fall down from the trees.
I like to climb Mama too. She is like a mountain to me. It is very fun when she is sleeping. SHe will growl, ‘Stop it, Wu Wu!’ and I jump on her asking, ‘Why, Mama?’ Then she will try to shake me off. Hee Hee, she is like a roller coaster. [Btw Ge Ge is helping me spell.]
Wu Wu also enjoys sleeping. I like sleeping in the moat. It is cool and comfy. I feel so happy there. And many uncles and aunties can take my picture. I never see the pictures. What does Wu Wu wook wike Wu Wu wonders?
The last thing Wu Wu likes to do is cuddle with Mama. She is big, warm and loving. She scolds me and she pushes me off her space. Then she looks for me and we hug. Papa says she is the best for hugging. Mama giggled when he said that. Wu Wu wonders why.
Such a heart-warming story, little Liwu
…but you need to let Mama rest and sleep especially when she looks tired or you might be a bouncing fur ball 
. She does love you very much as we all do 
Mr. Yunnie was being silly a little while ago. Was he trying to get the keepers attention that he wanted BOO and biscuits for breakfast or was it fruit. The surfer dude has to keep his strength up.
On the comments that Bai was being mean, I don’t think she is My thought on the matter is that she needed her space and Wu was just wanting to play. Bai is a good mom I saw the other day when Wu got to high that she got him down and into her arms.
I told you all so!! Today he is proof. The baby has his snooze on the little platform and mama is in the trees sleeping. Head down position .Probably exhausted .What a darling she is!! Mama of the year again!!
Have just opened cam for a sneaky peak at my boy and there’s a beautiful scene of WuWu on his little platform, asleep, with Bai on a branch above him looking down. *heart melts*
Bai Yun just cracks me up. I enjoy watching her nap and hang out in the branches of the north exhibit. it’s just her biological feature but she looks like she’s smiling while she rests her chin on the branch. this morning, she looked like she was going to displace Xiao Li Wu from the small platform but he climbed around her and claimed his corner. then she moved to the branch area. why? was she being a sacrificial (?good) mother? was she just moving to her more favorite spot? we will never know b/c we’re not panda whisperers. too bad. too bad.
Animals raise their young to survive and part of that is…you do it wrong then there can be deadly consequences. Bai Yun knows what she is doing. SDZ knows what she is doing. I agree it sometimes appears she is cruel, these are bears not people. I think being the cub is so cute we forget a panda bear is a dangerous wild animal.
I sure have missed not watching through the night – those were some of the most fun & fasinating times. But watching him outside has been fun too. I have been wondering if we will still get video’s of when he is weighed & measured? Those were definitely THE greatest times to look forward to.
Moderator’s note: We plan to do one last exam video, as he’ll soon be too large to safely handle.
Thank you kindly for taking time to answer. I am having such separation anxiety already! That last vid will be so bittersweet.
Bai Yun looks as if she is thinking “at last, he is sleeping, now for some me time”.
Wu Wu certainly has spurts of energy, he is gorgeous!
Bai sure came booking it when she saw Liwu eating her apple. So precious. He was defeated and went to skeep after that episode of Momma knows best.
1:07 Mr. Wu is the picture of contentment, totally sacked out on his little hammock platform. What a treasure!
Hi everyone, I was just watching Mama and Mr. Wu, Mr Wu had a piece of what appeared to be an apple, he was quietly sitting on his platform mouthing it when all of a sudden Mama climbs up on the platform with him, takes his apple and leaves. Poor Mr Wu looked so forlorn and confused ( like why did she take my apple). What was that about? She was afraid that he would choke or she just wanted the apple? LOL When they were both on the ground earlier she would intentionally walk into him and knock him over, is there a reason that you know of for that? Hope that I am not driving you crazy with questions. You guys are so good at what you do and we are all so appreciative. Also, is there any fear that Mr. Wu could twist or break his neck when she pushes him off of the big platform. It is quite scary when she does that.
Panda mommy rule #1 – do not touch my food, do not think of eating my food
Panda Bear cubs are apparently very tough, as they fall from high places in the wild. It doesn’t seem to faze them much. Although it seems harsh, mother pandas are very tough also, teaching the cubs things they must know in order to survive (in the wild). It’s inherent for them to do this. Those of us who have watched Lun Lun at Zoo Atlanta–she knocks her cubs off of things repeatedly. She’s earned the nickname “monster mother.” There must be a reason for this, as she loves her cubs too, as does Bai Yun. Let’s not worry.
All we’ve been told by Bai is that “all food is Bai’s food”.
Tuned in again at 1:40 PM PST, viewing little Liwu sound asleep, so gentle and innocent little baby… He’s just very calming to watch when he is sleeping.
Hopefully, we could visit him soon before Spring this year. He is just growing so fast! Has SDZ made any souvenirs of him available at the panda shop? For some reason, the website shop has a different interface whereas before I could see more items in the panda shop section.
Just wondering, since it is the last exam video next week, hopefully, it will be long
… and maybe there can be a sequel of the first 12 compilations of video exams that SDZoo made some months ago, i.e., 13th-21st(?) video compilation perhaps if you have the time and resource? Thanks in advance 
Oh. and thank you cam operator for the wonderful close up of him right now.. (sent many snapshots to myself for my memories of the panda cubs
)
Thanks to everyone at SDZ – moderators and Panda Team for the care that you do and now, also assuring us panda fans Liwu is fine… Indeed, Bai is the best teacher to give Liwu the survival lessons even if it looks like tough love
Moderator’s note: I will forward your request, Lil & Bill.
I have watched little Mr. Wu a lot today. He just wears himself out; I can’t believe how active and good at climbing he is.
Oh… sweetest close-up of Mr. Wu sleeping on the platform. He looks so soft and cuddly.. and his little nose is twitching. It’s just the sweetest picture of contentment. What a doll.
I have been reading the concerned comments. I have also seen Mei Xiang and Lun Lun walk over their cubs…….Tai Shan, Mei Lan, and Xi Lan. That seems to be common. But, it doesn’t seem right for Bai Yun to push Mr. Wu from a high platform. Please watch over him, he is too sweet to be hurt. Thank you.
Poor Xiao Liwu…can’t bother mama when she is eating, can’t bother mama when she is sleeping…he should have some toys in the platform room. He has nothing to do while Bai is busy. Also, what does cubbie drink when he is thirsty, when he can’t get moms milk?
Moderator’s note: There are drinkers in each area, including the garden room with the platform. Toys are not given to any young animal overnight, for safety reasons, but different scents are often added in the evening to give our cub some interesting smells to investigate. We hope this eases your concern about the welfare of our cub.
Moderator I have to ask, what toy could you give him that is more dangerous than falling from a high branch or ledge?
Moderator’s note: The platform and climbing structures in the garden room is just a few feet high, and the Panda Team knows that cubs can fall from those heights without harm. We truly wouldn’t make any area dangerous for the cub. The climbing structure is a safe way for him to practice those much-needed climbing skills.
Just looked in on Liwu. Looks like he has the concept of “splat”, sleep down cold.
To the moderator and panda team:
I have read lots of comments with guest saying Bai Yun is an uncaring mother, that she’s tired of xiao liwu among other negative comments. What do you guys think. Can you clear the air and let’s us know. Please address the question, comments etc. thank u much appreciated.
Moderator’s note: Bai Yun is an experienced mother bear. Our Panda Team is not concerned about her actions and knows that they are all part of raising a male panda.
thanks!!!
3:05 pm PT and he’s up in the rafters! uh oh he’s planning to escape (as long as he heads straight to my house and avoids the freeway). This boy is a handful!
omgosh! i know you guys assure and reassure us ‘many’ times…however, i just saw mr. wu take a long fall from the tree!!!!! that makes me soooooo worry about mr. wu and his head and body!!!!!!! i saw him get back up and walk….but shouldn’t there be hay ALL OVER the grounds below all the trees and structures??? ;( i know he’s a ‘bear’ and not a ‘hooman’, but “OUCH”! that has just gotta’ hurt! poor wittle wuwu…… <3xo
After reading the blogs it is apparent that many of us are concerned about the cub falling – or being pushed off the platform. I assume the floor is cement. I realize that zoos do things differently but the National Zoo in D.C.
has a platform but it appears to be only 1 foot high. Might that be an option
for SDZ?
Moderator’s note: The floor of the garden room is all dirt, no concrete at all. The platform in the garden room is about 3 feet high.
Here are the 3 YouTube video for Wednesday, plus a Flickr short.
The 1st video shows Xiao Liwu climbing high in the tree, slipping and recovering nicely. Then Bai Yun joins him for part of his morning nap in the mini-hammock.
2013-01-23 Xiao Liwu: Branching Out and Sharing the Mini-Hammock
http://youtu.be/J17Iddqa2Nc
The 2nd one shows Xiao Liwu enjoying an apple … until you-know-who comes to claim her treat
2013-01-23 Xiao Liwu: My First Apple
http://youtu.be/nds5b1QJ_MQ
This one shows Xiao Liwu falling … and it had nothing to do with Bai Yun …
2013-01-23 OUCH, Xiao Liwu!
http://youtu.be/DWkjNjBiChY
These are some really cute closeups of Xiao Liwu sleeping on the mini-hammock, and the arrival of his mother Bai Yun. (1.5 minutes)
01-23-2013 Close-ups of Xiao Liwu in the Mini-Hammock
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pandalover19/8408771307/
Thanks DoxieMom! You’re the best
!
Wow, Bai’s huge tush on that little hammock. How does it withstand her weight? LOL….I thought it was just for cubbie, but we all know what Bai wants, Bai gets, even cubbies little apple. He should get his treats secretly, unless they were Bai’s to begin with. Great video Doxie, you are the best!
Thank you DoxieMom for your brilliant efforts and offerings for all of us. We so appreciate you. Would it be possible to put a compilation together of Xiao Liwu’s falls, natural and being pushed? It would really be interesting to see as I’ve never seen a SDZ cub have so many in such a short amount of time and from such heights. Thanks so much.
thanks. I was watching on and off during the afternoon and had missed the apple eating. Bai Yun cracks me up. she even took the apple that had fallen b/t the mini hammock and the branch (none for you Xiao Li Wu : ( ). during the afternoon, sometimes I think Xiao Li Wu falls off the tree b/c he is sleepy or over-confident in his new climbing skills and gets a little too relaxed.
Hey DoxieMom~~
LOVE your Videos!
You do a Super job and I look forward to them every day.♥
Also love the notes you write with them.♥
Thank You SO Very Much~~
puppygirl
Poor Wu Wu … mommy stole his apple?
Who is doxie mom and how does she get such good footage of baby wu?
Thank you so much. You would think that all of us didn’t have a life, except to watch this baby. I don’t know what we are going to do when he get big.
Hey Janice in Dandridge~~
We won’t leave this precious baby alone!
LOL!! We will keep on watching!
I just hope the little guy stops being so headstrong lol. I predicted he would be a hand full. He is going beyond being a hand full, he needs something on the ground to play with. I think he is such a busy bear he needs more stimulating ground toys.
Everybody that is experiencing Xiao Liwu and Bai Yun’s interactions as their first baby Panda relax… The fact that he is a male cub Bai Yun is rougher with him as she was with Mei Sheng and Yun Zi before him and less so with the girls …
Just look what happened to a young Gao Gao to see life in the wild is tough for a male cub and Mother Pandas instinctly know how to prepare their male cubs for reality in the Real World….Don’t worry as the SDZ Staff and keepers have seen it all before and Young Master Wu’s well being is their first concern….
Anthropomorphism or personification is any attribution of human characteristics (or characteristics assumed to belong only to humans) to other animals and you can’t put human feelings and emotions to any Wild Animal as they are in fact Animals and not bound to be Human in Nature or interactions…
Bai Yun is an experienced Mother and those of us that have followed Panda’s for years have also seen the same interactions in tha past with all Mother Panda’s and their Male Cubs….
Relax…..Take a Deep Breath and enjoy watching a normal Mother Panda and her Male Cub interact in their daily life and don’t worry ….
I just want to say that as I’m reading some of the post, people are questioning why Bai pushes Lil Wu away, why she took his apple away from him, she wont let him drink the water. Can I just say lets not forget how successful Bai has been as a mother. Mr. Wuu is her sixth cub and the San Diego Zoo Panda cam has also been a huge part of this in being a success. These are wild animals and if they lived out in the wild, this is the way the would be raising there babies. So lets not try to bash Bai about how she raises her lil ones cause I think we can all say that she has done a great job for herself and at the San Diego Zoo.
I agree with that. She has been playing with him quite a bit so far this morning. She has to teach him the bear ways after all. Some people forget that these are wild animals even though they are in the zoo. If she brought him up soft in the wild I don’t suppose the cub would even survive when he went off on his own. She is a top class Mother BEAR.
Link to Terrific Xiao Liwu Pictures.
Nice, Big, Up-Close Pictures with captions !
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/san-diego-panda-cub-slideshow/
Can someone tell me why these beautiful Pandas are now sleeping on “slabs”? I know the den is closed now but…. I think the zoo can do better!!