Panda Magic
Posted at 2:41 pm September 16, 2005 by Panda Research TeamLast Wednesday, September 14, was our weekly panda cub exam. This was the first time since our cub was born that I was able to hold her and assist the vet in her exam. It was “panda magic” all over again for me, the third time around.
Something about these beautiful cubs just makes you feel in awe and starstruck at the same time! Our girl was very good for her exam; she is getting so big. In fact, next week I will have to hunt up another weighing box for her, as she is rapidly outgrowing the existing one!
Over the years, I have really learned alot about how to handle these cubs, especially during the vet exams. It is important as a keeper to find ways of comforting and keeping the cub quiet and free of stress as they go through their examinations. Spending time watching Bai Yun interacting with her cub, touching it and holding it in various ways has helped me develop “skills” in handling the cub and keeping her quiet. I look forward to the day when our girl starts to open her eyes and see this big world she is living in. Of course, as one of her keepers, she will get to know us, and that is when the real “magic” will begin!
The San Diego Zoo’s Giant Panda Team.
View Bai Yun and her cub on Panda Cam
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September 16th, 2005 at 3:46 pm
SHE’S ADORABLE!!!!! SHE’S HEALTHY, HAPPY AND STRONG…CAN’T WAIT TO WATCH HER AS SHE EXPLORES…I’M SURE SHE WILL MAKES US LAUGH…I BET SHE OUTDOES HER SISTER AND BROTHER…
SHE’S READY TO GO. AND BEST OF ALL SHE’S IN GOOD HANDS…HUMAN AND MAMA…
September 16th, 2005 at 7:18 pm
Hi,
Are you the woman weighing the cub in the video? If you are, it was wonderful seeing the way that you held her. Is there any other physical contact that the cub has with humans besides in the exams? Is the cub as relaxed as she seems or am I reading into it? Thanks very much.
September 17th, 2005 at 4:42 am
HI
I’M IN SUCH AW OF THESE PANDAS. THANK GOODNESS FOR THE INTERNET, SO WE CAN SEE THESE LIL CUTIES. AND TO THINK YOU GUYS GET PAID FOR GETTING TO HOLD THESE WONDERS. OR SOME OF YOU DO. AND THANK THE ONES WHO DON’T. THEY ARE ALSO LUCKY. MOM AND BABY MIGHT TEACH SOME OF US HUMANS ABOUT RAISING CHILDREN. LOVING AND KINDNESS IS ALL IT TAKES. I WISH WE COULD HEAR THE MOM AND BABY. I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR BABY CALL FOR MOM. THANKS AGAIN FOR LETTING US WATCH, GAIL
September 17th, 2005 at 7:34 am
I’m soooooo jealous. I would give almost anything to hold one of these cubs for a second or two. I know their fur is not as soft as it looks but they have such an endearing appearance. I’ll be down for a visit shortly after she and Bai(and what a great mom she is!) are on exhibit.
September 17th, 2005 at 7:38 am
I was watching the Mei and her baby in Washington DC and noticed that she seems very rough with her baby compared to ours. Our Mama seems so mellow and loving toward her baby. Watching Mei this morning, it looked as though she got mad at the baby who was squirming when she tried to clean it. It almost looked as though she was hurting/punishing it for resisting her. Also, she was sneezing a lot in the 5 minutes thay I watched. Is this common? DO pandas get sick like humans?
September 17th, 2005 at 1:08 pm
The baby in DC is lots bigger than the one in SD…it’s 10 weeks old already. The keepers in DC did mention that now that the baby was larger Mei was having a much harder time picking him up to nurse and clean. I think you will see similar in San Diego soon enough.
September 17th, 2005 at 1:08 pm
Totally addicted to Pandacam!! I would love to know if you think that the new baby and Mei Sheng will get some ‘Nursery Time’ together before he has to start his next adventure in China?
September 17th, 2005 at 3:58 pm
I knew the comparsions between D.C. cubs and San Diego cubs would happen. ” Our cub weighs more than your cub.” Of course, this isn’t you guys. I am so amazed at Bai Yun as a mother to her three babies over the years. Yes, just like a human mother, she was a little hesitant about what to do, but soon she settled in. With Number 2 and 3 she’s an old hand at this. She is such a gentle mother with her babies. I noticed she spends most of her time with them cuddling them, feeding them, and grooming them. It will be fun when this little one is older and we get to see her play with Number 3 like she did with her first two. I thinnk we humans could learn a lot about parenting from Bai Yun.
September 17th, 2005 at 4:24 pm
Kathy, thank you so much for sharing with us how you feel about these beautiful pandas. I can imagine that being a part of their lives means that you enjoy your work so much and indeed this is shown by the way all of you care and share with us their daily lives. It’s panda and keeper magic to me. Wow !!
September 17th, 2005 at 5:37 pm
Hi – I remember seeing you often with Mei Sheng, as we watched him grow up, and have wondered where you might be — I was glad to see you with the cub, and know you’re still there.
September 17th, 2005 at 8:11 pm
I’ve been watching Mei and her baby too…but I feel that she’s actually a very caring mom.
She’s just not as experienced as Bai Yun. Plus her cub is bigger than average, so it’s a bit more difficult to ‘maneuver’ him! Pandas are such loving animals to their young…I can’t imagine Mei would ever ‘punish’ her little guy. 
Bai Yun’s little girl is so active! For her age, she’s moving about just fine! She looks like she’s swimming more than crawling though…so cute!
September 18th, 2005 at 5:16 am
HI
THEY DID A PIECE ON PANDAS ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA SUNDAY. SHOWED PANDAS IN THEIR HOMELAND. SOOOOOOOOOOOO CUTE. VERY GOOD STORY.
LOVE PANDAS,GAIL
September 18th, 2005 at 7:45 am
My kids and I love watching the Pandas. Especially the baby. My kids have to check on the Pandas all day and especially after school. Your cam has my daughter wanting to be a vet and work with the Pandas there in San Diego. She is always watching and learning about the Pandas. Thanks so much for allowing us all to be able to watch these adorable bears.
September 18th, 2005 at 9:07 am
I really enjoy the videos and weblogs about your little girl. I was wondering when we will get more information about the twins that were recently born. Have you started ” swapping” them yet? And, how are they doing? Thanks to all the staff that help these wonderful animals survive.
September 18th, 2005 at 10:21 am
Honestly, I don’t think the team in DC was trying to compare the two cubs. I think they are just extremely excited because this is their first cub. Besides, there really is no comparison…they are two very different cubs with two very different mom’s. Mei is a much less experienced than Bai, so that’s probably why she seems a little clumsy with this big boy. Also, I think they were just pointing out what the records show. Both of these cubs are wonderful. Looks like they actually do have a bit in common, the same ” Grandpa”
Thanks for the updates.
September 18th, 2005 at 11:21 am
I feel so silly getting teary-eyed when I read your panda diaries… and I am so jealous. What an adorable little baby – I would love to hold one for just a few seconds – I bet it’s hard not to give it a little kiss on the head!! Thanks so much for the updates – I’ve learned alot, and it certainly brightens my day when I get to watch them on the Panda Cam – how silly, that such a small, mysterious little creature can have such a huge impact on a community! Keep up the amazing work – and I will be waiting until I can see baby girl in person!! OOXX
September 18th, 2005 at 2:38 pm
Mama panda looks so much thinner. Do you know how much weight she’s lost since the birth?
September 18th, 2005 at 9:42 pm
Words fail to express the joy of being able to have watched this ” Mother and Child” . So thankful for the experience through the PandaCam.
September 19th, 2005 at 4:17 am
Sorry if I have missed this elsewhere, but do you ever have any news of Shi Shi? Poor old guy was getting a bit unsteady on his paws last I heard; hope he is still with us and doing OK.
With reference to the comments about Mei and her cub in Washington, how delightful that she has turned out to be such an excellent mother – over the years she has seemed like a fairly independent character who appreciates her solitude now and again (in direct contrast to the more gregarious Tian, who loves attention!) and we’d been wondering here how Mei would react to having her space invaded. No worries! Sometimes she just seems to gaze at him as though she can’t quite believe what she’s seeing! Aren’t we all so blessed to have TWO cubs to watch this year…
September 19th, 2005 at 6:12 am
I have been watching the pandas since just before I learned of Bai Yun’s pregnancy. I love watching, and I love learning through the videos and commentary. Thank you for this public service. I see that over the week end the little panda baby has gotten fatter!
September 19th, 2005 at 7:47 am
No wonder why Mei xiang can’t quite believe what she’s seeing, even we human beings, before the popularity of internet, most important, before the birth of wonderful Hua Mei born in the SDZ, can’t imagine how a pinky space-worm (as described by some reporters)
turns into a furry black and white ball in two months’ time in front of our eyes ! It’s really a magic show of the nature.
September 19th, 2005 at 9:23 am
I too am SO jealous of the keepers who get to hold the cub – I’d sneak in kisses on the top of her head! I find it amusing that her movements are referred to as ” swimming,” I too think the same way – sometimes she goes around and around like a person in a row boat with only one oar! I think the cutest is when she’s on her back, kicking her arms and legs around. I absolutely love it!!
September 19th, 2005 at 10:29 am
I can’t get enough of these panda babies! I have the Washington one on and SDZ is on my widget. I think Washington Zoo keepers are just so proud of their little baby they just love to share their news, I don’t think they are trying to compete, it would be like trying to compare the development of a month old human baby to a 5 month old one, they are at different stages, personally I can’t get enough of either panda, I could read about them all day!;)
September 19th, 2005 at 10:30 am
It is so much fun reading the comments of other panda watchers. I often see questions or comments that I have also had. Since this is my first panda baby to watch I thought it might become ” old hat” to those who have been doing this for years. But, from the comments, it seems that the thrill continues. Thank you for sharing this beautiful experience with the public. What an awesome project the Panda Team is doing. How thrilling to be able to participate in restoring creatures that are nearly driven to extinction. Jeanine
September 19th, 2005 at 1:41 pm
I’m so glad to read that I’m not the only one who gets teary-eyed when reading the blogs and comments. So many out there like me, who love these creatures. I couldn’t go a day without checking in on both cubs (several times). Thanks to all the keepers at both zoos. Yes, we are blessed to be able to watch and learn about them!
September 19th, 2005 at 4:02 pm
She is getting so big! She is now at one of my favorite stages — where, when mom leaves, she looks like a stuffed animal cuddly that some child has left but will come back for! We check on her throughout the day. Thanks for having this great panda cam!
September 20th, 2005 at 9:15 am
The panda girl is 50 days old today, her eyes haven’t opened yet as seen in the close up of the Panda Cam .
September 20th, 2005 at 10:52 am
I’ve been noticing that baby girl doesn’t move as much as she used to. Is she ” settling down” now? She must be more content when Mom’s not around.
September 20th, 2005 at 3:54 pm
Thanks so much for changing the photo in the panda line up. The baby panda that I call ” Princess Butterfly” is so precious in that picture.
September 20th, 2005 at 5:07 pm
Oh my goodness what a cute mama and baby ! I can’t beleive how big she is getting right before my eyes, thanks for the web cam it gives all a pandas eye point of view its awesome !!!!!!!!! Carol Kirby
September 20th, 2005 at 5:31 pm
This may be silly and may be because I can’t see the den very well, but is she in any danger of falling over or being brushed off the circular enclosure – it looks like it only has a small rim and then is a long fall down…..
September 21st, 2005 at 5:31 am
I think Bai Yun is the sweetest mother. I can’t wait to see her when they go on exhibit. Thank you all for all the information you give us.
September 21st, 2005 at 6:54 am
9-21-05 What was the man in the white shirt doing walking around in Gao Gao’s outdoor area this morning at about 7:40 a.m.?
September 21st, 2005 at 11:48 am
I don’t get the opportunity to watch the panda cam as much as I would like. I love your updates and I know they take time to write but I would love to hear about the day to day things that mom and baby are doing, especially what milestone baby is hitting or near to hitting. Thanks again for all of your work with pandas. You guys are just AWESOME!!!
September 22nd, 2005 at 5:45 pm
We visited the zoo in Sept. Mei Sheng put on a great show. We were very lucky that he came right down in front and sat down to eat his bamboo. Needless to say we took a load of pics. He is such an adorable boy. His daddy slept thru our entire visit. Looking forward to visiting again when our darling little girl is on display. Really enjoy the weblogs and all the information. Thanks Laura Fudge