If you are tuning in to the Panda Cam this morning, you may be watching the return of Mei Sheng to his exhibit space. He’s been gone a while as we renovated the area, adding a new lair and a few redwood berms to help keep the soil in place.
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Keeping newborn panda cubs out of the public’s eye for the early months of life is a necessary procedure. At birth, a cub can suckle and vocalize but is dependent on the mother for all of its remaining needs. Eyes and ear canals will not open for several weeks postpartum, and the natal coat of fur is too sparse at birth to provide sufficient warmth. This complex of traits is subsumed under the descriptive term “altricial,” as contrasted with those mammalian offspring that are described with the more familiar term “precocial.” A newborn foal exemplifies precociality, for it can stand within minutes of being born and can keep up with the herd within hours. This not only addresses the need to maintain contact with the herd as it moves from place to place, but in a wild context also reduces the chances of becoming a predator’s meal.
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I spoke with the giraffe keeper, Dustin, today to get an update on our new giraffe baby. It has been determined that we have a bouncing baby boy! He has been named Hodari, which means ” strong” in Swahili. As of today, Hodari is 6′2″ (1.8 meters) tall and he weighs 152 pounds (69 kilograms). He is obviously getting good care from his mother, Bahati, as he has gained 5 pounds (2.2 kilograms) since his birthday last week. Even though keepers have only witnessed the baby nursing a few times, his growth, and a blood glucose test done the day he was born, let keepers know he has gained the skill of nursing and is using it.
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Now that our panda cub has a name, a frequently asked question is when she will be on public display. Based on previous experience, Su Lin should be on exhibit between 4 and 4 1/2 months of age. This timing is based on factors over which we have no control.
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I have noticed that lately Gao Gao (pictured) has been a bit more active. He has been like this in the late summer and early fall for a few years now. He spends time wandering about his enclosures, even when good food is present to occupy his time. We didn’t see this same pattern with Shi Shi, who was with us for several years. What is going on here?
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Kya and Kilat are 8-year-old clouded leopards. Kya means ” treetop leopard” and Kilat means ” thunder and lightening” . They are sisters who live together in a large enclosure at the Hunte Amphitheater training compound. The best way to identify the difference between the two cats is simple and scientific: Kya wears a black collar around her neck and Kilat wears a turquoise collar!
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This week, the Girls In Science met with the Zoo’s resident entomologist, Paige Howorth, and spent some quality time getting to know some of our six- and eight-legged friends!
We met up with Paige outside of the Children’s Zoo’s ” Bugtown–The Itty Bitty City,” where we spent a little time perusing the enclosures, getting a feel for what we might be in for later. Some of the girls were squeamish, but all were fascinated by the critters on display. Paige brought out a few for us to meet and touch.
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I just wanted to update everyone on a few changes around the panda facility… aside, of course, from the new name bestowed upon our baby girl.
Those of you watching Panda Cam this morning may be wondering why I wasn’t able to highlight Mei Sheng. He is currently being housed in an area of the facility where the cameras can’t see very well, and I never got a good glimpse of him to share with everyone. Why is he there? Because we are doing a little bit of building in the exhibit he was formerly housed in. This should take us about a week.
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After a long 15-month gestation period, Bahati, our 14-year-old female giraffe, gave birth last night. It is especially cool that the new baby’s birthday is November 9th because that is also his mother Bahati’s birthday. This is Bahati’s fifth baby, but only her second one here at the San Diego Zoo. She had three babies while at the Los Angeles Zoo. The baby’s father is Silver, our tall, dark, and handsome male giraffe.
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