Yes, Mei Sheng believes in this adage; well, if not greener, then it must be tastier! A few nights ago lucky guests viewing Panda Cam watched in awe (and some in horror) as Mei Sheng balanced precariously on top of the tallest pine in his enclosure and reached out to a huge stalk of giant timber bamboo Bambusa oldhamii just on the outside. Although it did look quite dangerous, he was not in any jeopardy. He has done this maneuver many times. Pandas are great climbers and tree acrobats. He was just expressing his independence at wanting to choose that species of bamboo for the evening.
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Since I’ve started working on a daily basis with the orangutans, I’ve really gotten to know them better. They are so different from each other and it has been fun getting to know each of their personalities. As I get to know each of them, I hope to share my stories with you so you can get to know them better, too.
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The San Diego Zoo’s WorldWild Tours’ “Panda Patrol” is off to China! One of our regular panda blog readers will be reporting in on our adventures periodically. Please find her first installment below.

Amy Parrott is the San Diego Zoo’s WorldWild Tours escort.

Ni hao from the “Land of the Pandas!” We’ve been in China on the San Diego Zoo’s Panda tour for five days, making many new friends, eating wonderful food, and getting to know each other while floating down the Yangtze River on a very “slow boat in China.” As promised, I’ll send reports back to the panda blog so you can take part in the trip with us, including when we go to Wolong to play with the 2005 kindergarten cubs! Stay tuned!

- Cathy G.

You may recall a blog I wrote a few months back telling you of our hope that a sun bear cub would be born here this spring. I am sorry to report that our sun bear, Marcella, did not give birth.
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I returned to my work in Cameroon on Thursday after speaking at the State of Endangered Species event at CRES, where I talked about my work in Cameroon, particularly concerning the bushmeat trade and its effects on the endangered primates here.

At the event I was happy to hear that people were following the story of Soso, the young drill that I rescued from a roadside trader in late 2004, and his adventures with new-found friends at the Limbe Wildlife Center (LWC), a sanctuary for orphans of the bushmeat trade here in Cameroon. (Read Bethan’s previous blog about Soso.)
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Life keeps getting more interesting for our lion cub and puppy duo. Early in the morning, they both get a ride from the Wild Animal Park’s Animal Care Center to Lion Camp for a play session in the large, grassy exhibit.
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When I arrived at the San Diego Zoo’s Panda Research Station yesterday, I saw that Su Lin had grown considerably since the last time I saw her in person three weeks ago. She had gained a little weight, but her fur seemed so much bigger, as if all the rain and humidity had given her ” big hair.” She looked like a giant puffball and just looked more grownup.They grow up so fast!
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Bird diets are as diverse as the bird collection at the San Diego Zoo. Every bird, in every enclosure, has a diet made up by our nutritionists (we have two on staff at the Zoo). Since keepers couldn’t possibly offer a pan for every bird, not to mention teach the birds to eat from only ” their” pan, one pan must have all of the correct items needed to fit many diets. To reduce competition of favorite items by a dominant bird, a few pans are placed throughout an aviary. Ground birds are offered food close to the ground, and those birds that do not stray far from the treetops are offered their pans high up on pedestals. Of course, that doesn’t stop birds from sampling from each other’s pans!
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There are a lot of things happening here at the Wild Animal Park! Out in the Heart of Africa (HOA) habitat, animals are being shifted into new locations in preparation for the new railway system. Many more trees are being planted in HOA to enhance the exhibits as well. The new railway project is slated to begin this spring. So those of you that are familiar with the old WGASA Bush Line Railway tour have something wonderful to look forward to. Eventually, two separate tours will be available for our guests.
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The San Diego Zoo’s Veterinary Services Department is excited about a new tool that is helping us improve animal care at the hospital around the clock. We have installed a camera system that allows us to watch animals from our computers and special monitors at any time. The system also has a server that stores video footage, allowing us to review archival video of animal activity that takes place while we are not working. This provides us with very important information and also answers some very basic questions:Is the animal eating after we leave at night?
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