Oh, You Beautiful Bear
Posted at 11:29 am October 31, 2006 by Kay Ferguson
Most of my time watching pandas is in the afternoons. As I came into work this afternoon, I was thinking how fortunate I am to work at such a beautiful place. The San Diego Zoo is so wonderful, and working here is the greatest experience one could have. I head to the station through Fern Canyon, such a quiet spot in the Zoo and so beautiful. Walking down the pathway I sense a peace come over me; I was going to work yet it did not feel that way. How good it is to come to this great space.
I knew that by the time I arrived, Bai Yun would be eating her bamboo lunch (pictured), and most likely I would find Su Lin high in the tree sound asleep as usual. Her brother, Mei Sheng, was busy with his bamboo. And sure enough, there she was, high in the tree, sleeping. I think she has her days and nights mixed up, sleeping during the day and eating late in the afternoon.
Su Lin is so independent compared to how her brother and sister were at this age. So we watch her sleep most of the day, just waiting for her to come down. It is hard to wait, but wait we must. I just don’t know how those branches hold her weight. She is 56 pounds (25 kilograms) now and it just seems impossible for those small branches to hold her, but they do.
As I chat with our guests they ask all kinds of questions about the pandas and I always love sharing the wealth of information we have gathered over the past 10 years.
Mei Sheng has finished his lunch and climbed up to his favorite spot to sleep. He loves the top of the concrete tree – we call it the Keebler tree – and this is his favorite hangout for sleeping. Some time after January 2007, Mei Sheng will move to the homeland of China. I know he will be fine in China; they take very good care of the pandas. Hua Mei moved to China in 2004 and has produced two sets of twins! We do have something made in the USA working in China: Hua Mei.
Come visit anytime, we would love to share with you the pandas on loan from China. And remember, you can watch Su Lin sleep in the tree at home on Panda Cam. Enjoy this wonderful place: come, relax, and take a moment to look at these rare animals from China right in your own backyard, the San Diego Zoo.
Kay Ferguson is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo.
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October 31st, 2006 at 12:57 pm
Kay, what a beautiful way to come to work, not many people have that. It really sounds like you can find some inner peace in that space and probably after work what a place to refresh yourself. all of you in your different jobs have done so much to insure that these wonderful and special bears are so well taken care of. I will miss Mei Sheng, he is so sweet with that special smile.
October 31st, 2006 at 1:06 pm
Kay, thanks for a wonderful refreshing look behind the scenes of the place you are blessed to work. I wish I could get to see Mei Sheng before he leaves for China. Since I live in Virginia, that is not likely to be. I have enjoyed watching him on the Panda cam. He is one fabulous bear, and hopefully will be a romantic gentleman like his father, GaoGao. If he is as prolific as his sister, Hua Mei, he will also contribute greatly to the gene pool from his wonderful mother Bai Yun, and his wild born father GaoGao.
It is always refreshing and a boost to my spirits when I see the pandas, and read first hand accounts of their daily lives.
Thanks to you and your colleagues for taking time to so eloquently describe to us the wonderful life of all of the SDZ pandas.
October 31st, 2006 at 6:15 pm
Kay, I wish I worked at the zoo. I know what you mean about it being beautiful and peaceful. When I am able to come during the week after working at the San Diego City Schools I come to have a little less stress in my life even if it is for a short time. I also come on the weekends and I always come to see the Pandas, they always amaze me and I love to watch them. I really love Mei Sheng, he is such a charactor, I will miss him greatly when he goes to China, but hopefully he will do as well as Hua Mei. again. Thanks for this wonderful blog of how you feel working with the pandas and letting us know about their daily routine. I hope soon we will see more of Su Lin out of the tree; it is hard to catch her out of those trees.
October 31st, 2006 at 10:28 pm
LOL, looking at Panda Cam right now and watching Su Lin eat, she certainly seems to have her days and nights mixed up!
I wonder if Bai Yun ever has a problem waking Su Lin in the morning?
November 1st, 2006 at 10:30 am
How much does Mei Sheng weigh these days? It seems like he’s been about 175 pounds for awhile. He has such a large handsome head like his mom and a cute little body like his dad.
Editor’s note: Keepers report that he has been pretty consistent at 174 pounds (78.9 kilgorams) these days.
November 1st, 2006 at 6:18 pm
Hello
I am in Malaysia and will be visiting San Diego between 10 and 14 November, and expect to be at the Zoo everyday visiting with my giant panda sweethearts!
November 2nd, 2006 at 6:25 am
I live in Virginia and am trying to plan a trip to see Mei Sheng before he goes to China. I had thought that he would be here until March. Has that changed? Also, I found a document which rates the Chinese pandas on their breeding potential. It includes Tian Tian, and says that his lineage cannot be verified. In other words, Pan Pan might not be his father, which would mean that Su Lin and Tai Shan are not related. If that is the case, is there the potential for Tai and Su to mate?
November 2nd, 2006 at 12:15 pm
Hi, Kay! I haven’t been able to visit the zoo when you’re there. Hard to drive down on a weekday. But it’s always been so much fun to hang out with you (and to have you time me!).
It’s so sad to think about your baby Mei Sheng leaving, but he needs to learn to be a panda man. I’m sure he’ll be teaching all kinds of tricks to his buddies in China. In return, they’ll teach him what it’s like to be a panda. Maybe.
Chatting with narrators is very informative and a fun part of my visit to the zoo every time. Thank you very much and I’ll see you again in a bit.