Bai Yun, World Champion
Posted at 12:46 pm April 25, 2007 by Suzanne Hall
Yesterday was a great day for us at the Panda Research Station. As most of you now know, Bai Yun and Gao Gao mated naturally, and some of you were lucky enough to catch the action on the Panda Cam.
What you may not know is that our girl Bai Yun set two records yesterday. To the best of our knowledge, she had the quickest behavioral estrus on record, showing strong signs of estrus a mere hour-and-a-half before her first copulation. This is not the typical pattern of Bai Yun, but perhaps this is typical of healthy 15-year-old females. The next-shortest estrus we are aware of was experienced by a female in Mexico City. Our staff estimates Bai Yun beat that female out by about 24 hours. Interestingly, the Mexico City female in question was about Bai Yun’s age when she had her very truncated estrus.
Another record was set when Bai Yun bred Gao Gao on three separate occasions yesterday. We know of no other female who has copulated three times in eight hours. It is common for females to mate across two to three days, and in that time accumulate up to five separate breedings. But three in eight hours”¦ way to go Bai Yun (and Gao Gao)!
This morning, we watched Bai Yun to see if she might be up for another pairing with the male. Although her behavior was dampened a bit with regard to her stellar performance yesterday, she was still performing strong tail-ups and holding the mating pose when stimulated by a touch. She continued to bleat and chirp. She looked to be ready to have another go with Gao Gao.
Gao Gao, however, was less enthusiastic this morning. He was not so eager to be with her early this morning, and didn’t pull at the gate to get to her like yesterday. At the howdy gate, he moaned and even swatted at her. We opted to back off and feed both bears well, hoping a full stomach might change his attitude. If he continues to be less than receptive, then our mating season will have come to a close.
What’s in store for the future? Three matings is more than enough to result in a pregnancy (after all, it only takes one!). Two of the copulations were of a hearty length; one was 1 minute 31 seconds in duration, the other 2 minutes 30 seconds. Even the short 30-second copulation may have deposited enough semen in her tract to fertilize her ovum. Whether she will maintain a pregnancy remains to be seen, and we won’t be able to confirm a pregnancy until it is visualized via ultrasound a few weeks before the actual birth date. We’ll just have to watch and wait. It’s all up to our world champion now.
Suzanne Hall is the senior research laboratory technician for the Giant Panda Conservation Unit of Applied Animal Ecology/CRES.
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April 25th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Wow! What a girl!
She must have worn Gao Gao out! She is truly special and extraordinary. Even if nothing comes to fruitation, I will still love Bai!
April 25th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
Suzanne, wow now the tables are turned poor Bai is ready and big daddy has a headache. Now we all can get nervous and wait to see if we hear the familiar sound of of a squeeky little voice letting us know ” I am here” .and now the waiting begins. I say yes and i bet it will be early Sept. and it will be a little boy,but if nothing happens that’s okay too as long as Bai is healthy. thanks to all who made this possible
April 25th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
While I’m certainly not underestimating Gao Gao, I have to chuckle at the fact that Bai Yun seems to have outlasted him in ardor. And they say that ” older women” don’t have stamina!
Congratulations to both pandas on their ” record” yesterday. What a memorable day! And also heartiest thanks to the SDZ staff, who create such a wonderful environment for the pandas that they feel comfortable enough to mate three times in one day.
April 25th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Bai Yun and Gao Gao are experienced pro’s so they know what to do and when and how to get to business quickly. It is interesting that it was Gao who was not interested this morning. His nose must be working hard again and telling him the time has past and to be content with his three lucky chance. What a day he had! So much anticipation on his part for his 5 total minutes of glorious natural behavior. He waited a long two years for those few precious moments, so he was more than ready to do his part quickly on short notice.
Did they immediately separate after the copulations, or were they separated by keepers. I was not lucky enough to witness the events on the panda cam, and the time lapse videos don’t seem to be working. You indicated yesterday that she initiated the first one yesterday morning, and when the gate was opened she went looking for him. Who initiated the second two events, or were they still in the same enclosure so they just got together naturally.
Watching Tian Tian wooing Mei Xiang several days after her AI, and when her receptivity was over, he was the one making many physical and verbal advances. You mentioned that Gao was vocalizing, vocalizing, vocalizing before the big events, did he continue until she was receptive, or did he stop and she finally started vocalizing to him?
Early this morning I saw her go toward the howdy gate and appeared to leave her marks, but she then seemed to wander away. I could see keepers moving around near Gao’s enclosure, and Gao appeared to be on the other side of the gate. It was about 7-7:30 this morning. Is this the event you were chronicling above? Other than that episode, she appears to have been eating or sleeping the rest of the day. I look forward to checking in late tonight EDT to see if there was any more progress.
April 25th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
I’m just curious of the reaction to the adolescent Mei Sheng to all the ” action” going on next door. Is he able to observe? Does he react to the adults mating? It would seem to me that this is how the young males learn in the wild, not just from instinct alone. Maybe the panda family in San Diego is somewhat of a reflection of what panda ” families” in the wild are like…adjoining territories, young and older pandas in overlapping ranges. If mating were just instinct alone, our young male pandas in Washington, Atlanta, and Memphis should have been more effective in their own breeding attempts. 2 and a half minutes! I don’t think any of the males in the other American zoos have been able to mate naturally for more than an few seconds! Gao Gao is the just amazing!
April 25th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
Guess poor Gao Gao was exhausted after his stellar performance yesteday
Let’s hope for another healthy cub.
Regards, Maureen
April 25th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
Great news! What a randy couple!
Will you also perform an artificial insemination, or will this year be ” au naturel” ?
Cindy J.
April 25th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
Such an exciting day for panda lovers! Bai Yun and Gao Gao mate and Tai Shan stays in the U.S. It was so exciting tuning into SDZ and seeing the mating behaviors for myself. THANK you SDZ, Suzanne, and the Meerkats for all the info and views through this breeding season. I have learned (and now seen!) so much.
April 25th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
WOW and I had to miss it All! We knew that Gao Gao is the man but it sounds like our lovely Bai is quite the woman, too! I sense we are in for one heck of a ride at SDZ, NZP and Memphis this year, plus our young Mei Lan cub in Atlanta. It was great to hear that Tai Shan gets to stay at NZP for 2 more years, also!
To think that we went from no living cubs pre-1999 to THIS so quickly is a real tribute to the hard working teams at these facilities! Keep up the fantastic work and we will sit back and continue to watch this all unfold. Thanks so much for the wonderful updates this last week with all that is going on!!
P.S. I’ve tried watching the time lapse video for the last couple days but have no luck. Is there an issue with it? The previous days seem fine.
April 25th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
Hello, Suzanne and Ellie. I can’t imagine how you folks contain yourselves with so much excitement going on. Thanks again for all your work and being so informative. So do matings happen at night often? I hope you folks get some rest, too.
Conversation with Bai Yun #3
Bai Yun:
(Reading excerpts from English Standard Version translation of Song of Solomon)
My beloved is radiant and ruddy, distinguished among ten thousand.
His head is the finest gold;
His locks are wavy, black as a raven.
His eyes are like doves beside streams of water,
Bathed in milk, sitting beside a full pool.
His cheeks are like beds of spices, mounds of sweet-smelling herbs.
His lips are lilies, dripping liquid myrrh.
Tourist: Hello, Madame Bai Yun.
B: Oh, hello, Mr. Tourist.
T: So it’s the season for love, should we say?
B: Oh, he is absolutely wonderful…
His arms are rods of gold, set with jewels.
His body is polished ivory, bedecked with sapphires.
His legs are alabaster columns, set on bases of gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as the cedars.
His mouth is most sweet, and he is altogether desirable.
April 25th, 2007 at 9:29 pm
Thank you Suzanne for another informative yet detailed update on Bai Yun and Gao Gao. The SDZ indeed has the world famous champions of panda bears!
April 25th, 2007 at 10:06 pm
Bai Yun is so amazing! Thank you, Suzanne for all the details. Everything about this year’s estrus is very different. Perhaps this mating will produce more than one cub? I tried to watch the time lapse video for 4/24 and there is nothing. I hope that it becomes available soon. Thanks again!
April 26th, 2007 at 2:24 am
Gao Gao is a real stud! We pandaholics had a great day with all the information being posted,thanks to the staff we are able to share your excitement as well.I hope this results in a cub or two for Bai Yun,she is a wonderful mother and gives her viewers many hours of pleasure in watching her gently rear her baby,she truly is a special bear.Great news that Tia Shan can stay at Washington for extra time also,any chance that Su Lin can stay a little longer too? i know you are extremely busy at the moment but is it possible to have the time lapse cam working again
Many thanks
April 26th, 2007 at 6:34 am
How long is the gestation period? If she is true to her form, she should be giving birth sometime in August. What a great way for my science class to start out a new school year by watching another of Bai Yun and Gao Gao’s babies grow up.
I can’t wait.
April 26th, 2007 at 7:22 am
Thank you Suzanne for your very informative update, I can imagine you are all very busy comparing the latest mating with the previous two (plus the AI from Shi Shi).
There is little wonder that Bai Yun has a smile on her face, I noted that the ’sexy lady’ continued to smile while she was mating with Gao Gao. After the third mating I guess she was secretly thinking how lucky can a girl get in one day!
As always when Bai told him she was available, Gao Gao was ready, willing and able to perform with admirable stamina, he is simply the greatest.
I can imagine that yesterday he was in ‘recuperation’ to regain some of his stamina, I did not see them mate yesterday however that is not to say they did not while I glanced away from Panda Cam to check my mail!
I have watched Panda Cam since it commenced and recall Hua Mei’s birth in August 1999.
In the last few years there has been some amazing progress and changes when viewing the Panda Cam, thank you to everyone who has contributed to making this possible. In the early days there were no ‘Blogs’ in the format they appear now, thank to all concerned and for all the effort that it must take to keep us up to date with all things Panda.
It seems impossible that 8 years and two more cubs have past and we are now awaiting the news that Bai is going to be a mum yet again and make everyone extremely happy.
For the Panda Cam viewers who have not seen this previously I can assure you that if all goes according to plan, when the birth is imminent it is an awe inspiring time and you will be ‘glued’ to your PC for hours – the Mail and household duties just have to wait!!
April 26th, 2007 at 7:55 am
Since I didn’t see the events on camera, I have a few questions.
Did Gao and Bai have any ” foreplay?” I ask because interactions of Tian and Mei Xiang always appear to involve some form of play, even when he was later trying to mount her.
I was just watching Lun Lun playing with Mei Lan. Lun is not totally comfortable with Mei’s climbing high yet, so she goes to great lengths to get her down to the ground. Lun was swinging herself around the tall climbing structure like she was a young cub! I couldn’t believe how incredibly nimble she is. I was concerned that she might slip and fall from one of the smaller tree trunks. But the more I watch the more amazed I was at how incredibly naturally competent climbers pandas are, no matter whether they are 8 years old or 7 months old. She even managed to balance herself long enough to grab Mei Lan and work her grip free and then ” jumped” to the floor with Mei Lan in tow. That is pretty amazing stuff since Mei is now 33 pounds of wiggling cub. Then Lun proceeded to somersault over Mei in many directions playing with her, a sort of wrestling match. It appeared she wanted to play, and to keep Mei on the ground away from the climbing structure. I do not recall Bai Yun ever getting this into playing with Su Lin. I recall reading that Bai would solicit play with Su (when she was down from her trees) but did not witness much other than mild wrestling and Su climbing on Bai’s back. When I have seen Mei Xiang play with Tai Shan, he was always the initiator, and it was mostly him climbing on and biting at his mother, similar to the ” nibling” you mention above about Gao doing to Bai.
Have the SDZ pandas ever gotten into much active play such as somersaulting over each other, or intense wrestling? Have the cubs initiated much of the play or was it mostly Bai Yun initiating it? If/when Su and Mei Sheng get to interact, it will be interesting to see which of them initiates play, and what that play will involve. So far it involves climbing into adjacent trees and verbalizing to each other.
Stay tuned for the next phase in SDZ Pandaland as the pandas start moving around exhibits again.
April 26th, 2007 at 8:20 am
Bai Yun,
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d;

But thy eternal summer shall not fade

Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;

Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou growest:

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,

So long lives this and this gives life to thee.
Gao Gao
April 26th, 2007 at 10:42 am
Hello.
I am trying to watch the time-lapse video to catch up on what I’ve missed with all the excitement but it is not working. It comes on and then clicks off saying transmission finished as if it has played all the way through. Are you having technical problems again?
April 26th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
I don’t remember ever hearing about a twin panda birth in any of our zoos. Supposedly the likelyhood of twins can be 50% and in captivity, the panda reserves in China, one cub is taken from the mother to be raised by humans in a nursery. Is this true and how would a twin birth be handled here in our zoos?? Curious minds want to know. Thank you for all you do to bring us the joy of watching these special bears as they grow up and work their way into our hearts.
April 26th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
Despite popping in to pandacam cam several times Tuesday, I managed to miss the mating activities. As others have mentioned, I have been distressed to find the time lapse video is not working. Will we be able to see the time lapse eventually or are you possibly going to have a video for us to view online? WOW – the anticipation of 3 panda pregnancies this year is overwhelming. I’m trying to track the dates of all the matings and when cubs might be born. Can you give us the length of gestation on Bai Yun’s 3 previous pregnancies?
April 26th, 2007 at 12:58 pm
Thanks Suzanne see I knew Bai would out due all the other female pandas, you lets all remember she was the first to have acub in the us, so to stay on top she has to be the best at mating, I quess she figured she would show Mei at the National Zoo this is the way to go. Hehehe. I am hoping for twins or maybe the fist triplets????? If its possible it will happen from SDZ. I thank you Bai for bringing everyones attention to the pandas in such a great way. Well I quess e all just have to sit and wait and wait wait heck with patience I have none.
April 26th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
If Bai has another estrus in 2009, she will potentially set another record for geriatric females. She also might be ” ripe” for only half a day at the pace she went this time around. So males in China beware, Bai Yun queen mother panda from USA is on her way and you better get ready.
April 26th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
This is a remarkable time for our beloved pandas and for all of the SDZ staff and those of us who care about the bears, too! It must have been very exciting to be there and observe the wonderful matings and to know that history was being made for panda science and for the possibility of having another cub (or two)! Thank you for making it possible for panda cam watchers to share in the real-time science lessons and cheer our two adult pandas on!!! Isn’t is wonderful to be part of a community of folks who love pandas?!!!!! :biggrin:
April 26th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
I think I am going to stick my head in the sand and not think about 2009. lol I will miss Bai terribly.
April 27th, 2007 at 6:36 am
Margaret #4,
Bai Yun and Gao Gao were separated immediately after mating. The female panda often turns aggressive as soon as the act is completed, and Bai Yun did turn and swat at our male. Gao Gao, for his part, seems to understand the rules well and was ready to move off as soon as Bai Yun turned. Keepers aided in calling the bears to their respective ” corners” to close doors between them once the agression arose. As a result, neither bear sustained any injuries despite the three breeding encounters.
Michelle #5,
You are right on in thinking young males might learn from observing such encounters. Males often fight for rights to breed with a female in estrus, and several bears on the losing side of the coin may be in the vicinity when breeding occurs. A young bear could observe from a perch and glean insight that could aid in his own future attempts.
Cindy #7,
No AI was warranted this year, as the bears did a great job!
Elle #12,
Bai Yun has been confirmed to be pregnant with twins in each of her last two pregnancies, so it would not surprise me to find her in that condition again this year. However, she seems to ” prune” her litter size before birth, giving birth to only one. We’ll have to wait and see what happens this year.
Marilynn #14 and Sharon #20,
Gestation in the panda is roughly 3-6 months.
Joanne #19,
Twin panda cubs were born at NZP in 1987, but neither survived beyond three days. IF we have twins, we will take one cub from Bai Yun right away and institute a pattern of twin swapping, as they do in China. Cubs will be rotated between mom and nursery every two or three days so each cub gets the benefit of direct care from the dam without Bai Yun becoming overwhelmed with caring for twins.
April 27th, 2007 at 8:05 am
Suzanne, thanks for the clarification. I finally got to see the video on the SDZ website and noticed that Bai Yun seemed to walk off, and Gao just stayed where he was. He took a couple of steps forward, then walked away. Since it appears that two of the encounters might have been spliced together it was hard to tell what the pre-post behavior was.
How far apart were the actual matings? It appears from the time-lapse that Bai Yun was very restless that day and would have nap/eat then suddenly get up and go looking for Gao. Reminded me of the sudden pain of cramps or labor pains and the urge to get up and do something.
April 27th, 2007 at 8:48 am
Despite checking on the pandas several times a day, I too missed all three matings! PLEASE POST a video of those events for the many devoted pandaholics who missed it. I have (finally) viewed the time-lapse of 4/24 and the content is so jerky and unsatisfactory, compared to the descriptions by our friends here who witnessed the actual events.
Thanks, Suzanne, for your recent answers to questions. We all feel our beloved bears are in very capable and loving hands at SDZ!
April 27th, 2007 at 8:56 am
We all had been waiting for the date for the opening of the ” howdy gate” . Well, on 24th April just around nine
the couple decided s(he)’s gonna be mine. Gao Gao’s love making took just a short while to put on Bai’s face a really big smile. I was truly touched deep down to my heart and knew they are off to a very good start
to ensure that the panda world will further grow. Well done, Gao and Bai, what a wonderful show!!!
We all are excited and eager to see only one cub or twins…, whatever may be!
Thank you again so much, Suzanne, Meerkats and whoever was involved in making it possible, for us pandaholics all over the world, to witness such a rare and marvellous occasion.
P.S.It appeared that I had not enough space to put the above into a rhyme. Sorry.
April 27th, 2007 at 9:10 am
To everyone who’s been wanting to view the time lapse on mating day 4/24 – it’s back. But there’s even better viewing if you click on videos. You will see Ron Swaisgood of SDZ discussing the successful mating and clips of Bai & Gao in action. Use the Full Screen option – it’s got some great closeups and you will see alot of Bai doing her ” walking through water” thing.
April 27th, 2007 at 10:49 am
Since Gao Gao was unresponsive to Bai Yun’s advances on the second day, has his restlessness and pacing, scent marking, etc. subsided? If he was not ‘interested’ in future breeding attempts, it would seem that he would not be spending as much time near the Howdy Gate nor in breeding season behaviors. There are no more estrus females in the area for him to ” pursue” so one would think that his testosterone level would drop correspondingly. Now he can go back to happily munching on his bamboo for at least another year until his male ” services” are needed again at some other zoo or back home in his beloved China home.
You have mentioned that Bai Yun may be at the end of her reproductive life. Since Gao Gao mated naturally with Bai Yun, and his sperm was used for AI with Mei Xiang, all in the same month, it would seem that 2007 is not deemed to be at the end of his reproductive life. At what age do males ” near completion of their reproductive life?” As a valuable contributor to the gene pool we all hope that he remains an active participation in the reproduction of captive panda population for several years to come. In addition to his gene value from the wild population, his stamina, and eagerness to breed naturally make him also a very valuable specimen.
Way to go champion stud Gao Gao! Coastal pregnancies in one month is another world record!
April 27th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
I’ve just been watching Bai, she seems so laid back again. She literally is laid on her back, munching on the bamboo. Seems like she’s done whats needed and gone back to being her old self. Can’t wait to see if she has another baby.
April 28th, 2007 at 6:16 am
Sharon Thanks for the info about the video. Unfortunately I have problems viewing that too. Which media works better Windows or Real?
April 28th, 2007 at 9:10 am
Congrats to the lucky couple. Even though I missed the excitement on the pandacam all the comments and the keeprs blogs keep me going. Bai, you are the bomb – an older woman with a mind of her own and her toy boy Gao certainly proves that the smaller the package the greater the excitement. Best of luck to the whole staff of keepers and volunteers in the Panda area on their past and now future work. Are Su Lin and Mei Sheng in any way leaving soon or will this depend on the possibilty of a new baby?
April 29th, 2007 at 9:29 am
Way to Go Gao Gao!!! What a studmuffin you are!
Love to all these beautiful bears: Gao Gao , Bai Yun, Mei Sheng, and Su Lin !
April 29th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
Visited Bai and Gao on Friday. I cannot believe how huge they are. My computer monitor doesn’t do them justice. Both looked so peaceful chewing on their bamboo. Hope they’ll be parents again soon.
April 30th, 2007 at 11:59 am
Suzanne, I just read a blog you wrote in February, 2006, about the changes in the living conditions at Wolong.
It reminded me of a question I had about the non-breeding age returning cubs going from SDZ or NZP to Wolong.
You mentioned, ” …Several pandas each year are sent to other places to live in order to make space. Young, non-breeding animals are sent to live at another facility a few hours away until they come of age. ”
Since males are not of breeding age until 5-6 years of age, and Mei Sheng will be 4 years old when he gets there, as will Tai Shan when he eventually goes to Wolong, will they be staying at Wolong? Or, will they be ” sent to live at another facility a few hours away until they come of age?” I read that Hua Mei was in a special enclosure when she first arrived. But, she also got there before she was of breeding age. Did she stay at Wolong, or did she go elsewhere until she was of breeding age?
Where do the 30-50 cubs they had in 2005-2006 go until 2010 when they are 5 years old and hopefully will be physiologically ready to breed?
A side question, what is the breeding status of Hua Mei this year? I recall that in 2005 she was one of the latest estrus females, and that last year she had a late estrus and did not become pregnant. Any word on her status this time? I read an article about the many means they have used to encourage her to breed. Sometimes with willing and eager males, and other times with very disinterested males.
Have they noticed any differences in the natural mating instincts and interest level of males from the wild versus captive bred males? How many males in the breeding pool are from captive births? Have many of the cubs from Hua Mei’s generation produced many young, or are they still coming from generations such as Bai Yun and GaoGao?
April 30th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN HAVE AN UPDATE ON PRICESS SU LINS WEIGHT??? I KNOW THIS IS ABOUT BAI BUT WOULD LOVE AND UPDATE ON THE PRINCESS.
April 30th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
Have you noticed any slacking off on the amount Gao is eating now that his ” services” are not needed for another couple of years? I recall reading that both he and Bai were ” bulking up” and eating like crazy prior to their mating. Since that is now past, I wondered if his hormones told him he could cut back on his intake.
April 30th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
To whom it may concern:
Su Lin and Mei Sheng might enjoy snow as much as Spanky and the Polars. wink wink
Yours beary truly,
Me
April 30th, 2007 at 8:11 pm
Many thanks to the Meerkats for the close-ups of Su Lin this afternoon. What a pleasure to tune in to pandacam and watch the adorable princess sitting contentedly on the threshold of her den. The sun was streaming in, Su was enjoying her bamboo, and now and then she’d gaze outside to her domain. She looked so relaxed and peaceful. Good to see how our ” little girl” is thriving.
May 1st, 2007 at 11:03 am
Yes, Su Lin is so much fun to watch. Not only is she still cute and adorable, but she is becoming quite beautiful. Last week, while Gao Gao and Bai Yun were closed off from public view, Su Lin’s classroom was open. I went for a quick visit and was amazed at how much she has grown and matured since becoming independent. The most striking thing was her beauty. Since my visit was an impromptu one I didn’t have my camera–bummer! At least I was fortunate to have the opportunity for a last minute visit. I am very, very lucky to be close by this amazing zoo and all the incredible residents who are receiving the best care ever.
May 1st, 2007 at 11:09 am
Su Lin is having a blast today attacking the small shrubs and stuff in her enclosure. She also spent time lying in her pool. I know she is young, but is she having a pseudo estrus? I have not seen her this active since last year. If anyone knows, please blog.
May 1st, 2007 at 12:11 pm
Lee #42 what a great question because i was watching Tai the other day and he was acting like a lunatic in the water, running and rubbing his butt in the trees. He was also pacing just like his father. I would also like the answer to this question thanks for bringing it up.
May 1st, 2007 at 12:22 pm
Now she is peacefully reclined back munching away. She sure has become one very happy, content, and extremely independent panda girl. She doesn’t seem bothered by much any more. Last Tuesday morning, while her parents were getting ready to woo each other, the panda cam was on her and she seemed to be doing some pacing between her ” Garden Room” and her indoor enclosure. Maybe she was waiting for fresh bamboo breakfast? or Maybe she heard ” strange noises” coming from the enclosures next door? She didn’t climb high in a tree, so she must not have been frightened.
May 1st, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Maybe it is juvenille Spring Fever???
May 1st, 2007 at 3:00 pm
Barbara, Lee & Margaret – yes, I think it IS spring fever. I watched Tai Shan’s crazy antics yesterday for 10-15 minutes. Constant running, jumping from high rocks, splashing in the water, more running, scratching, tree climbing, even rolling down the steep hillside. Now I have seen the pandas rolling down the hill when it was covered with snow, but never before like yesterday. Almost throwing himself down the hill with reckless abandon. Also I wondered if there were fish in the water – he seemed so intently chasing something. Suzanne, do pandas become hyperactive in spring?
May 2nd, 2007 at 7:32 am
Sharon you were blessed with a rare sight of active cub, Tai Shan. All I have seen him do lately is nap, nap, munch, nap, nap. Once in a while, like very late yesterday afternoon he will take a leisurely stroll around the exhibit. So if you caught Tai, or Su, or Mei actively moving then you were truely blessed with unforgetable images.
May 2nd, 2007 at 7:36 am
I just noticed that Snow Days are planned for May 12 and 13. Does that mean that Su Lin and Mei Sheng may reappear in the main exhibits? Or, will you be providing them with snow in their current background exhibits. Hopefully since it is Bear Awareness Week, and people will be flocking to the zoo to see their favorite bears, you will be able to give them enrichment by moving them around again, and they can join in the fun of the Snow Days.
For those of you lucky enough to live in SD, please take advantage of these special opportunities to see the bears with this rare ” treat” , and especially if you get to see Mei Sheng before he goes to China in a few months, and the newly independent grown up Princess Su Lin.
I will make time over that weekend to check in on Panda Cam to catch the action. Since I missed the breeding, I will do my best to capture the Snow moments.
Moderator’s note: Snow will be blown into brown bear Spanky’s exhibit on May 12 and in Polar Bear Plunge on May 13.
May 2nd, 2007 at 10:12 am
Thanks, Moderator, for the clarification. It seems more appropriate for Spanky and the Polar Bears this week after the loss of Shikari. They will enjoy the snow. We look forward to snow in the panda exhibits later in the year when there is a hopefully a cub or two to enjoy it for the first time.
May 2nd, 2007 at 1:10 pm
I’ll be sure and watch the polar bears 4 sure. I did get a treat earlier this morning watching Mei. She was on the branch above the hammock. Lun Lun got up on the hammock and pulled her down for a cuddle. She tolerated it for a bit but like all young ones, she wanted down to explore.
May 2nd, 2007 at 1:57 pm
Suzanne, any ” new” news from this week to share with us about any or all of the 4 pandas?
May 3rd, 2007 at 9:07 am
Suzanne, you responded earlier that young males may indeed learn from watching older males mate. So my question is, did the zoo have Mei Sheng in a position to view his parents having ” fun” ? If so, what a lesson for young Mei – hopefully he’ll grow up to be just like dear ol’ dad and do San Diego and the US proud!
I was one of the lucky one to witness the 9:00 a.m. ” fun” and what a smile Bai had on her face. She knows she’s one lucky gal! Gao, you’re the best!
Thanks Suzanne and everyone at the SDZ for EVERYTHING!
May 3rd, 2007 at 9:30 am
I think I see Mei Sheng on the exhibit cam…
May 3rd, 2007 at 9:47 am
OMG is that Su Lin in the Right Exhibit, Cam 3 ^_____^
Is Mei Sheng out on exihibit, too?
May 3rd, 2007 at 1:45 pm
Great news for all pandaholics!!! Watch out Bai Yun and Gao Gao! Spring feelings have not only occurred in the USA but also in Europe where the panda couple Yang Yang and Long Hui both aged 6 at the Vienna Zoo Schoenbrunn mated – according to their zoo keepers – four times (!) on the same day last week. Apparently the male initiated the tete a tete and all this happened in front of the zoo keepers and some visitors. Hopefully their mating was successful. I am so thrilled since my husband and I will soon be moving to a place in Austria not too far from Vienna so that I shall be able to visit the panda couple quite often- which I did before – and hopefully their offspring later on.
As a matter of interest for all panda lovers, I registered with Google Alert for news on ” pandas” and today received the latest news on pandas from all over the world. What a pleasure!!!
May 3rd, 2007 at 3:36 pm
oh, hehe. turns out it was MeiSheng ^_^; So is Sulin going to be on rotation with her bro?
May 3rd, 2007 at 4:40 pm
How disappointing! Why no snow for the pandas?
May 3rd, 2007 at 6:22 pm
Thanks for sharing the google alert thing Ruth,#55.! I had to go do it. I loved seeing Mei and Su today! They always bring a smile to my face.
Thanks!!!
May 3rd, 2007 at 7:58 pm
How fortunate we are that we now have 3 healhy cubs in the US & more on the way. We were living in the DC area when Ling Ling & Sing Sing came to the National Zoo. I can still see the pictures of Ling Ling cradling her dead cub – it was several days before keepers could get in to remove it. She looked so sad everytime she lost another cub. Tia & Mei seem the most active – we were fortunate to visit the SDZ last Jan. but had to strain our eyes to see SuLin high in her tree. In fact we got a better of her from outside the panda exhibit. I did get a real thrill when Gao decided to romp around his area -seeing an older panda close up was a thrill. Many thanks for all your efforts to keep these beautiful animals from extinction.
Maureen
May 4th, 2007 at 2:52 am
Further to my blog # 55. Please be assured that I shall always remain ” faithful” to the pandas at SDZ as well as all the other pandas in the US zoos which have been giving me so much pleasure during the last year. A day without the panda webcam is a lost day for me! It goes without saying that I would love to come and see them all for myself. However, owing to the distance between Europe and the US my ” substitues” will naturally be the pandas at Schoenbrunn, Vienna. I feel it does not matter at all wherever in this world which panda is the centre of attention at stages, the main objective and purpose should be the conservation of this beautiful species worldwide. Are we not all part of our friends, i. e. the panda family?
Su Lin is certainly very sweet and so grown-up now thanks to the good care of her keepers. Thank you for doing such an excellent job!!!
May 4th, 2007 at 7:04 am
Wow! What a marvelous surprise I just got. I tuned into the Panda cam at NZP to see what the pandas were up to today, and saw Tian (I think). Then I clicked on See No panda, try this camera. Lo and behold up came a video from 10-03-05 of Mei Xiang playing with and cuddling young Tai Shan. It brought back fond memories of watching tiny Su Lin and Tai Shan. It was easy to see why Tai Shan got so attached to Mei Xiang. She just kept picking him up and cuddling him close and licking him. He was not nursing at the time so it must have been just to ” cuddle.” I regret that I did not know about the SDZ or NZP panda cams at the time. I missed seeing Mei Sheng and Su Lin when they were still small and in the ” bedroom” with Bai Yun. It must have been a very special bonding time for all of them. It also made me realize how quickly cubs grow because it was just 4 months ago that Mei Lan was at the same stage. Now she is starting the stage we all watched last year when Su Lin and Tai Shan started their love of tree climbing and sleeping up above for hours. Since three females in US zoos have been bred this year we can all start anticipating the arrival of 3 to 6 new cubs to watch. How will we ever get any work done?????
May 4th, 2007 at 9:25 am
Speaking of pandas mating, any news on Hua Mei?
May 4th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
Ruth, when you get to Vienna, please keep us updated on Long Hui and Yang Yang (aka Franz and Sissi), and let us know if they have a cub on the way! This is so exciting, with 3 cubs in the US, possibly 3 or more on the way in SD, DC and Memphis. (Come on Ya Ya, give us a hint if you are with child!)
Maureen, Gao Gao may be older in relation to the other grown males in the US, but he sure does know how to get the job done! The pics of he and Bai on their ” dates” make me smile every time. That big ol’ grin on Bai’s face is hilarious!
May 4th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
Margaret #51,
This week Gao Gao retired to the classroom area and Mei Sheng took his place on exhibit. In a few weeks, we will give Bai Yun choice as to what area of the facility she wants to spend her time in throughout the summer birthing period.
Jeannie #52,
Mei Sheng could not see his parent’s activities but no doubt he could hear some of it…
Carole #57,
Snow is a very expensive endeavor in San Diego. The polar and brown bears really respond well to it as an enrichment vehicle and since it lasts a long time in the area (2-3 days) these bears should get a real kick out of it. We have given our pandas snow before, and will do so again… just not at this time.
Sayuri #62,
We have word that Hua Mei bred the same week as her mother. We’ll have to be patient to hear news of any birth from her. The chances of this are good, given that she did not give birth in 2006.
May 4th, 2007 at 5:46 pm
There is a very nice article about our world-famous pair, Bai Yun and Gao Gao in BBC News. Picture appearing in this blog also got included in the article, along with another picture of Bai Yun and a much younger Su Lin. Way to go for the beloved bears at SDZ!!! They truly are world famous and live up to their names! =)
May 4th, 2007 at 9:53 pm
Suzanne,
Thanks so much for your on-going updates, and answers to all of our questions. This might be another record breaking panda baby year in the making (both in the US and in China!).
I, for one, think that there has been enough excitement in Panda Canyon to last a few weeks! Let’s give the polar and brown bears their chance for some enjoyment now.
I also love the smile on Bai’s face in the picture from the record breaking day – can’t blame her at all – she sure made Gao Gao’s wait worth his while!
the other Suzanne
May 5th, 2007 at 4:17 am
Lisa #63 I will certainly keep you and all the other pandaholics updated regarding the panda couple in Vienna. Unfortunately this zoo does not yet have a live panda web cam (you guys in the US are so fortunate!) but now and then there are news on their website. When going and visiting the zoo I shall try and get as much info as possible on Yang Yang and Long Hui from their respective keepers and will keep sending you blogs on their progress. May be I could suggest to them to install a live web cam. I shall try my very best!!!
Margaret #61 you are so right! When are we going to get some work done?
Suzanne, it was mentioned that a foetus can be traced through scanning only a few weeks before the actual birth. Being aware that the cub is minute when being born why is it that the time of gestation is three to six months? When does the embryo actually start to develop, immediately after fertilization or very much later? Your reply is very much appreciated, thank you.
May 5th, 2007 at 10:27 am
Many thanks to you Ruth #55, I also registered for google ” panda” alerts. I just received my first alert stating that that the Memphis Zoo panda may be pregnant! They have started a 24-hour watch on its female giant panda YaYa. ” YaYa has been more restless and irritable than usual. Plus, her appetite has decreased, and she has spent more time in seclusion.” The article also mentioned that it could still be a pseudopregnancy. The zoo performed artificial insemination in January, using sperm from 8-year-old male LeLe. ” It has been 110 days since the insemination on YaYa, and, on average, a cub is born on day 133.” So, now we wait, hope and pray for future baby pandas. Good Luck to you Ruth and thanks again for sharing.
May 5th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
Mei Sheng must have gotten a sniffer full of new Daddy-o scent when he returned to Exhibit 2. Did he seem to enjoy being back in his old haunt? I was familiar to him, I am sure, but it has been 2 months since he was there and there has been lots of scent marking in his absence.
Any news on possible plans to let Mei Sheng and Su Lin interact in ” person?” Or, have you decided not to pursue that activity pending his departure for China in the next few weeks/months? Will he be able stay here until he is actually 4 years old like Tai Shan and Mei Lan, or will he be leaving prior to his 4th birthday in August? It seems a shame to send the youngsters to China before they are actually of breeding age, since Wolong is so pressed for space with so many cubs in the past two years and the new breeding age cubs from prior years, like Hua Mei.
Mei seems to be quite comfortable and is having a nice afternoon nap.
May 5th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
#67 Ruth
From what I know pandas have something called a delayed implantation, which is where the fertilized egg can float around in the uterus for several weeks before implanting into the uterine wall and start developing. That’s about as much as I know about it.
May 5th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
Thanks Ruth #55 for google alert info – also I just read that the Memphis Zoo is on a panda watch as their female panda is showing signs of emminent birth. Let’s hope for another healthy cub – I’ll just be stuck in front of the computer watching all the fun. Thanks for all you do.
Maureen
May 6th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
Laine, I believe you are right. That delay is why a panda pregnancy can last anywhere from 3 to 6 months. Sure am glad humans don’t have that kind of variation in pregnancy length; what havoc that would cause!
May 6th, 2007 at 11:55 pm
#68 Rose, Many thanks for your good wishes, I am truly looking forward to seeing the pandas ” face to face” at the Vienna Zoo again soon. I am glad I could share the news with you on Google Alert, which is quite informative.
#70, Laine, Thanks for enlightening me on the subject. This would explain a lot!
#71 Maureen, It truly looks as if 2007 is going to be the ” Year of the Panda” ! Isn’t it exciting?
May 10th, 2007 at 9:17 pm
After reading all the info about our beloved pandas -my question is why do the males seem to be so dumb when it comes to mating. Any other species, the male does his job. Is the fact that GAO was born in the wild have anything to do with the fact that he was able to ” do the job” I just read that LeLe at the Memphis Zoo bumbled his opporunity. Does this mean all the cubs born in capitivty have no idea of natural behavior.
Maureen
May 14th, 2007 at 6:33 am
Time will tell whether Mei Sheng has his father’s ” ability” or not. He is the first son of a wild born Panda, raised in captivity in US, to become of breeding age in China in a year or so. If he inherited his father’s great stud qualities, he may be ready to start ” his job” in the breeding season next year or the year after. It will be interesting to read about his adventures when he goes to China, and is able to smell all the lovely young female pandas as they come into estrus.
Did Mei Sheng show any signs at all during the breeding season this year, or do the panda males hormonal instincts just suddenly ” kick in” when they are 5-6 years of age?
Previously information was shared about Mei Sheng being able to hear the breeding of his parents, but not being able to see it. Has anyone documented any research on what pandas learn from hearing and smelling, but not seeing?