Greetings again! I am halfway through my summer internship at the koala barn at the San Diego Zoo and busy with all the data I am collecting. These past few weeks have increased my understanding of the interesting world of behavioral biology.
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Bai Yun is pregnant! We have confirmed via ultrasound that Bai Yun is carrying at least one fetus that appears to be developing normally. A twin has not been confirmed nor ruled out at this time.

It can be difficult to get the ultrasounds accomplished due to many factors. First, Bai Yun’s hormones are making her very lethargic. Recall that in many bear species that inhabit cold regions, bears will hibernate in the winter and give birth to their young while in their dens. Pandas do not hibernate, but a female who is pregnant or pseudopregnant experiences a type of reduced activity level that mimics that of a hibernating bear. She is biologically driven to reduce her appetite and lay still for long periods of time!
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We’ve reached that time of year where Ms. Pallas’s cat is losing her winter fat and shedding out her long coat. This time, however, she did it in record time. Usually come March, I start to see her appetite decline and the weight start to come off. Then you add to that another bit of a stubborn streak (see Kelly’s post, A Stubborn Streak).
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Since my last entry (see previous post, Where, Oh Where Are the Ungulates?), a major change has taken place in the East Africa field exhibit at the Wild Animal Park: 13 Zambian sable antelope are now sharing the space with the original 12 ungulate species. The sable, a large, dichromatic antelope with impressive curved horns, were relocated from their former home on Horn & Hoof Mesa at the San Diego Zoo in preparation for the construction of the Zoo’s new elephant exhibit. As researchers and Park-goers, we are glad to have the interesting and beautiful animals, but do the original residents share our sentiments?
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As many of you have probably heard by now, the San Diego Zoo has announced that Mei Sheng will be moving to China to join the breeding program at the Wolong Breeding and Conservation Center in Sichuan Provence. As sad as it will be to see him go, we’ve know that this would happen since his conception. He and his sister, Su Lin, are the only bearers of their father Gao Gao’s genes. Since Gao is a wild-born animal, this makes his genetic makeup, and by extension, Sheng and Su Lin’s, extremely valuable.
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When we think of wild, pack-hunting dogs, we often imagine the familiar wild dogs of Africa. However, there is another type of wild pack hunting dog, the Chinese dhole of eastern and central Asia. These intriguing dogs are intelligent, energetic, and intensely social hunters that can be found in a wide range of habitats.
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Many changes have occurred in Tiger River at the San Diego Zoo this year, one involving our young Malayan tapir, Chukai. At 18 months of age, Chukai had spent every waking moment with his mom, Rose, in Tiger River (see Bridget’s post, Tapir Calf Still Needs Mom). In June, however, Chukai was in for some serious excitement: he had a young female Malayan tapir named Annie waiting to meet him at the Zoo’s hospital. Annie came to San Diego in May, all the way from the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, Florida.
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Things here with the polar bears continue to go well. It’s been just over a month now since we introduced Chinook with Kalluk and Tatqiq (see Kelly’s previous blog, Two’s Company, Three’s a Party!). Every day we continue to see favorable interactions with all three bears. We have even seen behavior from Kalluk toward Chinook that makes us think breeding is a definite possibility. Approaching from behind, subtle nibbles on the neck, all the things a male can do to woo his girl.
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The Central Africa Program in Cameroon recently welcomed Jennifer Glavis, a master’s student in Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis. Jennifer will be with us until the end of August and is investigating the incidence of Hepatitis E in the primates of the Ebo forest. (Jennifer is pictured here with Ekwoge Abwe as they head off into the Ebo forest.)
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The many days of waiting for word of a possible pregnancy have become easier to “bear”! As was planned several months ago, the door to the introduction area at the left-hand enclosure was opened on Sunday, and Su Lin and Mei Sheng (pictured) were able to get up close and personal with one another. This is the first time in the U.S. that sibling cubs have been formally introduced to one another, and while it’s still early, the situation holds lots of promise.
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