Cooing over the Cub
Posted at 1:57 pm October 25, 2007 by Yadira Galindo
The 12-week-old giant panda cub seemed to be returning to her quiet nature again, only vocalizing a couple of times and spending most of the time napping during her weekly veterinary exam this week. It was Dr. Tracy Clippinger’s first chance to see and examine this cub and she was pretty excited. She says as a veterinarian she is supposed to remain neutral when working around the animals but she couldn’t help but coo and awe as she worked. I think Dr. Clippinger was quite professional. I think being a little mushy when you have such a rare creature in your hands is part of the territory!
The cub weighed a whopping 9.7 pounds (4.4 kilograms)! I was there for her first exam and each week have seen her blossom into the round little panda she is now. At 20 days old she was only 23.5 ounces (666 grams). Her features have changed so much and continue to transform her appearance. Dr. Clippinger said she could feel her teeth just starting to grow in, but it will still be a while before they emerge. Her front legs are getting stronger and have coordination but her back legs still don’t seem to have the strength to support her on all fours. Still, the cub was propping up on her front two legs and she was gripping Dr. Clippinger’s hands very well! She is moving around a lot more than ever before.
The San Diego Zoo’s animal residents seem to be just fine despite the smoke from the San Diego County wildfires, and the pandas are no exception. Dr. Clippinger listened to the cub’s heart and lungs and gave a thumb’s up! And so, I cooed and smiled watching Dr. Clippinger and the panda keepers at work. She is pretty sweet.
Stay tuned for details on her naming. Unfortunately, with the fires we have had our hands full getting the Wild Animal Park back in order and so our little cub’s naming is taking a little longer than we expected. Please be patient. We won’t forget your voting rights!
Yadira Galindo is a public relations representative for the Zoological Society of San Diego.
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October 25th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
I saw a report tonight on the news that WAP animals were returning now that things have settled down a bit with the fires. I’m thankful things are going well and will continue to pray for you all, human and wildlife alike. Concerning Miss PandaPudge, from Yadira’s blog, it sounds like she’s positively thriving! Clearly, Bai Yun is a pro at this mothering thing…
I know Chinese tradition says the baby panda gets her ” official” name on her 100th day, but is there a contingency plan in the works should the fire situation turn sour again? Can’t wait for the chance to vote on her name!
October 25th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
” Her front legs are getting stronger and have coordination but her back legs still don’t seem to have the strength to support her on all fours.” Hmm…maybe that’s why it takes awhile for panda cubs to walk – their bottoms grow faster than the strength in their back legs can keep up! She sure looks healthy and I am anxiously awaiting the exam video and hopefully an izoofari chat. Nice to know it’s not just pandaholics that are smitten with the chubette – looks like the vets have a soft spot for her, too.
Moderator’s note: We did not have staff available for an exam video this time–sorry!
October 25th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
She’s getting more and more beautiful by the day!!! She sounds like her personality (pandality?) is as lovely as her sweet baby face.
I am so glad you all are getting through this, not just the animals, but the people. The fact that you could do an exam at all is *wonderful*. Thank you for taking the time to update for those of us outside Cali during the chaos.
October 25th, 2007 at 6:20 pm
Hi! Read about the cub’s vet exam, and oh yeah! This baby’s still growing like a weed! Almost 10 pounds!! By next week, she’ll be breaking the double digits in her weight. You didn’t get a length measurement, tho, but I suspect that she’s about a foot long by now, give or take a few inches either way. Sorry to read that you all couldn’t get a video of this week’s exam because of all of the craziness with the fire watch going on during the week. Totally understandable! You all had enough to do already with everything that was going on plus helping out WAP with their fire fight. From seeing the one pic of the cub, it does look like to me that those ears are definitely starting to pop out. And, she’s starting her next milestone–her baby teeth are starting to come in! And, this cub has the cutest face!! Pink nose and all!! Just got on the pandacam for the first time tonite, and she’s sound asleep in the middle of the den while her mom is out doing her own thing. I’m glad they were oblivious to all of the people activity with what was happening around San Diego County. Just did their own thing with out a care in the world while all of the panda keepers were making sure they were safe and secure. Ya did great, you all! I also totally understand about getting the names up on the website a little late with what you had to deal with. So, just let us know when you get them on the site and when we’ll start to vote on them, ok? I’m pretty sure you all are still on fire watch with both the WitchCreek/Poomacha and Harris fires still not totally contained yet. But, you all can breath a huge sigh of relief now that a lot of the fire danger has lessened and the Santa Ana winds have finally died down, but keep your guard up because those onshore winds can be pretty touchy, too. Plus, you all have a Pacific cold front coming your way with hopefully some rain with it! Will Mei Sheng’s departure date for China stay the same this weekend or will that be delayed a little bit due to some of the roads still not totally accessible to the airport yet? Don’t think a delay of a day or two won’t be too bad. Just want him to be safe and healthy for the trip as well as some of the SDZ staff that are going with him to China. Have a safe trip, you all! Gonna go back to the pandacam and check on mom and baby!
Luv to Bai and baby girl,
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
October 25th, 2007 at 6:21 pm
Thanks for the news on the latest exam – Our Bright Star certainly is growing every day. No wonder her back legs can’t support her round belly yet. With my concerns about the fires I haven’t seem our cubbie live on the panda cam so checked on time lapse today. Bai seems happy on her ledge & I’m positive I saw a male keeper walk right past Bai while she was there. We can only imagine what the staff is going through helping the WAP (while escaping a major disaster did lose 2 animals & 9 of their staff lost their homes – my heart goes out to the employees for the loss of their homes & their beloved animals) And now I heard on CNN that some of the fires were arson. What can possess anyone to do such a horrific thing. I hope the reward offered is enough to find the person/persons responsible that leads to a conviction.
I am concerned about the smoke in the area. I was in the area of a house fire in my neighborhood & after 15 minutes I had a terrible headache & trouble breathing. Wonder what the after effects of the smoke will have on the staff & the animals. Once again, we appreciate the update during this trying time for all of you.
October 26th, 2007 at 3:51 am
Wow…about 3:20am SDZ time I watched Bai and our little chubmuffin playing for about 20 minutes. That a great sight! She sure is growing fast.
Glad to hear all is starting to settle for you all, both animal and human, but we’ll keep you in our prayers until all the threat is over.
October 26th, 2007 at 5:31 am
Well just look how adorable Bright Star is! I certainly cannot blame Dr. Clippinger for giving in to her natural tendency to coo and admire this adorable and plump lil cubbette! Honestly, if it were I examining her, I doubt I could hold back from picking her up, cuddling and snuggling her….it would be soooo hard to put her down!
To Star’s elder brother Sheng: have a safe trip, dear boy, and may you have a peaceful, happy, and beloved life in your native lands!
I sure do hope we can hear word periodically of your progress…..especially when you father your first cub(s)!
October 26th, 2007 at 6:33 am
I think it would be difficult to hold such an adorable creature and not ” Coo” and gush, it’s not unprofessional, just human. I am glad to hear her lungs are clear. Sounds like everyone is doing a great job keeping the pandas safe from the fire and its effects.
Just now I was watching the Panda Cam, and Bright Star rolled over all by herself. What a feat! It took some doing to get the ” umph” to get all the way over, then she laid still… resting from her marvelous accomplishment. How precious!
All who are affected by the Cali wild fires are in my thoughts and prayers.
Love, Joy
October 26th, 2007 at 6:36 am
At least you guys get to coo at her in person…I coo to a computer screen!
Yes, I talk to all the animals on the web cams, I even sometimes pet them. Everytime I see chubette I want to pick her up and hug her and kiss her an rub my face in her fur. Thank you for the update!
October 26th, 2007 at 7:48 am
Wow again! 7:45 SDZ time and what wonderful close up shots of Bai, Cubmuffin and Su Lin. Great job meerkats!
October 26th, 2007 at 8:28 am
Thank you for your latest updates, i.e. Bright Star’s exam and the loss of your two animals due to this terrible fire. My heart goes out to those employees who lost their homes, my condolences. Bright Star looks absolutely gorgeous! I am sure that Mama Bai’s TLC has contributed a lot to her well-being.
I just read that ” das Panda Baby” in Vienna is also developping very well. Mama Yang Yang and Papa Longhui, for the first time after baby’s birth, have been put together again. According to the staff’s report there was no problem at all. In fact I could watch them sitting together munching bamboo ” like an old married couple” (zoo’s comment). Apparently they sniffed around in each other’s territory. Because of security reasons Long Hui is not yet allowed to enter the baby’s den. However, in November the baby will be presented to the public, I just cannot wait!
According to a poll in an Austrian newspaper ” Arnie” Schwarzenegger came second of the 100 most popular and famous Austrians. Guess, you came first!!! Yes, it was ” the Panda Baby” ! It is magic to know that at this part of the world people have also become aware of this endangered species and appreciate having offspring of ” their” panda.
October 26th, 2007 at 8:29 am
Moderator, #2, it is very understandable that you didn’t have staff available to do video of the exam. Since all ” extra” hands are needed at WAP to help them return to normal and get back open, it is greatly appreciated that you were able to take photos of the exam and that Yadira had the time and presence of mind to share the experience with us.
The Vets are all very fortunate to have the opportunity to examine and interact with this most rare creature, who is far away from her parents’ native land. Exposing her to another vet is good enrichment for her, and helps her get accustomed to new and different people in her life. Slowly she is getting exposed to the elements that will be a central part of her life in the US, and preparing her for the changes she will face when she goes to Wolong in a few years.
Is the Wolong vet also examining her while he is here? I believe I read that she was examined by a Wolong vet in one of her early exams. Since they have more exposure to pandas of all sizes, they can give insights and tips to the SDZ vets about what to look for, and how to interpret what they see/feel. Sharing of knowledge and experience across the globe when dealing with ” exotic” and ” endangered” animals is critical to their health and survival. Glad to know she is healthy, and obviously being well fed by her ” queen” momma, Bai Yun.
October 26th, 2007 at 8:35 am
Great closeup of panda on C27 this morning. Is that Gao Gao or Bai Yun. Whichever panda it was, they were having a great nap on the top of the ” jungle gym” climbing structure. Glad to see them so serence without any stress from distant smoke and heightened human activity going on around them.
October 26th, 2007 at 9:03 am
Looks like there is more smoke in the air today, or else it is very hazy at the SDZ. You can see it in the air in both Panda Cam and Polar Bear Cam. With the change in wind direction will it blow some of the smoke your way? Granted it hopefully won’t bring the fires with it, and since they are a great distance away, the smoke will mostly have dissipated by the time it reaches you.
Have Su Lin and Mei Sheng done any ” visiting” at the Howdy Gate this week? I noticed on one of the time lapse from early in the week that it was still ” open” for them around 4 PM one afternoon. However, I didn’t see either of them in the picture, so my guess is that they were occupied elsewhere.
Thanks Meerkats for the great close-ups of Mei Sheng at 8:58 AM PDT. He is truely a handsome bear, with the great attributes from both of his parents. He should produce some really great cubs!
I also see that Bai Yun is back on the shelf in her room. She has some hilarious positions in which to sleep. Since she likes to sprawl out on her back and lean over the shelf like she is going to fall off, I can understand why she does most of her sleeping outside the den since Bright Star has grown so much. It is much tighter quarters in the den now, and Bright Star needs Bai Yun in there mostly for nursing and bathing, and some reassurance of her presence by brief napping together. Bright Star is definitely big enough to regulater her own temperature, and has lots of thick coat, and yes some ” baby fat” to keep her warm.
October 26th, 2007 at 10:06 am
God Bless All your Staff for taking such good care of all the critters!!!
Our hearts go out to all who lost their homes!
We are about 15 miles from the Orange County Fire…..lets hope they find who did this
awful thing. Kiss Kiss to Baby Girl & Ma Ma
October 26th, 2007 at 10:20 am
#14 Margaret — We had some lovely dense fog along the coast and in downtown SD this morning. I am sure that is what you saw earlier. It has made things much cooler and the air smells better. I’m sure the animals enjoyed it as much as we did.
October 26th, 2007 at 11:47 am
My gosh, she sure is a little doll. I have to say that one of my favorite ” exam” photors of her is the one she is being held while ” standing” on her two back feet. For some reason, that particular pose just really gets to me.
She is such a beautiful little panda — she obviously gets her charms from her mother and her sisters.
October 26th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
#11 Ruth – I was surprised to read that the Vienna mommy & daddy pandas are back together this soon. I always thought that Mom was so protective of her cub that daddy was to no where around. Somethng new to ponder, I guess. I finally got a great glimpse of Bright Star this morning. She looked huge.
October 26th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
Thank you for keeping the animals safe. You all are heroes/heroines going to the front line to fight the fire and etc… Very sad for the suffering of the wild lives.
#3 I endore your word ” pandality†and I am sure it stands for brave, kind, sweet, gentle, innocent, simple, delightful and playful.
#9 you too doing all that to the computer screen. With SDZ, NZ, AZ (rarely MZ) panda cams on, coo and awe, kiss and touch the screen. They are too cute.
October 26th, 2007 at 4:20 pm
I was watching to see how the zoo made out during the fires and am so happy to hear that things are not too bad.
My husband and I are planning a trip to California from Nova Scotia in March 2008 and will be visiting the zoo, hoping to see the new baby panda if she is on view by then. We were there in 1973 but don’t remember a lot about the zoo, so it will all seem new to us.
It is wonderful being able to check in on the baby’s progress daily. I have my grandchildren and my music students watching as well. They certainly are beautiful animals!
Hope to see you in March!
October 26th, 2007 at 8:10 pm
The Zoo news is my high lite of the Week, after being Evacuated during the fires, and finally being allowed back in to my Condo on Wednesday the 24th of Oct. Seeing this beautiful baby Panda will cheer any one up from any Disaster!!! What a beauty! To make anyone Smile after a Disaster! I have been a member since 1999 when I moved here from Az, and we San Deagans are Blessed with not One But TWO beautiful Places to go and see Animals here. Wild Animal Park & San Diego Zoo, for One Membership WoW! Can’t ask for more then that! Thank-You! for all the People that make this possible for us to enjoy!!!!!
October 26th, 2007 at 9:40 pm
Echoing Betty $20 – how lucky that the Zoo escaped harm.
Echoing Betty #20 – how wonderful that mother nature spared the Zoo, and little Bright Star looks so healthy and happy! She is a little ball of beautiful. We’ll we there in 3 weeks, and are praying for all those who have lost their homes.
Paula in TX
October 27th, 2007 at 12:33 am
I echo the thoughts, sentiments and gratitude of everyone above – how blessed we are that SDZ was spared and that WAP encountered minimal property and life damage. I held my breath for a very long time watching, wondering and worrying how the little cubmuffin, Mom, Sis, Brother and Dad were doing.
Thank you for taking the time to give us our glimpse of cubmuffin’s exam and for your commentary. With all you that all of you do and have done, how special it is that you knew we all needed some reassurance that our black and white world was doing fine.
You are the best . . . bless you all!
Bobbie McLeod/Phoenix
October 27th, 2007 at 8:18 am
I am so glad to hear that the animals are safe from the fire. I have been watching the Pandas on your website since the birth of Hua Mei. I am waiting for the name of her sister.
It is a great job you are doing there to keep these marvelous animals from extinction and especilly thank you for your website which allows us, who cannot travel to the zoo, to watch the animals and especiaoly the progress of the young ones.
I envy the veterinerians and handlers that they can handle these little ones.
God bless all of you and I am sure He will take care of the animals.
October 27th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
I look forward to the little cub’s update and video exam every week! It’s so exciting and amazing to have the ability be able to keep up with the little one’s day-to-day examinations and life! The panda cam is very helpful. I try to look at it for a little while each day! She is so cute! Thank you so much for this incredible oppurtninity to share the experience with the zoo!
October 27th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
Was just watching mommy and cub. She is such a loving mom holding her in her arms, letting her crawl
all over her without shoving her away. I think animal moms are better than human ones.
October 28th, 2007 at 12:57 am
I love reading about the weekly progress of our dear little panda it makes me smile and I am so envious of your keepers as they get to hold the baby on a regular basis. I have nick- named him dumpling .
Keep up the wonderful work and thanks again for allowing so many people in the world to watch with enthusiasm the growth and development of this wonderful creature.
October 29th, 2007 at 9:22 am
Paula #22 glad that you are getting a chance to visit the zoo, I saw a video on our local tv station and my heart was in my throat when I saw the condor pen burning, it really brought into prespective what could of really happened had the keepers and all the employees not worked so hard to prevent a tragic outcome. I did get to see the elephant babies Kamile and Punga and they are adorable. When you see all the distruction around the area I know you’ll see what I mean. Have a Great trip and enjoy.
October 29th, 2007 at 10:06 am
Oh my gosh…Just peeked in on babsie, and I think she is telling us she wants the name, ” Bright Star” . She has, on her white bum…and perfect (straw) star!! Take a peek, she is wiggling around right now…(Monday 10 am)
October 29th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
i was so worried about the zoo animals and am glad all came out ok. my daughter lives in rancho bernardo and lost her home and a broken shoulder so i was so glad that at least these guys were safe.i watch them on the webcams every day
October 29th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
When do we vote to officially name ” Bright Star” ?
October 30th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
Who could’t resist cooing and fussing over this baby, professional or not your just human
October 31st, 2007 at 8:00 am
Firstly i would like to say how pleased i am that your zoo escaped the worst of the fires. I hope they do catch whoever is responsible for causing so much damage and distress to everyone affected by the fires, and they are punished accordingly.
We are absolutely mesmerised by Panda cam especially watching the beautiful panda cub and her adoring gentle mother. She is the most sweetest cub. How lucky the staff are to be able to get so close to her. She makes us feel all mushy inside.
We have also fallen in love with Mei Sheng and feel really sad that he is moving to China soon. Yesterday when i looked on the panda cam there he was sleeping and i felt so happy to see him again we will miss him so much when he leaves. He certainly sounds like a lovely character. He has the most adorable face. Please please please can you keep us up to date with his progress when he is in China?
October 31st, 2007 at 11:31 am
When do we vote on a name??
Moderator’s note: We’ll post the link to the online naming poll on the Panda Cam page when we are ready to begin. Please be patient.
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:36 pm
I watched my first video of baby yesterday, it was so cool to hear her putting up a little fuss during her exam. I don’t have sound on my computer at work (good thing actually, or I’d be in ” big” trouble!!). What a little doll…. I have been watching Mei Lan at the AZ since her birth, and am in awe of how much she has grown, and looking so forward to seeing SDZ’s newest addition grow into a charming little bear.
As I watch how gently Bai Yun is with her baby it amazes me and I think how can we not fall in love with these beautiful animals. I can only imagine how all of you that are hands on with the bears feel.. Can’t wait for the little munchkin to start crawlling all over her Mommy. But then in saying that I think oh how I wish the little ones could stay little so they could stay on this side of the world.
Well, I’m off to do my Christmas Shopping at the SDZ Store… Didn’t buy enough when I was down awhile back…..
November 5th, 2007 at 10:14 am
I voted to Li Hua. I feel that it is a name that honors her heritage and a name that she can grow up with. Personally, I disliked bright star as a name. I found anything celestial overbearing. I feel that she should have a name that will grow with her. I liken it to a human naming their baby Bitsy or Barbie. While those types of names are cute when they are babies/toddlers, it is hard to be a ceo of a company with that sort of name. On the other hand, it shouldn’t be too serious as she should be able to have fun her whole life and not have to live up to a stodgy name. The name should accent her. Anywho that was my lodgic….besides we are going to love her madly no matter what.
Paula
November 25th, 2007 at 8:46 am
Off topic -
I have just been watching a wonderful play session between the breeding pair of pandas at NZ. I would like to know if they are housed together so NZ can study their reactions to mating after being together all of the time, whereas SDZ can study their bears’ reactions to mating after being housed apart all of the time. Is that why NZ’s adult pandas are together and SDZ’s are separated?