The Big Move
Posted at 12:42 pm March 3, 2008 by Pamela Crowe
Starting this week we will begin the process of moving Bai Yun and Zhen Zhen from their current bedroom/exhibit space down to the main exhibit area. Once this move is complete, mom and cub will be available for public viewing with more consistency and for longer hours each day.
The keepers will begin this transition process by opening the passageway that leads from their current bedroom area down to the main exhibit area. Once they are provided access, it is their choice if they would like to venture down to the main exhibit area or stay in their current location.
If, after a couple of days, they do not venture down on their own (which is very unlikely), the keepers have various techniques they can use to help encourage the twosome to make the journey. Most of these techniques involve food; we all know Bai Yun will do almost anything for a slice of apple! But the keepers also have such a close relationship with Bai Yun and Zhen Zhen that most likely all they’ll need to do is call them, and they’ll follow the keepers down to the exhibit. And Zhen Zhen is such an adventurous cub, I’d be surprised if she didn’t romp down the corridor and start exploring her new area just as soon as we open the door. That being said, we can’t give a definite date of when the two will be out on exhibit for public viewing. We let them go at their own pace, so it could be one day or it could take a week.
This process of shifting Bai Yun and cub from the bedroom/den area to the main exhibit area is the same process we have used with all of Bai Yun’s previous cubs when they reached this age. Therefore, we expect that Bai Yun will settle in quickly to this familiar location since she has raised all three of her previous cubs in this exhibit space. We also feel confident that Zhen Zhen will be comfortable with the larger, more consistent crowds that pass through the main exhibit area because, for the past few months, we’ve gradually been acclimating her to the presence of Zoo visitors by having her on public display for only a few hours in the morning.
Gao Gao and Su Lin are currently housed in the two main exhibit areas. But once this transition is complete, and Bai Yun and Zhen Zhen are on exhibit, we will begin a rotating schedule with Gao Gao and Su Lin. Starting this week, Su Lin will be in the main exhibit area adjacent to Bai Yun and Zhen Zhen, and Gao Gao will be in the off- exhibit area we call the Classroom. We will rotate the two of them so that they each have some time off exhibit for a little private time, and they each also have some time on display for their adoring fans.
We hope all of our Zoo visitors enjoy seeing Bai Yun and little Zhen Zhen out in the main exhibit area for longer viewing hours.
Pamela Crowe is a research technician with the Giant Panda Conservation Unit of the San Diego Zoo.
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March 3rd, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Can’t wait to see how ZZ reacts to more open space and new TREES!
She is a very adventuresome cub, fearless like her brother, so she will likely be off and ” running” with or without mom as soon as the gate opens. It depends on whether she is ready for a nap in a familiar old haunt or awake and ready to explore.
Gao will probably enjoy the private to time to munch in peace. He doesn’t seem to get into the crowds as much as the rest of the family.
Su Lin will probably enjoy the changes in the other exhibit space, since it has been a year since she spent her first few weeks/months on her own in that area. Since she is now older, do you need to leave some time for Gao’s scent to dissipate before you move her in there? I recall last year you waited a few days for the rains to wash the scent so as not to scare her from the presence of an adult male.
Will you ever leave the Howdy gate open for Su to see ZZ and Bai Yun? Maybe not for many months? I will be curious to see how she reacts to the new sights, sounds, and scents in the enclosure next door since it appears that she will be physically closer to them now. Since Sheng looked for her through the cracks in the fence, it will be interesting to see if she does the same since she has had the opportunity to ” see” her brother which he had not previously been able to do.
March 3rd, 2008 at 1:54 pm
It will be a great adventure for them but, gosh, it will be hard not to have them on the PandaCam for a while!!!
March 3rd, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Will they still have access to their current bedroom space or is there a new one that goes with the new space? Are they going to be in the space that Su Lin has been occupying? It’s so exciting–I hope we’ll get to see some of the exploration on panda cam even though they are off exhibit at the zoo.
March 3rd, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Boy is she CUTE!! Look at that li’l button on her tree!
I’m glad baby Zoom Zoom will get her turn in the ‘big yard’…she will love it!! Can’t wait to see her playing with her fabulous mom and trot-trotting all over the place.
March 3rd, 2008 at 7:32 pm
I’m sure Miss Z will zoom down the hallway the minute the door is opened – a huge new world with TALL TREES to climb. I wonder if Sun will be able to see her sister from her tree -
ZA has an intersting update today – a new member of their of their staff is in Chengdu doing research on vocal communication during mating. When he played a tape of ZA’s pappa Yang bleating a female & also a male repsonded immediately. Maybe female panda likes male panda B’s bleating better than panda A. Another study to figure out these strange animals.
There was no word on Lani’s weaning so all must ok.
March 3rd, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Thanks for the photo of the adorable Zhen Zhen. The latest video is just wonderful, too. ZZ is quite the little acrobat–hanging over the boxes, swinging on the branch, climbing all over Bai Yun. It will be so interesting to see them in a new setting. Bai Yun, by the way, looks as gorgeous and youthful as ever–quite an accomplishment for a fourth-time mother.
March 3rd, 2008 at 10:30 pm
There are several adorable new videos of panda cub FuLong on youtube.–just search ” panda fulong” & enjoy as FuLong explores while momma Yang eats her bamboo
March 4th, 2008 at 1:45 am
I can’t wait to see them in their new home but, as James #2 has said, how we are going to miss them on the cam. It’s only Tuesday morning (8.36am UK time) but I’m already feeling that ” what am I going to do” thing. I usually watch the cam in the evening around 6pm onwards (about 10am SDZ time). Isn’t it odd how watching animals on a cam becomes so addictive – and calming.
I was watching Su Lin yesterday and she was really enjoying herself. She planted herself right in front of her adoring public (and they WERE adoring – leaning over to get photos, smiling at the camera!) and ate her bamboo. You could see her smiling from ear to ear. Then she’d suddenly get up and wander off only to come back a little time later.
Somehow, I think that Zhen Zhen won’t be holding back in going down that corridor to ” the new place” and she’ll settle very well. Look forward to the updates on that next week hopefully.
In the meantime Pamela, you and everyone else involved in Bai and ZZ’s move have a great time and good luck. We’ll see you next Saturday if all goes well.
March 4th, 2008 at 5:59 am
Mama Bai and baby Zhen Zhen and their move actually made the early morning news here in Maine! I am having so much fun watching these two. Zhen seems so laid back and confident and Bai seems like she is really enjoying being her Mom. I didn’t see her (Bai) with Mei Sheng but these two seem closer than I remember the relationship between mother and daughter when Su Lin was a little bear. Does anyone else see a difference? I’m sure you’ll have some fun times with the move. As always, thank you for all the info and great shots of all the bears.
March 4th, 2008 at 6:26 am
ZZ looks like a grown up panda in a baby panda’s body. She has such a mature look to her.
March 4th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Just looked in on the panda cam and i’m sure it’s Zhen Zhen up in the trees on C28. Making the most of being able to see her before the move. I hope we get to hear how the move goes as you know we all love to hear any news on little miss mischief. Would love to see the look on her face when she sees her new area for the first time!
How time has flown since ZZ was born, she is a beautiful cute panda cub. Has she started to eat bamboo yet? Next thing we know she’ll be starting the weaning process if the past 7 months are anything to go by.
Has there been any news on Mei Sheng and how he’s settling into Bi Feng Xia?
March 4th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Until this morning, Mei Lan has not seemed to care that she was being separated from Lun for longer and longer time periods. Today she seems to be looking for her mom at the doors to other areas of the exhibits. It doesn’t look like she is ” stressed” just trying to find her mom.
Hopefully in the next three days she will become accustomed to her mother’s total absence. It is hard to think of her going through the stress calling that Su Lin did at this time last year. There is not much space for the panda exhibit at ZA, so they don’t have the ” luxury” of putting her in an area far removed from Lun. I haven’t seen Lun this morning, so I don’t know how she is doing with this. I remember reading that Tai and Mei Xiang would call to each other from opposite ends of the indoor spaces. After a couple of days Tai relaxed and stopped calling. It is interesting to watch the three NZP pandas look through their Howdy Gate which appears to always be open and sometimes they stop and chirp at each other. I noticed that they built a Howdy Gate into the wall separating the outdoor exhibits at ZA, and I wonder if they will open it so Lani and Lun can communicate in a few days/weeks. It will be interesting to see if/how Su Lin communicates with Zhen Zhen next door.
March 4th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Hello to all
I’ve seen something in this world that is cuter than a playful baby panda, it’s TWO playful baby pandas !
Go to youtube search for ” Incredible Cuteness Overload (baby pandas wrestling) ” , you’ll then agree with me.
March 4th, 2008 at 10:04 am
Who is in theC3 area now? That little bear is going up and down that tree like a rocket. I am going to be all confused now but it is very amusing to watch.
March 4th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Marie #14, I could be wrong but I believe it is Su Lin. I was thinking that she is now in the exhibit that was occupied by Gao Gao and she is exploring every square inch of it!!
March 4th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Is that Zhen high in the tree on C 4? 1153 AM Pacific.
March 4th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
#15 I agree. It certainly is not Gao Gao. That is a young bear. It must be Su Lin and she has all new trees to climb up and down on.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
#16-it’s the Amazing Little Climbing Machine. I saw both she and Bai in the same picture, then she just zoomed up right before my very eyes!