Farewell to Mao Mao
Posted at 1:59 pm June 10, 2008 by Ron Swaisgood
Mao Mao earlier this year
Many of you have by now read the reports that there was loss of panda life resulting from the earthquake after all. Wolong staff believed that the missing pandas had escaped, but Monday they found the body of Mao Mao under the rubble of a collapsed wall in her enclosure. The Wolong staff held a funeral and are mourning her passing.
Ron believes this photo is of Mao Mao at 6 months old
Mao Mao and I go way back to 2000 when she was rescued from the wild by local farmers. She arrived at Wolong, shy and timid, barking anxiously every time she saw someone walk by. She settled in during the coming days and weeks and I became quite enamored with her. She had a unique personality and was always a bit wilder than the others, so I dubbed her “Wild Thing,” a name that stuck for about six months until she was properly named. She was part of our first enrichment study with the cubs which, at the time, were kept in a small enclosure. A few years later they built a new nursery with a large yard, trees, pools, and climbing structures. Before that, we provided the cubs with different kinds of novel objects, such as branches or bark, that stimulated the senses and evoked play. The data were informative, but it was also just really fun to watch! A burlap sack stuffed with straw quickly became a wrestling partner, providing hours of fun for the cubs.
Mao Mao in 2003
Mao Mao actually began her life at the center as a “he.” Young pandas are notoriously difficult to sex and we got this one wrong. Three years later, in 2003, we realized our error when she began to show female-typical signs of estrus. She became a star breeder, producing five cubs over the next three seasons. Our research assistant, Jennifer Keating, witnessed her mating again this spring, so sadly she may have been pregnant as well. Because she was unrelated to the other pandas at the center, she was very valuable genetically. Her death is a loss for the breeding program, but strategically, at least, she was well represented before she died. Of course, she still holds a sentimental place in my heart and it makes me sad to think that she is gone.
Ron Swaisgood is the co-head of the San Diego Zoo’s Giant Panda Conservation Unit.
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June 10th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Thankyou Ron for sharing this with us. I had read it on news reports, but am grateful to you for putting your perspective on and sharing your story with all of us. Mao Mao will be sadly missed by all at Wolong and obviously many many others whos lives she had touched. How fortunate that she left the Panda World a legacy in her cubs. I had held out so much hope that she would ” come home” well now she is home……
Again, my heart goes out to all that had a part in her life.
June 10th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
It is so sad to hear that Mao Mao lost her life I cried as I read this story, as they all become part of our family to all of us who love pandas. But also I was glad that she was found and was given the honor she deserves. I know she will be sadly missed by all the staff at Wolong and panda lovers all over the world.
P.S. Just hoping there’s a panda heaven because she will be an angel there.
June 10th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
How sad for you, Ron, and for us all. I read about this early this morning, then researched it more and found pictures of the funeral and Mao Mao’s keeper, who seems truly saddened. I have been impressed with the dedication of the keepers under these circumstances, but how could they not become attached to their charges? They seem to cherish each one, and that shall give us some consolation.
June 10th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
My deepest condolences to you Ron, Jennifer and to everyone who knew and loved Mao Mao, especially her faithful keeper, He Changgui. This was truly a very sad day for everyone at the Research Center in Wolong.
The photos in today’s London newspaper showed the panda keepers carrying Mao Mao’s body to the burial site near the Research Center. Mao Mao’s keeper, He, placed two apples and a piece of bread by the covered grave. My heart went out to this dedicated man. There were three minutes of silence observed. Very, very touching.
Ron, you will always savor the memories of a young Mao Mao, and you will never forget when she was your cute and adorable panda nicknamed ” Wild Thing” .
June 10th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
My condolences also. With such a small captive population, we feel a special kinship with these pandas. We know many of them by name and know their personalities. In some ways, they are part of our hearts, our lives, and our families. I’ve been to NZP, SDZ, and Zoo Atlanta. Sometimes I feel I know Yang Yang and Tian Tian as well as the keepers do. I’m especially fond of Shi Shi. I think his life story is so fascinating.
June 10th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Thank you so much for this. She was a gorgeous panda and this is a huge loss. At one time, she was named as one of the three prospective mates for Mei Sheng one day. They would have made exquisite cubs with the combination of their wild genes. Rest in Peace, Mao Mao.
June 10th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Oh no. i am so upset reading this, poor Mao Mao and that she could be pregnant aswell, it is all so sad. Thankfully she has had a funeral service for her.
I can’t write anymore as im so upset
June 10th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
I just saw it on CNN this morning..I was shocked and sadden…prayers to all pandas and wildlife
June 10th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Dr Swaisgood – Hua Mei’s DVD, The Panda Baby, had a scene featuring a wild panda who refused to be handled and was quite aggressive. Is that Mao Mao?
Some of the news reports say there’s one more panda missing by the name of Xiao Xiao. Can you please help to confirm this? Thanks.
June 10th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
I am very sad to hear about Mao Mao and I cried… She looks beautiful in the pictures you posted. She will be missed by all. My heart is with everyone who loves Mao Mao dearly.
June 10th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
The accounts of Mao Mao’s funeral and the grief of her keeper were touching and so so sad. Thanks, Ron, for adding your observations so that we could know her a bit better.
June 10th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Ron – more tears when I read about Mao Mao on the prevous blog. We were all praying she was just lost & would come home soon. When I read your blog it took me a while to write & say how heartbroken I am for you & her dedicated keeper. You have some wonderful memories of her – thanks for sharing them with us. When I told my husband about her death he also cried & couldn’t watch the pictures of her funeral.
#2 Pam -like you – hope there is a panda heaven.
June 10th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
The world is a little sadder today with this news of Mao Mao passing.
I’m sure that there’s a Panda heaven and it’s full of bamboo and trees!
Godspeed Mao Mao….you will be missed!! : _(
June 10th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
WOW!!! I got on the NZ website panda page to check on Mei Xiang’s pregnancy, and today’s update by them caught my eye; then, I had to do a double take on the headline! Woh! What a huge loss to everyone that had a lot to do with the life of Mao Mao! HUGE loss!! I was really stunned when I was reading that update, the article link that was provided to read the AP story about Mao Mao, and you all’s update. I’m so sad to hear about this because I was really hoping that she would be one of those missing pandas that had run off and was trying to find her way back home. Unfortunately, this was not the case here. My condolences go to Ron Swaisgood, Jennifer Keating, and to all of the Chinese panda keepers at Wolong Reserve who were a part of Mao Mao’s life and legacy. I was glad to read that she was the mom of 5 cubs, but sad that she might have been pregnant when she was killed by the quake. That’s a potential double loss in the panda population. Now, we just need to pray for that one other missing panda that the article mentioned, Xiao Xiao, and that this panda will be found and brought back to Wolong safe. The picture of Mao that you provided is a good pic of a very pretty panda lady!
I’m still always praying for China, Wolong Reserve, and everyone connected with Wolong’s pandas. Oh yeah, Susan Braden from Pandas International is now in China getting a very good look at the damage to Wolong Reserve and the surrounding area. She was there when the keepers found Mao under the rubble and had the funeral for Mao. She also brought some very needed donated items for them as well.
Well, gonna go and ponder this one. Hope and pray that this will be the only panda loss from this disasterous, deadly earthquake. I don’t think that these people can take anymore losses, human or animal at this point. I also hope that they will be able to find a new permanent home for Wolong Reserve in a less dangerous area. They also need to build their new buildings that can withstand the strength of earthquakes in the 7-8 magnitude range. I also read that the reserve will be closed for the rest of the year and possibly thru part of next year until they know where they will rebuild and make sure that everything and everybody is safe. That’s a very good decision for them right now.
Gonna go. I’m a little sad right now. Mao Mao, your legacy lives on in your cubs!!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
June 10th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
I am so sad to hear about poor Mao Mao’s death. It breaks my heart to think of the sweet thing not knowing what was happening. I hope she wasn’t scared. My sympathies to the keepers and all those who knew and loved her. I sit here crying for Mao Mao, but Pam, (#2), I am sure there is a panda heaven and that beautiful Mao Mao is happy there.
I swear….news of animal deaths often hits me harder than human deaths. I guess it’s because they are so genuine and innocent and guileless.
June 10th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
I was so hoping that she was wondering wild and would find her way back. I did not realize how valueable she was genetically speaking. It’s a blessing that she does have 5 cubs to carry on for her. I dread the thought of how many wild pandas may not have survived the quake and aftershocks. I’m sure it will be years before they are able to even get an idea of how many were lost.
Thank you for the wonderful tribute to her and my heart goes out to all those that were a part of her wonderful life. She really was a beauty!!!
June 10th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
I was shocked and sad to hear about Mao Mao today. From your description I remember hearing at the time about ” his” biggest surprise (being a she) and her early frightened days at Wolong. It is a sad loss for those who knew her personally and for the whole panda world. I really loved the photos you included on the blog… it’s a touching tribute to a beautiful animal.
I am thankful for all we have in the panda community. There may be sad days, but we have so many blessings. Top of my list is the pandaCAMs that allow us to see them enjoying life. Unfortunately, the more you love an animal (or person), the more it hurts when they leave. But, I am glad to have the opportunity to be a part of the animals’ lives even knowing there are going to be sad days. It’s worth it to me!!!
Thanks for sharing your personal story with Mao Mao. It makes me feel like I know her better. ” Good Bye Wild Thing!”
Love, Joy
June 10th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
So very sad. I’m confused was Mao Mao the panda they thought was still missing (of the six that escaped)? Or is there still a panda missing? I have read conflicting news stories.
June 11th, 2008 at 12:40 am
This is so sad. I don’t know what made me cry more – that Mao Mao has gone or the touching funeral. I suppose, in our hearts, we thought that it was just too lucky that no pandas had been killed. Thank you, Ron, for Mao Mao’s story. What a wonderful and beautiful panda. We’ll all see you at the Rainbow Bridge. RIP.
June 11th, 2008 at 4:08 am
It’s so sad to hear the death of Mao Mao. She is one of the few pandas in Wolong I can recite by name. She is sure a star in the Center, sucah an unique, pretty, petite panda. And a good mother as well. May you rest in peace, Mao Mao. Love you.
June 11th, 2008 at 7:25 am
I am so very sorry to hear about Mao Mao. My heartfelt condolences to each and every one of you who work so diligently to keep these beautiful gifts from God with us.
Thank you all.
June 11th, 2008 at 7:29 am
This truly is heartbreaking. What a significant loss. She was so beautiful, and will be missed.
June 11th, 2008 at 7:44 am
Thanks Ron, for sharing your memories of Mao Mao. Your description and that of her keeper in the AP article about her funeral, show her to be a very special personality. She will be sorely missed for a multitude of reasons by many people.
I remember reading about a male panda that they tried to mate and couldn’t understand why it was not interested in other females. They finally realized it was a female and it immediately mated when put in an enclosure with a breeding male. Thankfully she left a great legacy with 5 cubs, the oldest of which will soon be of breeding age. But her wild genetic makeup would have gone a long way in the genetic pool since most of the cubs are from captive parents.
June 11th, 2008 at 9:09 am
A very sad day indeed to know that the missing Mao Mao had gone. We had the same photos of Mao Mao’s burial ground in today’s Hong Kong newspaper.
I was so touched by the photos as Mao Mao’s keeper, He Changgui, was also the dedicated keeper of two adorable pandas, Le Le and Ying Ying, in 2006/07 before they came to Hong Kong.
Thank you Mao Mao, a mother of the precious five, I will miss you.
June 11th, 2008 at 9:13 am
It was so very sad to read about Mao Mao, both in the news and in your report. Thank you for sharing some insight into her life. May her keeper find solace in the rearing of the other pandas. Mao Mao will be missed by many, many people who never really knew her. What a touching ceremony took place for her. And she left a legacy of 5 cubs.
June 11th, 2008 at 9:16 am
May I propose that everyone who has been touched by the loss of Mao Mao join me in making a special contribution to the Wolong Panda Center Earthquake Relief Fund in memory of this wonderful panda.
June 11th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Thank you Ron for sharing your story about Mao Mao. I have read about Mao Mao sometime ago, and ever since wanted to know more about her. But now… I am in tears; it’s too sad.
June 11th, 2008 at 9:21 am
My heart breaks again, I like alot of us were holding out hope that she was still alive.It is truly a great loss in the breeding pool and to the keeper who worked with her. the funeral was a tribute to the love and dediation the Chinese people feel for these special animals. Now to happier stories, I watched some Olympic tryouts this weekend and they did some shots from Beijing and there they were the beautiful eight. what a bunch of cuties doing what babies do best, playing and just being to damn cute. They are attracting millions of visitors already so by the time they leave you can imagine how many people will see them. I hope with all this exposure that people will know their plight and help with the cause to help them and the people of China.
June 11th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Thank you Ron. I know this must have been quite painful to talk about. I know it made me cry yesterday when I read about Mao Mao.
I guess we were all settled into believing that the worst was past and none of the pandas had been lost. That made it doubly painful to find out this way but it must have been even worse for Wolong staff and Mao Mao’s keeper. My heart goes out to everyone at Wolong.
We have to keep in mind of course that even with the damage and the deaths of staff members it is just luck that the majority of the pandas survived. It doesn’t lessen the pain of the loss of human life and panda life but it is something to remember.
June 11th, 2008 at 11:40 am
My condolences to you, Ron, and SDZ, Wolong friends. If anyone is interested, here is a recent video Mao Mao:
http (colon slash slash) www (dot) youtube (dot) com (slash) watch?v=ezTeJPee9U4
June 11th, 2008 at 11:59 am
There are so many backstories of the Wolong pandas that we don’t hear about until something like this happens. Then we wish we knew more during the Panda’s lifetime, the more to appreciate them fully. I was wondering if in all our grief over the loss of MaoMao and the tender reports of her life and death we could ask if it is possible to establish some memorial in her memory.
Since Wolong will probably relocate perhaps a bronze sculpture of MaoMao for the dedication would be something to consider. I am reminded of the Navajo story teller statues with the sitting adult surrounded by children. Since MaoMao had 5 cubs perhaps they could be part of such a statue, at her feet.
I now realize that 5 is an interesting number and not only did she have 5 cubs the loss of human life at Wolong was also 5 and they too should be remembered for the role they played in the lives of the Pandas.
I know that she may not be the only fatality, pandawise, so finalizing plans might wait till ” all the dust has settled.”
I submit this as a beginning discussion and perhaps others will take up the call and carry it forth. If there can be a memorial fund in MaoMao’s name for her and the five humans who died there.
A Phoenix symbolizes the rebirth out of the ashes but maybe our Phoenix could be a special order in black and white.
June 11th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Thanks Ron. It is so heartbreaking to lose a precious panda. My heart goes out to everyone at Wolong and all of China for all their lose. I hope she didn’t suffer. I know just what you mean #15 marcia519 about the death of an animal.
June 11th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Thanks, P Wong #30, for the link. Even that little bit of video helps us to know her better.
June 11th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Wolong Panda Club account is in Chinese: (my VERY ROUGH translation into English follows)
http (colon slash slash) www (dot) pandaclub (dot) net (slash) %5Cview.jsp?tipid=1213175465359
After 512 Major Earthquakes, Panda Mao Mao goes Missing – News Release on Discovery of Body
May 12, 2008 14:28 arises sudden Wenchuan 8 magnitude significant major earthquakes. The Wolong nature protection area (in Wenchuan County jurisdiction) becomes one of epicenter region’s victims. At that time the Wolong panda Research center surrounding mountains exhibited serious massive avalanches which stopped up all channels and feeding rivers very quickly. The majority of panda living areas (mainly outer activity areas) were damaged by avalanche’s destruction. Panda Mao Mao’s shed had at that time received serious damage. It abetted on the riverside where 2/3 of the wall collapsed. Mao Mao disappeared without a trace. After the earthquake, the Research center sent out many staff members for consecutive days to rear areas around the field of the river bank, the wooded mountain areas and could not find trace of Mao Mao.
Until June 3, one of several clear days, temperature 26-30℃, during search for missing panda, the staff smelled decaying flesh near Mao Moa’s pen; On June 4, the staff continued inspection and discovered Mao Mao’s periphery pen’s collapsing wall area had massive swarms of flies. Odor of decay was very thick. Director Li Desheng asked laborers to try immediately to set aside the collapsed wall to investigate. Because the path to panda feed area’s only bridge suffered damage during the earthquake, moreover the front entrance was jammed by the massive landslide, this required large-scale construction equipment which was not able to reach the panda feed area to set aside the collapsed wall. So they used manpower, pounding with a hammer bit by bit along the collapsed reinforced concrete wall. In a days duration, they were only able to pound a strip width merely approximating 15 centimeters slits. In order to prevent disease spread to other pandas by rotting flesh, daily disinfection procedures were executed.
On June 5, they continued hammering the collapsed wall, and in the wall’s trench, through the slit, they were able to see part black and white fur under the wall, confirming decaying panda corpse. Although unable to see the whole panda or direct view to confirm identity, analysis indicates the panda may have been deceased Mao Mao. By afternoon, because unable to remove animal corpse and there were swarms of flies around rotting flesh, and fearing infectious disease that may endanger the existing population, they carried out strict disinfecting procedures and seal the area. Disinfecting measures: [then disinfecting details found here] The sealing procedure: Backfilledl excavated area with soil to cover exposed flesh…. [other sealing details]. Daily spray of disinfection fluid.
On June 8, borrowing 2 small cutters, 1 electrical drilling machine, technical workers did overtime to expedite excavation. On June 10 9.54 , after undergoing near three day-long excavations, in the morning, Mao Mao’s collapsed pen was broken up by smashing into the stone. At 10.22, corpse was exposed by the lifted wall material , indicating extremely decayed panda corpse where identity could not be determined by physical exam. Veterinarian Wang Chengdong used chip reader to check scapula micro chip code to determine corpse was 28 day-long panda missing Mao Mao. Throughout entire excavation process, Bureau Chief Zhang Hemin, Director Li Desheng and everyone had same heavy mood. Although they were prepared for the outcome, the sight of Mao Mao’s corpse brought tears and irrepressible sorrow.
The veterinarian and the staff took out Mao Mao’s corpse and quickly loaded into a box, and carefully led away from the panda feed area, away from the Research center to a clearing approximately 2 kilometers to dig the grave for Mao Mao. at exactly 11:00, interring Mao Mao, Bureau Chief Zhang, Director Li … [the rest following this is mostly published in online news accounts]
Mao Mao profile:
Female, number 504
1999 year of birth
2000 spring, found in Sichuan Beichuan county open country and brought to Wolong
Nurtured here till 2008 May 12.
photo 1 Upon lifting collapsed wall, finding advanced rotting panda corpse
photo 2 Veterinarian Wang Chengdong determines panda identity micro chip reader
last 3 photos – funeral and burial procession
June 11th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
P. Wong, thanks for the link to the video of Mao Mao (I wasn’t going to watch it, but did)… What a beautiful girl, I too hope that she didn’t suffer. I also agree with Marcia #15, I have shed more tears over the death of this beautiful Panda. But in saying that, I know that it is ok to say that on this blog as we ” all” have the same common interest here, and that is the Panda and it’s well being.
I am confident that the monies I have donated through this site and Panda’s International will ease the suffering of the local people at Wolong and will help restore basic’s for the Panda’s until things improve. We can only sit back and wait and hope that Mao Mao was the only Panda loss, and I am going to keep optomistic that the Pandas in the wild could sense something was happening and were able to get to safety. Not sure if that is a realistic thought, but I am going to hold onto it
Seems every cam I check out today, the bears are all either eating or sleeping…. Oh dear, what a life they have!!!
June 11th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Ron, thank you for sharing our memories. I now know more about Mao Mao, and how special she was. Several things have become so clear to me over the last month. By being able to read other comments on this website, I find I’m not alone in my love for our pandas. It is so good to know that there are so many who also watch all the panda cams; who are sad when we find one of our pandas is not pregnant; who rejoiced in the birth of each and every one of our ” kids;” who hearts were broken over the earthquake, worried about the pandas while there was little news coming out of the country; who cried tears over Mao Mao. I THOUGHT I WAS A LITTLE CRAZY! The second thing that has really struck me, is the love the keepers of all the pandas have for their ” kids.” When Tai was a tiny little thing, I had the webcam open but minimized but I could still hear noise. All of a sudden, I heard ” night, night; love you.” I am grateful to the Chinese keepers and the Chinese people for their love for the pandas. And I am grateful for this forum to being share with other panda love. Thanks SDZ!
June 11th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Thank you, P Wong, for the detailed account of the finding of Mao Mao. I read it with tears in my eyes, but it somehow helps to know the details. From the pictures shown, she was beautiful. I pray the end came suddenly; may she rest in peace. I also pray they will find no more panda fatalities, captive or wild.
June 11th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
So so sad…….Mao Mao looked to be a very lovely panda. I haven’t cried this much since Mei Sheng’s departure to Wolong and Mei Lan’s weaning separation from Lun Lun. What is it about these beautiful animals that makes us become so emotionally involved, and so quickly I might add. I started my love affair with the pandas at Mei Lan’s birth. I now have ALL Pandacams as ” favourites” at work and at home. As I live in Canada, right now I just dream of being able to see these animals in person. The Pandacams are the next best thing to being there. I thank all the zoos for access to the cams and the blogs.
June 11th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Thank you, Ron, for taking the time to share your memories of Mao Mao. She was a beautiful panda, and I’m sure brought joy to all who knew her. It must be very hard for you to think of her being gone. The photos of Mao Mao are so lovely. I mourn the loss of your ” Wild Thing” and hope all her cubs are safe and happy.
June 11th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Thank You Ron and bless you and also He for the love and care you gave to Mao Mao. My heart hurts for all who knew her. P Wong, thank you for the access to Mao Mao on You tube. I loved it and thought that wild born pandas are so enthusiastic (Gao Gao came to mind) at meal time. To all: watch the video….you all have loved your animals and kids….the ending will have you knowing how much the pandas are part of the family! I read today that Wolong will be rebuilt in a different location and that sites are being looked at.
The beauty of the panda area in China has left us all in awe. We also know that our dear pandas do adapt very well in other climates. Therefore, a different location for what we know as Panda Paradise (Wolong) will be beneficial to the saving of the beautiful bears. Bless all who are hurting. Bless all in China and everywhere else who need our prayers.
June 11th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Moderator
Will the San Diego Zoo accept a cheque donation in Canadian funds for the Panda Earthquake Relief Fund?
Thank you.
Moderator’s note: We can only accept checks from U.S. banks. Money orders in U.S. dollars are acceptable.
June 11th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
P.Wong #34 Thank you – the video of Mao Mao is very sweet. She looked so cute chomping on her bamboo.
Also, many thanks for translating and sharing the Wolong Panda Club article detailing the search and recovery of Mao Mao. I must say that it was a very heart wrenching and very sad account.
The photos of the various stages in unearthing Mao Mao were very painful to view – I pray that Mao Mao did not suffer. I now want to believe she is with all her ancestors in Panda Heaven.
June 11th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
As i read about Mao Mao last night I became extremely emotional even though I have never seen her there is something about all pandas that hits the very core of my being. I was very upset and still am. But lets say I feel she had a purpose. And that was a very devastating earthquake that in reality could have taken many more pandas. We don’t want to loose any panda.but if the panda gods said ” who would be willing to sacrafice their life in trade for sparing the lives of many more pandas during a devasting disaster…she raised her paw and said ” I willâ€â€¦God bless her beautiful panda soul…when I get to china(and I will) I will come to your grave in rememberence….watch over all the pandas who are at the center and in the wild and watch over all the new babies yet to come…you are brave….sleep our precious panda who has given so many peole happy memories. We love you and we will miss you
panda who have given so many people happy memories…we love you and we’ll miss you.
June 12th, 2008 at 1:37 am
Marcia #15, I too know exactly what you mean about the death of animals hitting so very hard – I thought I was a ‘bad’ person for feeling like this over many years (close family excepted, of course), but I find I prefer the company of animals.
Cathy #31, what a wonderful idea to have a memorial. Sign me up for that one please.
P Wong #34, I’m in tears again reading this. How awful. I hope, like all of you, that Mao Mao didn’t suffer. Sorry, welling up again.
Linda #36, right there with you on this one, as I said above. I’ve just spent hours crying over a baby Great Tit (the only one the parent had) that one of my cats caught. She didn’t damage it, but it died of shock and a bit of me went with it. I have recovery boxes for mice and bird cages and do what I can. I’m so glad there are others out there like me too, because some people look at you as if you’re mad when you burst into tears over an animal. It’s not us who are weird, it’s the people who don’t understand the beauty of animals.
June 12th, 2008 at 6:18 am
A report from China Daily said that Mao Mao was found with 3 of her babies next to her and that they are allright and they will be hand raised. How could they have lasted all this time and survived. Does anyone know if this report is true, so much confusing info.
June 12th, 2008 at 7:14 am
Just received the following information: Panda International Director reports that she was able to accompany an NBC crew to the Wolong Panda Reserve.
The NBC reports will tentatively air on Friday the 13th on both the Today Show and the Nightly News with Brian Williams.
The Nightly News might do a short bit on Thursday the 12th. They will be reporting on the conditions at Wolong.
June 12th, 2008 at 8:32 am
Just wanted to let everyone know that NBC is airing a segment on Wolong with Pandas International on the Today Show tomorrow (Friday the 13th) and the NBC nightly news tomorrow night, the email from PI also said that NBC might air a small segment tonight on the NBC news….
June 12th, 2008 at 9:12 am
Oh, how heartbreaking. I was so hoping all the pandas would be found safe. The idea of one less panda in the world is so sad. Ron, thank you for sharing your heartfelt memories of Mao Mao, I’m glad to know she had so many who loved her. She was a beautiful girl and may she rest in peace..
June 12th, 2008 at 9:57 am
#15 Marcia – I completely agree with you regarding the impact of an animal’s death.
I am thoroughly convinced that being a true animal lover (of ALL animals), is truly the most tragic and heartbreaking thing a human can possibly be. Sleepless nights worrying over animals that you have never met nor will ever meet, tears over the death of every precious creature, anger for the loss of species and their habitats because of human greed, and the inevitability of knowing that after you have given all you can, contacted everyone you know, and begged and pleaded with government officials, you have failed.
But, in the end, I also know that people who love animals as much as I do will always have more joy and wonderment in their lives than those who really don’t care. What could be more wonderful than seeing a mother panda cuddling her new baby, or a mother polar bear romping on the ice with her cub, or seeing and hearing whales calling to family members in the pod, or waking to the songs of the birds in the spring? What would be the point of life without all of these beautiful creatures?
Mao Mao, I love you and will not forget you.
June 12th, 2008 at 10:44 am
What a heartbreaking story. Sorry to hear of their loss !!
June 12th, 2008 at 11:35 am
Any death of a animal is a tragic, I always worry if they suffered, were they scared and hoped they knew they were loved. To compound my sadness I just lost my last 5 foster babies, they all have homes to go to, but I did adopt one, I couldn’t resist. I would love to be part of any memorial planned in Mao Mao’s memory.On a happier note it’s nice to see the D.C. family enjoying the water and just laying in the shade. TO all, once you see a Panda and look into their eyes, they got you, so just enjoy the life the Panda has chosen for you and enjoy the beauty and love and how they make you feel. You’ll be a better person
June 12th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Meerkats, A BIG THANK YOU, everytime I check Zhen Zhen is always hiding or not on camera, but just a few minutes ago there she was a perfect shot, playing with her bamboo and who wanders by big momma Bai, I cannot believe how big she has gotten and before you know it she will be a year old. gotta go watch
June 12th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Candy, (# 49) your words are as if they came from my mouth. I feel exactly the same as you do. I love all animals. Yes, a lot of tears, pain and anger when an animal or a species is in danger. I wake in the morning, when the spring comes, and just listen to the birds singing. It’s beatiful! I watch all the animal programs on Animal Planet and the Discovery channels. I know I will never see most of these animals in person, but my heart needs to know they are out there. I feel for Mao Mao. How frghtened she must have been and, all of the other pandas and local wild life as well.
June 12th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
I can only join in the sorrow for the loss of Mao Mao. I too keep tearing up just to think about it. But I did notice in P Wong’s translation that they were able to identify her by a microchip. There have been several questions about whether or not the Wolong pandas had microchips or not. Apparently they do. So we know the Chinese are using current technology to keep track of their precious resource. Does anyone know the English translation of Mao Mao? I don’t know if this is the Pinyin spelling for the word ” cat” , but I do know that one way of referring to pandas is to call them ” bear cats.”
June 12th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
All across the globe we are deeply saddened by the devastation, as a result of the earthquake in China. Loss of human life, and loss of creatures great and small, will weigh heavy on our hearts for sometime to come.
Thank you Ron and other staff, for sharing the news and your experiences surrounding the pandas.
barbara#45, I also have been following China Daily, and saw the same report before I came across your post. I am following with a bit more of the report, & info.
News report on ” China Daily” ( http://www.chinadaily.com.cn ) The only national English-language newspaper in China ( est. 1981 )
” New Home Sought for Giant Pandas ”
Updated 06/12/2008 @ 08:10
…….further down the article……
Mao Mao was found dead on Monday in her pen, which had been engulfed by a landslide. She was buried on Tuesday and a funeral was held.
*** Her three cubs, aged between 1 and 3, were all found alive beside her. *** They will now be raised by hand, Li Desheng, Vice-Director of reserve’s conservation and research center.
……further down the article……
Xian Fanghai from the Tangjahe Nature Reserve in Sichuan was quoted by the Guangzhou Daily as saying 15 pandas have already been found dead.
**********************************************************************************
Is this new info regarding her offspring accurate? Initial world news reports of Mao Mao missing and the discovery of her body, have always indicated that she was ” lost” alone. ( not including other adults thought to be missing )
We all had hoped that the wild population would not be impacted. The mortalities in the wild add to our sorrow. I imagine losses were expected, due to the location of the earthquake epicenter in the remaining habitat of the giant panda. It is unfortunate the numbers are high and this report is from only one of the nature reserves.
***Ron, how will these current losses in the wild, compare to panda mortalities due to the bamboo die-off?
June 12th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Just received an email from Ron/SDZ saying that over $50,000 has been raised for Wolong Relief… How wonderful is that. He also stated that Hua Mai was moved safely along with other female pandas and she is now with Mei Sheng… Of course there is another picture of the damage/destruction to the Wolong area which is very very sad. I will be passing the email on to everyone in my address book…
I too read the report on China daily, but it doesn’t make sense. Mao Mao had been buried since the earthquake right? There is no way that her 3 cubs would be ” beside” her, that just doesn’t make sense as they didn’t even know that Mao Mao had been killed, they thought she was missing. Maybe it was just worded wrong on the news report? I think/hope that we can all take comfort (all be it small) that Mao Mao did not suffer, as there seems to have been a lot of debris that had to be removed before her body was found. I am still confused as to if there is still one more Panda missing? I am also so sorry to hear that they have confirmed 15 Panda’s of the wild have been found dead.
Just watched Gao Gao for a few minutes, he is such a gorgeous Bear, also got to see Su Lin a bit today. I honestly couldn’t imagine not having this site/blog/webcam to start my day…
June 12th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
I asked upthread but didn’t get an answer. Does anyone know, Is there still one panda missing? I keep reading conflicting news reports.
June 12th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
I am so sorry to hear about Mao Mao. I actually started to cry and I feel sad. Did they find all of the other Panda’s there or are there more missing? Thank you very much for sharing your story Ron. I just read above that her cubs were alive beside her. That is so sad. Will all the cubs stay there or will they be sent to another zoo to be taken care of? I love watching Zhen Zhen and her mom and the other panda’s there and all the other animals there, the polar bears and the monkies and the elephants. I have always wanted to feed a baby panda and I know I will never get a chance to. Take care
June 12th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
barbara and victoria, 45 & 55
I checked online Chinese version of China Daily and I could not find equivalent of article in Chinese. The English word ” beside” can mean ” alongside of” or ” excepting” /” excluding” /” other than” . It is possible the writer meant ” other than” . The Wolong Panda Club article contained a eulogy (which I did not translate). It states Mao Mao had 3 pregnancies resulting in 5 births. Since the China Daily article had some imprecisions, I am hoping the actual facts do not point to the cubs being injured during the quake.
Cat 54
The Chinese characters for ” Mao Mao” mean ” hairy” (can also mean ” furry” ).
June 12th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
I write this through my tears, as I cry for Mao Mao. I feel as though I know each and every panda personally. I have loved pandas since I was a young girl and I am now 47. This loss has hit me hard. I will coninue on praying for the staff at wolong and all the panda bears. I hope that everyone who read this would consider donating what ever they can to help the pandas.
Thank you,
Nancy
June 12th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
You can see how rumors and misinformation upset the apple cart. I, however, don’t know how to stop it. I don’t believe anything I hear or read until confirmation from the source. There is enough real things going on in China to get upset about. MaoMao dying, and the loss of Human Life. Even if MaoMao had a baby with her, it would be over a year old. How could she have 3 with her, and still be alive after 28 days? I just do what I can, and that’s donate, donate, donate.
June 12th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Even though we have all been so deeply saddened by Mao Mao’s death, comes the devastating news from #55 victoria in fl that perhaps 15 more pandas have been killed in the earthquake. This is almost too much to handle, as any lost panda has a serious impact on the conservation efforts of all those involved in saving these beautiful, charismatic animals from extinction. A world in which there are no pandas, is inconceivable to me.
My heart goes out to Mao Mao’s dedicated keeper, and to all of the staff at Wolong who have put their own lives at risk in rescuing the pandas in their care from this tragedy. As sad as her terrible death is, there is comfort in knowing that she was in her pen, and not wandering hopelessly in search of food and water; I, too, pray she did not suffer. In spite of the fact that the Wolong staff have personally suffered so much loss themselves, they continue to care for their beloved pandas, which is a testament to their determination in keeping themselves focused and positive; I applaud each and every one of them!
I hope that if Wolong is relocated to another area, that all will be safe, however realizing there are never any guarantees. My prayers go out to the Chinese people as they recover from this tragedy that has killed so many.
Thank you, Mr. Swaisgood, for your updates and memories of Mao Mao; we are grateful.
June 12th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
I just received the thank you email from Ron that was sent to people who donated to the Panda Relief Fund.
Now I have just made a second donation of an equal amount and challenge everyone, who can, to do the same.
I would rather go without something for me than to loose these wonderful creatures.
I will be visiting the zoo in early September and hope to see the whole family in person. I have been lucky enough to have seen all of the pandas in San Diego except Zhen Zhen.
June 12th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
I sit here with tears in my eyes. The pandas give me and many others so much joy. Their sweet faces and happy personalities put a smile on even the grumpiest face. Losing even one is an enormous loss. May she rest in peace!
June 12th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
#63 Lee in Vancouver, as a fellow Lower Mainlander(Chilliwack), I am taking you up on your challenge. I will match my last donation…..
When I was down last fall Zhen Zhen was still in the den, so only saw her on the monitor. Got to see Mei Sheng and Su Lin…. it was indeed a dream come true. My sister in law and I were planning to go with the group from SDZ to Wolong next Spring, but am assuming travel will be put off for awhile, will try to keep up on what the new plans will be.
K, it’s off to donate I go…… Anyone else up for the challenge?
June 12th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Hi! I have some info about a program on NBC that will be interviewing Susan Braden from Pandas International who is currently at Wolong, China taking a look at the earthquake devastation, the pandas, and talking with the director, staff, and keepers about their experiences over the last month. NBC News has gone along with Susan to China to film the area and do the interview. This was done back on
June 8, and the interview with Susan Braden will be shown on the Today Show early on Friday morning, June 13, 2008, and also will be shown on the Nightly News on Friday nite, 6/13/2008. This should be very interesting for all of us to watch. I got this news from PI in my email late last nite. Hope everybody has a chance to watch this; I sure will!
I have just read the latest comments and found out that another 15 pandas in the wild may have died in this earthquake. I sure do hope that is NOT true! Losing Mao Mao was just one loss too many, and maybe losing 15 more will be devastating to the panda population. Plus, I am just as concerned as a lot of you about all of the female pandas that were artificially inseminated this past spring on whether the stress and psychological trauma from the earthquake will have an affect on their possible pregnancies or not. That’s a wait and see situation for the panda keepers at Wolong, Chengdu, and the other reserves in China. I’m hoping and praying that at least some of those females will be pregnant and successfully deliver healthy babies between now and July. If none of these females are pregnant, that will probably be another loss of pandas for at least a year due to the circumstances around them. Will be waiting to hear from these reserves whether there are any successes in births this summer.
Well, gonna go. Just wanted to let you all know about the news reports from China that NBC has done and when you can see those reports. To some of you that were able to see them, write back and let the rest of us know what you think, ok? Love some feedback and so would SDZ!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
June 12th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Hi, P Wong! Just a note to thank you for sharing that article that you wrote for us to read. That said a whole lot about what everybody at Wolong was going thru when they found Mao Mao and tried desperately to get her out from under that rubble. The only thing that we all will not know is whether she was alive when the wall caved in on her for even a few minutes or if she died instantly. I’m sure that everyone at Wolong has been asking that question over and over the last few days.
If you hear of anything new about those 15 pandas that may have died, please let us know if that has been confirmed, ok? We are all wanting to know the real story about those pandas! Also, looking for another of one of your famous panda conversations to cheer us up and give us a laugh!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
June 12th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Photographs from Wolong Panda Club site relating to 5/12/2008 earthquake (the web address is at end of this entry). Look for 3 links indicated by 2008-05-26 upload date. First link is for group 3, then group 2 and 1. Captions are in Chinese and following is translation:
– group 1
Li Wei takes first photo within 2 minutes of 14:30:11 earthquake while outside panda hospital of avalanche
14:30:36 The tourists gather at relative safe area outside panda kitchen… panic-stricken
14:39:03 As time went on, avalanches occur across from Center.
14:44:39 View of avalanches across the bridge taken from parking lot when staff arrive for their shift.
14:47:44 baby pandas huddle together as they are surrounded by avalanches
14:48:04 risking life to check on pen of Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan and finding it totally buried
14:52:23 townspeople gather and pray at relative safety of parking lot
14:57:59 While terror struck, Olympic baby pandas were safe though covered with dust.
15:27:00 Staff member Tan Chengbin accompanies first tourist out of Wolong Center.
15:31:21 Farmer injured while fleeing from avalanche. Staff risks life by returning to panda hospital to retrieve supplies to apply first aid.
15:40:53 After major quake, aftershocks keep coming. Staff members cheer ” All For the Pandas, All For the Center”
The fishpond clogs with silt
15:46:44 At far end of pen area, Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan living quarters suffer total destruction. Research staff begin rescue operations for baby pandas.
15:47:25 At far end of pen area, Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan living quarters suffer total destruction. Research staff begin rescue operations for baby pandas.
15:50:18 Research staff rescue baby pandas
15:50:57 Research staff rescuing terror struck biting baby pandas.
15:52:55 Major rescue operation of foreign tourists
15:52:55 Major rescue operation of foreign tourists
15:57:01 Avalanches surround the area
– group 2
15:59:50 dispersing female staff and Wang Chengdong’s injured father
16:14:45 Discussing whether to change sub adult area into kindergarten. No go. Rather put baby pandas into relatively safer inner area.
16:22:27 Fourteen baby pandas in safer inner area though littered with dry leaves.
16:23:39 Avalanches taking place across from kindergarten area. Sound like roaring thunder.
16:24:32 Rescuing Xin Nai
16:33:37 Getting ready to rescue Xin Nai
16:36:41 Rescue Sin Nai from debris
16:55:59 Successfully tranquilizing and rescuing Qian Qian
16:56:41 Gao Qiang, Ni Xingmao, etc., forcefully hauling sub-adults back into pen
17:00:51 After delivering baby pandas to safer kitchen area, meet up with Bureau Chief Wang who risks his life getting to the Center
17:01:19 After delivering baby pandas to safer kitchen area, meet up with Bureau Chief Wang who risks his life getting to the Center
17:04:34 reseach staff risk their lives in moving tranquilized panda out of collapsed pen
17:04:37 Discovering Tuan Tuan
17:11:08 collapse of hillside tourist path; steel frames become like twisted grass
17:14:32 overturned tourist park bench
17:38:26 buckling of pavement tiles
17:41:00 inspecting broken windows of pen area that were pelted by stones
17:44:13 blood stain from Wang Chengdong’s father who suffered cut from pelting stones near the all/fence across from the pen
– group 3
17:52:25 panda club office damage not major. Just some broken and fallen objects.
18:16:00 Falling rocks continue while staff disperse. What a mess.
18:48:11 The once attractive administration bureau staff dormitory area. Now a mess.
19:26:50 staff members scavenge plastic sheeting to build tents
—
http(colon slash slash)www(dot)pandaclub(dot)net(slash)%5Clist.jsp?boardid=0.news.scientific_news
—
June 12th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
- About the 15 pandas of Tangjiahe Reserve – (It appears the China Daily article may be a missprint)
I found a Chinese article in Beijing Youth Journal article dated 2008-06-02 11:43 titled ” The Qingchuan County Tangjiahe Reserve – Situation of 62 Wild Pandas Unclear.” Excerpted portion states: (I translated from Chinese)
” The reserve’s Caijiaba station staff official Wan Hong indicates due to massive landslides, they found 15 animal deaths in wild panda vicinity, 2 of which were takins, but did not find trace of pandas.”
The article site address:
http(colon slash slash)news(dot)cn(dot)yahoo(dot)com(slash)08-06-/463/2j7ie.html
- About my previous post #68 … my apologies. Had some software trouble and forgot to fix first line of group 1. It should read something like this:
14:30:11 Li Wei takes photo of avalanche while outside panda hospital. This is first photo and was taken within 2 minutes of earthquake
June 12th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Hey fellow panda lovers– I am joining the challenge to donate again (when I got Ron’s email thanking me for the first one). My ‘economic stimulus check’ for the pandas and their caretakers at Wolong this year! It feels so good to be able to help out, it helps me feel not so helpless (I wish I could go there to help out, anyone know how we could do that? Would we be just in the way?). I don’t need more stuff, so this I will gladly do for the love of these animals and the humans who are giving them so much. And thanks SDZ for your great panda cam shots that give me so much joy and entertainment. I am totally hooked, like one of you bloggers said–you see one in person (or even just on the cam) and they got you, especially when you watch a baby grow from day 1. I feel crazy sometimes, but less so when I read here I’m not alone in my madness. Can’t wait to see them again next month!
June 12th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Thanks to everyone who empathized with my feelings. That is one of the best things about coming to this site – you know that everyone who posts on here shares your deep love and concern for the pandas – and animals in general. It really helps when you are grieving the loss of a beloved animal (even one you never met!) to be in the company of others. I even hate to see dead animals on the roadside and I always offer a silent prayer for them when I do see one. I am still having a hard time dealing with Mao Mao’s death (thought about it randomly at work today and had to leave my desk because I started crying again), so I can only imagine how truly awful her keepers and those who actually knew her feel.
Even though I don’t post too much on here, I visit this site (and the other panda sites) numerous times during the day, and it always makes me feel better. Panda lovers of the world, you rock!
June 12th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
P.Wong # 68 – Once again, I want to thank you for taking the time to translate the descriptions of the photos.
The pictures were very moving and elicited a range of emotions and brought tears to my eyes. Especially the photo of the six baby pandas clinging to one another for comfort, when all the while the mountain was literally crashing down all around them.
Poor Tuan Tuan looks so bewildered and scared sitting between a fallen boulder and many tree branches when the staff discovered him. Thank God he was not hurt.
God bless all the Panda Reserve Staff and others who helped. Their quick response in saving the pandas and all the tourists that were at the Wolong Panda Reserve was truly heroic
June 12th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
My ” fund-raising challenge” is to get the word out so others might join in contributing to these precious animals. I am on a very limited budget, and I sent what I could, but I also am getting others to join me in donating funds to rebuild the panda reserves. There are so many pandaFANatics out there who don’t even know about the resources that exist. Just today I gave a list of US pandaCam sites to my dentist’s assistant. Her daughter loves pandas and they couldn’t find the webcams online. And I feel great for being able to connect her to the exciting world I love.
Last week-end a friend and I sold ” Panda Reserve Preserves” — an assortment of Jams that we made. We got the approval of the local theater where ” Kung Fu Panda” is being shown to sell them in the entrance ticket selling area (big plus: it was air conditioned!!!) Other friends are going to join us this week-end so we will be in 2 movie theaters.
We are starting to plan a fund-raising idea for the Christmas-Holiday shopping season. If anyone has any ideas that would help us, PLEASE let me know! The idea is to have a coat/package check area at the local mall. Right now nothing like that exists here. We could take donations as well as give out information about animal conservation, especially pandas.
So, I encourage and challenge all of you to come up with ways you can spread the word and get others to help in donating to this extremely worthy cause. It multiplies what we can send and gives the pandas a brighter future.
Long Live Panda-Kind!!!
Love, Joy
June 12th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
I’ve been out of town the last few days and just got back and logged on. I am so sad that poor Mao Mao died tragically. It is such as loss to all of us who love pandas. My condolences go out to the Wolong Staff, Mao Mao’s kids, and to everyone who knew her. I hope she is having fun in Heaven now. Thank you, Ron, for the update. God bless.
June 12th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
#68. P Wong
Hello, Mr P Wong. I’m another Anita from Hong Kong (not No. 24). I’ve written to you few weeks ago. Thank you very much for your links and informations about the situation of Wolong Panda Research Center. It is a great sorrow to all of us for the death of Mao Mao. The pictures were so impressive to me. I couldn’t believe that it was Mao Mao’s body. She was a good mother. Why did she have such a miserable ending. I express my deepest sympathy to her keeper – Mr Ho (何长贵) and all the staffs of Wolong Panda Research Centre. In the picture no. 8, a small rainbow appeared on the top of Mao Mao’s buried cave. I just hope that Mao Mao is now going to a peaceful place through this rainbow bridge. There is a place without pain and sorrow.
June 13th, 2008 at 6:35 am
Not to take anything away from Mao Mao, but I wish the media would have focused more on the five human beings from Wolong who lost their lives.
June 13th, 2008 at 6:58 am
Thank you P Wong #68 for the information about the photos at the Panda Club site. It is all still so hard to believe–I’ll certainly try to give money again. And I hope that anyone who is in touch with keepers and staff in Wolong and others in China in the damaged areas will please let them know how much we feel for them and care about them and want to help.
June 13th, 2008 at 7:29 am
EDT 10:28 The SDZ must have wetted down the panda enclosures. ZZ is rolling in the dirt and you can’t even tell she is panda. What a cutie she is!!!
June 13th, 2008 at 7:43 am
Wonderful summary in the Wolong Panda Center Update. Puts all the information we know in a concise, easy to understand format. If you missed it, the link is just below the cam. Thanks to everyone who has provided information as it’s discovered. And, I keep forgetting, but I also want to thank the moderator of this blog for allowing us to post more than usual, so we can support each other. This blog has been very important to me and I check it every day.
June 13th, 2008 at 8:00 am
Just saw the NBC report – it was great. Hopefully more people will donate now.
Darlene #63 – Thank you for taking up the challenge. I live in Coquitlam and hope more people in Canada will donate to such a great cause. If I can, I am hoping to donate each month for as long as possible.
June 13th, 2008 at 8:49 am
To all of you who care for the great giant Panda’s of the world. Thanks for all you do and prays to all in China. I know that Mao Mao will be greatly missed. Someday I plan to go to China and see the great bears that live there. I hope all of you hang in there and rebuild for the Pandas. My prays and thoughts are with all of you in China. I will be going to DC to see Tian, Mai and Tai this summer. I love the Pandas all over. Love to all ; )
June 13th, 2008 at 8:54 am
Very sad news about Mao Mao. It is fortunate that there were no other fatalities that we know of. What a beautiful animal she was! It is fortunate that she was able to have cubs carry on her valuable genes in her lifetime. I hope she didn’t suffer.. it pains me to think about it. You will be missed, precious Mao Mao.
June 13th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Good Friday Morning fellow Panda Lovers……
Just watched the NBC report as well, hopefully many many others saw it too and will offer help. Did anyone watch ” A Panda is Born” last night on the Animal Planet Network? It was the story of Tai Shan’s birth at the NZ. I actually have the DVD, but of course watched it again. I think it was perfect timing that this was shown, as we all need to know that it is vital for the survival of this amazing animal that we all take part in some way, even if it is a small way.
I don’t think that anyone is lessening the deaths of the 5 Wolong workers, but this is a Panda forum so to speak, so that is what we talk about here. We all come here for the same reason, to share, to grieve and to support each other in regards to the Panda. I, and I’m sure many others have donated to organizations that will help the people of China. I lost my spouse due to a traffic accident, so I can empathize with losing a loved one and my heart goes out to the families of not only the Wolong workers, but to all in China who have lost family members. I think as a ” World Society” we must never forget what has happened in China, and for all of us here we will sit back and watch as they relocate and rebuild the Panda Reserve…. Ohhhh how I’d love to be over there helping, but I too think I’d just be in the way as I’m sure I’d be sneakin off to watch the bears….
June 13th, 2008 at 9:36 am
Hi all,
I was reading an article dated 6/12 titled New Home Sought for Wolong’s Giant Pandas on China Daily’s website, and found something very disturbing. The article stated that according to the Guangzhou Daily, 15 pandas have already been found dead in the Tangjiahe nature reserve in Sichuan. If it was true, it is a very sad day for all panda lovers! Can anyone confirm that is the actual fact or just speculation within the Chinese media? Thank you!
June 13th, 2008 at 10:09 am
P Wong – re your #69 post: That’s good hopeful news. There are bound to be wild panda deaths, but it will no doubt be months before they can give a good report on that situation. We appreciate your translations to news that we don’t have. The panda community in China has certainly had a major setback.
I am very grateful for the panda lovers’ support here on this blog, and echo thanks to the moderator for allowing us to vent our feelings here.
June 13th, 2008 at 10:13 am
I believe the ” rainbow” that appears in the photo of Wolong staff around Mao Mao’s grave, was created by the mist of the disenfectant, that is being sprayed.
June 13th, 2008 at 10:19 am
It’s so good to be able to come on here and find out what is going on and to feel the support everybody has for each other. I am so glad that I found this site last year, though I certainly didn’t expect such a tragedy to happen, as no-one did. I too have received my thank you e-mail from Ron, which I really appreciate. I will also be donating each month. Does anyone know if there is anywhere in the Zoo where you can donate cash? When I go next month that’s what I would like to do. I’m going to try and get NBC on the internet: we can get NBC in the UK but they put lots of European programmes on instead of the American ones.
If anyone read my post the other day about my cat and the Great Tit, I felt a bit better yesterday: she caught a tiny Blue Tit and after chasing her round with my daughter’s lacrosse stick and ploughing through a pile of spider and bug infested bushes and a small pine tree (ouch!) I got it. It’s Mum was calling for it and I popped it in a tray and balanced it in a big bush and shut all cats inside. A few hours later it had gone. That made me very happy – no way was there going to be any more loss of life in my garden! I also rescued a baby Robin that got lost in my conservatory. It was a very busy 20 minutes and everyone’s dinner was late. I just wish I could have rescued a few pandas as well.
Good weekend everyone, and hopefully no more bad news.
Moderator’s note: The Zoo has two cash donation boxes for the Wolong Panda Center Earthquake Relief Fund, located at the Giant Panda Research Station. You may also stop by our membership booth to make your donation, especially if you’d like a receipt.
June 13th, 2008 at 10:44 am
IT’S RAINING TEARS IN MY HEART, MAOMAO…
Savagely merciless and indiscriminately heartless Quake, you made even grown men cry. I tried not to imagine what Maomao must have had endured, being crushed by the enclosure wall and had a precious life being snuffed out of her. She must be terrified, not understanding what was happening around her and … In many ways, her death mirrored and epitomized the agony and untold misery of the tens of thousands of human deaths.
Recently, I saw an interview on CCTV9 (China Central TV, broadcast internationally in English) of a young soldier who was among those who rushed to rescue the trapped victims in the collapsed buildings at Wenchuan, where Wolong is located. He was casually sharing his experience with the TV reporter of the search and rescue operation. Suddenly, he began to shudder as he broke down sobbing like a baby as he told how almost every human body he pulled out from the rubble was lifeless. The disappointment was so overwhelming the soldier collapsed to the ground and fainted.
Maomao, ‘The Furry One’, though I did not know you personally, your loss is still so immeasurably tragic as every panda is so precious and each one is as priceless as the other. When I visit Wolong one day, I would look for your orphaned cubs, Maomao’s cubs, to touch base. I would also seek out your grave and bring an apple for you. Even in death, you will not be forgotten. I can’t write any more…..
June 13th, 2008 at 11:07 am
I have to add my thanks for the updates — and yes, both the update on this website ” Wolong Panda Center Update” was a great overview of the events that have happened — and the video clip that is on MSNBC’s website titled ” Quake takes a toll on pandas” was also very informative — and did show a clip of the staff in Wolong discovering the body of Mao Mao, her funeral and also the pandas that were taken to Beijing.
June 13th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Victoria #86 – When I viewed the photos taken at Mao Mao’s grave, I also noticed the rainbow at her gravesite. I believe, as stated by Anita #75, that it is a sign to all who love Mao Mao that she is at peace and happy at Rainbow Bridge.
The exact mechanism that caused the rainbow is irrelevant.
June 13th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Although not having been aware of Mao Mao living at Wolong I started crying when reading about her death. I do share in the mourning with all of you panda lovers all over the world. My condolences to Ron Swaisgood, the Wolong staff and everybody else who knew sweet Mao Mao. It is so hard to lose a beloved animal, particularly through this horrific earthquake. It is good to know that donations have been well received and will help in re-establishing the Wolong Conservation and Research Panda Center. Unfortunately I am not able to watch NBC at this part of the world and missed Suzanne Braden’s talk. I have started donating via Pandas International and will carry on doing so bearing in mind that pandas like all other animals deserve our protection and love. Thank you to all the people who have been showing such dedication in rescuing the pandas despite their own misery.
I am also sure that Mao Mao will be in panda heaven!
June 13th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Yes I also saw the video in NBC too, and i am touched by their dedicated love for our pandas and i thank the staffs for their efforts. I am Chinese too and i have been emotional since the day one month ago, and my heart still hurt about what happen in my homeland now. As a panda lover too, I wish Mao Mao, happily in heaven now, can company and play those kids who lost lives in earthquake now….>
June 13th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
I am so grateful for this comment board. It has been immensely comforting to know that so many others share the pain and grief for these beautiful, majestic creatures. I had only read of MaoMao. Delivering 5 babies in 3 births! An amazing accomplishment for any species. My heart aches for loss of MaoMao. I, too, have a routine of checking in on all the Giant Pandas in D. C., Atlanta, and San Diego. Thank all of you keepers who care for them. Watching these beautiful souls in their daily routines, seeing their personalities, and reveling in the dedication of all the staff in U. S. zoos, and those in China. I had read about the damage at the other reserve, (can’t remember the name), and that 100 Giant Pandas had escaped, but I haven’t read or heard anymore from that station. P Wong, could you please research and notify this board about those pandas. Perhaps that is where they found the 15 dead ‘animals’. Lord, I pray not. Thanks to all of you, dedicated to loving these sweet giants, as I do, for the pouring out of your hearts. Let’s all continue to donate what we can to help the victims of this terrible act of nature.
June 13th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Ruth Benz, you can get on the MSNBC website and click on the link about the pandas on the front page, and you will be able to see the video of that news report that you missed. I watched it myself tonite because I totally missed the Today Show on NBC this morning, so I’m glad that MSNBC has the video available for us to watch. It was a very good report about the pandas and what has transpired since the May 12 quake. The video also showed Susan Braden from Pandas International at Wolong and did a short talk with her. The 8 pandas at the Beijing Zoo were really showing off their bamboo eating prowess for everybody that was there, including the 2 NBC reporters! NBC Nightly News was supposed to repeat this report tonite, but that was postponed due to the death of NBC journalist Tim Russert today. They will probably have that report about the pandas on a later day.
I also liked the extra page about the Wolong Panda Center Update that was put online today. That gave me a very good synopsis of what has happened in China and where they are at now, plus some info on how to donate to help Wolong Reserve recover, rebuild, and continue their conservation efforts.
Checked the pandacam, and no panda on the cam. Probably wondered to another area of the yard looking for some boo to eat or napping.
Gonna go! Will check the websites that P Wong gave us.
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
PS: I read one of the comments about the 15 panda deaths that turned out to be 15 wild animals that were found dead, but no pandas. That was a relief to me when I read that latest update! Hopefully, some researchers will be able to get in those woods to see how the wild panda population is really doing and get a good count of the pandas that did survive the quake.
June 13th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
The article that mentioned MaoMao’s cubs being found alive beside her was a little inaccurate. Her cubs had already been weaned and were living apart from her in the kindergarten and sub-adult areas when she died. She was a wonderful mother and will be missed by so many.
June 14th, 2008 at 12:32 am
Rose N.#90
In regards to the ” rainbow” photo, I was just making an observation, nothing more, nothing less.
June 14th, 2008 at 1:35 am
I found the NBC report on the internet. That started me off again. Also found the videos on YouTube.
On a lighter and somewhat happier note, I looked in on Gao Gao at 11am SDZ time (Friday) and there he was, doing what he does best, eating. I looked in again 2 hours later and there he was, STILL eating. Is this a record?
June 14th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
I had a great time watching Zhen Zhen play in the dirt/mud the other day. It seems like one of those panda cub rites of passage… like giving a toddler spaghetti… it’s just SOOOOOOO cute that you have to do it. I have all the US cubs in their ” mud shot” and I added hers to the collection.
Thanks Meerkats for getting such fun footage!
Love, Joy
June 15th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Hey, you all! Just got some news from one of the news websites about the situation in China that could affect Wolong, Chengdu, and some of the other panda reserves. Southern China has been getting some heavy rains lately, and flooding has occured in the Guangxi Zhuang provincial region that has already killed 55 people and 7 people are missing. Over 1.2 million people have left/evacuated the area across 9 provinces which includes Sichuan which is still recovering from the deadly May 12 earthquake, Guizhou, and Yunnan Provinces. The rain has been raising water levels downriver with more heavy rain coming in the next 10 days. The Xijiang River has swollen in Guangxi, plus there’s a 130 foot crack that has opened up in a dike embankment that could threaten to bust open. The reason why I have mentioned this is that I think there are some panda reserves, Wolong and Chengdu included, that are in the path of a possible flood should that particular dike rupture and any of the quake lakes should swell up with more water again despite the hard working efforts of the Chinese Army and engineers to keep the trenches open to keep draining these lakes. This is not what the Chinese needed to have happen after what they have already gone thru in the past month, and the staff and keepers of the panda reserves are watching this weather situation very closely. These rains could also cause more landslides in those mountains that are already scarred and have loose dirt and rocks just sitting on the hillsides. The rains get heavy enough and drench these scarred mountain sides, there could be more landslides.
Please keep on praying for China and the panda reserves that could be threatened with this flooding situation. Hopefully, the rains will slow down enough to where the lakes and rivers will not rise as fast and slow the flooding threat down somewhat. The pandas and the people who work hard to protect, feed, and shelter them need a break from all of the natural disasters that has been happening lately. I’m also hoping that the Wolong Reserve will be able to get a new home set up in a safer area away from the mountains and rivers very soon.
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
June 15th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
I donated through the San Diego Zoo site this week. Today is my birthday and I went to Build a Bear and made an adorable panda girl bear and named her Mao Mao. I am visiting San Diego next week for a conference and can’t wait to see Gao, Bai and Zhen. I was there last year and had the pleasure of meeting Su and Mei.
June 15th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
My fellow panda lovers,
Thank you for all of your words of caring, love, and concern for all pandas near and far. You have expressed for me what I could not put down in words as I have been so numbed by the consequences of this most devastating earthquake. I so regret the loss of Mao Mao – a beautiful creature, in her prime, taken so brutally by the forces of nature. I can’t help thinking, knowing how loudly a panda can vocalize, that she must have been so engulfed by debris she could not even utter a cry for help. What a sad, sad way to lose her. Yes, panda lovers, we must do all we can to help the cause of ensuring the earthquake victims, panda or otherwise, are given the help they all need to recover from this tragedy. I thank you all for your generosity.
June 16th, 2008 at 6:47 am
I, too, am one of the lucky people who relate better to animals then people and my heart feels the pain they go through when scared or hurt. I have felt this way my entire life. There is nothing more precious than watching a kitten play (which I have one trying to play with my fingers as I type), birds feeding their young, does with their fawns, Turkey hens and their chicks, etc, etc. (I am really lucky as my home is surrounded by all these things). One of my earliest memories is running to my Dad about a baby bird that had fallen out of it’s nest. Looking back at this, I know the baby was dead, but my Dad (whom I get my love of animals from), climbed a ladder and put it back in the nest.
Just a couple weeks ago, I saved a female Ruby Throated Humming Bird. She had been sitting on the garage door wire for about 3 hours after having hit something in the garage when scared by a severe thunder storm. I thought I would hold her so she would die in the warmth of my hands, but I decided to try giving her sugar water. After about 10 minutes, she started drinking the sugar water and within another 10 minutes she flew away to the safety of the trees. It was the most amazing thing!
Animals can’t speak to us in words, but they speak to us heart to heart.
June 16th, 2008 at 11:39 am
I logged on to the SDZ pandacam at 10:58 a.m. SD time and was thrilled to see mama Bai and baby Zhen engaged in rambunctious play. Both play-wrestled with each other then with the white pipe enrichment item. It is now 11:31 a.m. SD time and both are still at ground level providing their visitors with great photo-ops – Zhen is now busily mouthing boo and Bai is pacing the enclosure, checking in on the zoomer every now and then. What a hopeful picture they present – a comforting sight in the midst of the sadness over the great loss of Mao Mao. Let’s pray for all expectant pandas in China and in zoos across the world, that they will successfully give birth to beautiful cubs to continue their precious and priceless lineage.
June 16th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
#94 Chari Mercier, I was away over the weekend, so I found your hint about the MSNBC video only today which I have just watched. Thank you so much for your recommendation and also thank you for all your ” up-dates” which keeps us panda lovers always abreast of what is happening in China and particularly in Wolong. I thoroughly enjoyed the video and was very moved when they showed the funeral for Mao Mao. The Wolong staff is truly dedicated to their work and love for their pandas and one is only too happy to donate for the rebuilding of Wolong. Sadly the current situation does not seem to be too hopeful for the Sichuan people but may be the worst can be prevented. We can only hope and pray! I am looking forward to your reports to come, thanks again for all your efforts.
June 16th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
” Remembering Mao Mao” (uploaded 6/13/2008)
photo 1 – Mao Mao with birth of first cub
photos 2 and 3 – Mao Mao having happy days at Wolong
www(dot)pandaclub(dot)net(slash)%5Cview.jsp?tipid=1213581593714
June 16th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Wolong Center conditions after earthquake (uploaded 6/13/2008). Photo captions:
1 – Li Desheng ” on the front lines” inspecting earthquake conditions and damage
2 – They are united in spirit
3 – Although the avalanches destroy the path/road, caretakers do not lessen their care of the pandas
4 – due to damage to water pipes, they manually carry water and make multiple trips
5 – not having access to electricity, they steam panda bread (” momo” ) on wood fire
6 – due to damage to entrance pathway preventing truck access, bamboo deliveries are manually unloaded and carried into the breeding center.
7 – giving warm hugs to panda to alleviate its fear
8 – giving warm smiles to panda to convey loving care
9 – having such a group of caring national treasure protectors, pandas develop and grow with happiness and health
www(dot)pandaclub(dot)net(slash)%5Cview.jsp?tipid=1213581783864
June 16th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
CAPTIVE PANDAS BOUNCING BACK AFTER EARTHQUAKE
2008-06-15 16:01:43 (17 hours ago)
Posted By: Intellpuke
The man traces the panda’s paw with his finger as she laps milky formula from a metal bowl. He strokes her head and tries to wipe her snout when she finishes, but she bats his hand away and curls into a forward roll, hiding her face. Then she turns to nip his boots, beginning a favorite game of tug of war.
Watching Qing Qing play with her keeper, Li Guo, in the Wolong Nature Reserve, it’s easy to forget the massive earthquake whose epicenter was a few miles from this panda research center in a remote area of Sichuan province. Just a month ago, the 16-month-old cub had clung in panic to Li’s chest after another keeper plucked her from the roof of her enclosure, which was shaking from being smashed by boulders the size of trucks.
One glance up the mountain slopes is sufficient reminder. Small rockslides continue to rain down on the panda enclosures sandwiched in the narrow valley, as aftershocks and heavy rains shake loose layer after layer of raw earth, exposed in wide gashes on the mountain face by the initial 7.9-magnitude quake.
While geologists survey the valley to pinpoint a more stable site on which to rebuild the world’s best-known panda tourist and research center, the keepers are focused on protecting the animals and easing their trauma. The keepers use a kind of touch therapy to comfort the bears, which are seen as national treasures in China and a symbol of Chinese goodwill abroad.
Those efforts are working. The 47 giant pandas currently living here are regaining their appetites and returning to active play. The sound of a car or the shaking of an aftershock no longer sends them bolting in fright. Rather, Qing Qing is like many others as she grabs a handful of bamboo and flops onto her back to munch peacefully, belly to the sun.
” She was very nervous after the earthquake,” said Li. ” She didn’t like to be touched. She still is not as active as before the earthquake, but each day is better than the next.”
Zhang Hemin, director of the Wolong Nature Reserve Administration, has devoted the past 25 years to protecting pandas. Now he is in charge of both the panda research center and the 4,500 people who live in the Wolong area and need to be resettled within the reserve’s boundaries. The community was lucky; although many structures were left unsafe, the loss of life was limited. Zhang hopes that as Wolong rebuilds, it will become a model of environmental protection and sustainable development that will be the pride of China.
” In the 1980s, China was poor,” Zhang said in an interview in a relief tent in downtown Wolong, where he is living with his staff. ” When we said, ‘Protect the pandas, protect the environment,’ people did not understand. But today, environmental protection is deep in people’s minds.”
Protecting the pandas takes hard work and courage these days. Just getting enough bamboo, which makes up more than 90 percent of a panda’s diet, is a major challenge.
The breeding center had always trucked in food for its captive pandas, leaving the naturally growing bamboo in the 500,000-acre reserve for the 150 wild pandas that roam its slopes. It used to take a couple of hours to drive the bamboo to Wolong, but the earthquake destroyed that road. Now, a driver hauling 3 1/2 tons of bamboo must navigate his refrigerated tractor-trailer over a treacherous road that crosses two mountain passes and is frequented by mountain goats and yaks. The bamboo run takes nine hours on a good day when the rain isn’t heavy.
Rockslides remain a danger. On May 17, five days after the quake, a slide smashed the fence of a panda enclosure, and its resident, Xi Xi, fled. Zhou Minghua, who has been a panda keeper for 26 years, found her missing the next morning.
” It was so painful, I cannot describe the feeling,” he said. ” The only thing I can do is search.”
On the evening of May 25, a road crew spotted a panda on a rockslide less than a mile from the breeding center. Two teams set out first thing the next day and, by tracking her droppings, found Xi Xi two hours later. She was skittish, so they darted her with a tranquilizer gun. She broke into a panicked run but slowed as the anesthetic coursed through her system. She tottered and fell about 20 feet into a crevasse. The staff used ropes to pull her out then called a unit of armed police to help carry the 280-pound bear down the steep slope and back to the center.
Altogether, Zhou reckons, 100 people were involved in Xi Xi’s return.
As the anesthetic wore off, Zhou stroked her, softly called her name and told her not to be afraid. He gave her bamboo shoots and protein bread, which she gradually began to eat. And eat and eat.
” Everything seems back to normal now,” said Zhou.
The technique Zhou used was what Zhang, the director, calls ” loving heart action,” a kind of therapy he began using with the pandas in 2005. ” I told my staff to touch, pet them, talk smoothly,” said Zhang. ” You will hold their trust, and it will calm them down.”
Zhang first used the therapy as a way to reduce the dosages of anesthetic needed when his staff took blood or performed tests on the captive pandas. Today, cages are equipped with special armrests, and pandas are trained to hold out their arms for caresses while being fed. Similar caresses during medical procedures have cut sedative dosages tenfold, according to Zhang.
Now, the keepers are applying ” loving heart action” to help calm pandas traumatized by the quake.
Until they are about 2 years old, panda cubs can be cuddled and romped with, though their roughhousing does draw occasional blood. The size and strength of a grown giant panda prevents such unprotected contact, and keepers do a lot of their stroking and talking with the adults between cage bars or on the other side of safety glass.
Each of the 38 keepers at the breeding center is assigned to watch over one or two pandas, whom they treat like little brothers or sisters. Indeed, a day at the outdoor nursery for panda cubs – complete with a swing, slides, a seesaw and a yellow plastic rocking horse – looks much like a play date for toddlers and their caregivers at a local park.
” We play with them a lot, to try to ease their minds,” said Wei Ming, a keeper. In the first days after the quake, ” they were really sensitive to noise and were very nervous. They are much better now,” Wei said as he wrestled a teething panda that was biting his kneecap.
After evacuating the dozens of tourists at the center on the afternoon of the earthquake, the keepers ran back to rescue the pandas. None of the 14 cubs was injured, but keepers found some trembling in trees and others lying still and silent on the platform of an outdoor climbing gym, a sign they were overwhelmed with fear. They carried each cub out, put them on a bus and drove them into Wolong town, where bears and keepers spent the night. The cubs were returned to the center the next day when it was determined that their nursery area was relatively safe.
The adult pandas whose enclosures were damaged were put in cages and spent the first night outside the main office at the center. Later, they were moved to enclosures located farther from the landslides.
One panda at the center, 9-year-old Mao Mao, was killed in the quake. Her keeper, He Changgui recalled: ” Her eyes could talk. She was really good with humans.”
His heart sank when workers uncovered panda hair as they dug under the collapsed wall of Mao Mao’s enclosure last week. ” I was hoping that we wouldn’t be able to find her, which would be a good thing because she would have run outside, to live in the wild world,” said He. She had mated before the quake and though it was too soon to tell if she was pregnant, He had hoped. Mao Mao was buried Tuesday.
Losing one panda seems a small thing in a quake that ravaged whole cities, tore apart mountains and left more than 85,000 people dead or missing. But the larger effect of the quake on the precarious panda population is still unknown.
With its low birthrate and small numbers – fewer than 2,000 pandas are thought to live in the wild and only about 230 live in captivity – the species’ hold on survival is tenuous. The earthquake hit at the height of breeding season, and its path cut through the prime swath of wild panda habitat.
Zhang has organized an expedition that is to leave late this week to document the quake’s impact on the 150 wild pandas living in the reserve. Early estimates by the Chinese forestry service are that more than 80 percent of panda habitat was damaged and as much as 10 percent destroyed.
Meanwhile, Zhang is thankful the destruction at the research center wasn’t worse. Five staff members were killed in the quake – none of them was in the center at the time – out of 40 people killed in the whole Wolong area. No tourists were injured, and only one panda died of the 63 that were here when the quake struck. One panda, Xiao Xiao, remains missing.
Qing Qing’s keeper, Li, locks his charge’s enclosure for the night, making sure she has plenty of bamboo for a snack. ” To be a good keeper, you have to think from the animal’s point of view,” said Li. ” You have to treat the panda as a friend.”
Like a toddler, exhausted after fighting with Li each step before entering her cage, Qing Qing flops on her bed and in less than a minute is fast asleep.
Intellpuke: You can read this article by Washington Post Foreign Service correspondent Jill Drew, reporting from Wolong Nature Reserve, China, in context on the Post’s Web site.
Washington Post researcher Liu Liu contributed to this report.
June 17th, 2008 at 10:13 am
Thank you so much to all who provide links and news, especially P Wong and Chari Mercier. Trying to glean information from various sources is difficult, but you two seem to find the pictures and news to share with all of us. I (and I am sure everyone) really appreciate your efforts!
June 17th, 2008 at 10:47 am
Solshih, thank you so much for sharing such a lovely article with us. I enjoyed reading it very much and learned a lot from it. I do hope Xiao Xiao comes home soon.
June 17th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Thank you very much, P. Wong and Solshih for giving us the info regarding the websites and the articles. As Susan#109 said, it was most enjoyable and educating, yet sometimes rather sad. I cannot admire enough Wolong staff’s dedication and love for the pandas. They all deserve a very big thank for keeping up their spirit during these immensely difficult times. It makes my eyes water again imagining when they discovered Mao Mao’s body. No doubt Mao Mao was a very beautiful bear. I also hope that Xiao Xiao will be able to get home soon.
June 17th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
WOW, great article, Solshih. Thanks for sharing. Thanks again to SDZ for allowing all these posts. And to all for their input. I appreciate all of you. I depend on this forum for updates.
June 17th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Thank you so much Solshih # 107. If possible, please let us know the results of Zhang’s expedition into the mountain(s).
June 17th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
This was just released by the Associated Press:
Panda habitat damaged by China quake 1 hour, 10 minutes ago
At least 80 percent of the habitat for giant pandas in China’s earthquake-hit province was destroyed or damaged, a forestry official said Tuesday.
China’s May 12 temblor centered in Sichuan devastated a vast area of wild habitat for endangered species, including the giant panda, Cao Qingyao, a spokesman for the State Forestry Administration, told reporters.
” We still cannot reach some of the local habitats, so it’s impossible to assess the exact losses,” Cao said.
The endangered panda is revered as a national symbol in China, where about 1,600 pandas live in the wild, mostly in Sichuan and the neighboring province of Shaanxi. Another 180 have been bred in captivity.
Forty-nine nature reserves, including the popular Wolong Nature Reserve, were damaged throughout Sichuan, Cao said, making up 2 million acres. The facility, which used to house 64 pandas, was badly damaged by the quake and one panda died.
The center remains closed to visitors, and might not open again until next year. Six pandas have been sent to another reserve in Sichuan, and eight have been sent to Beijing for an Olympics stay at the Beijing Zoo that was planned before the quake.
The earthquake also badly damaged forestry resources in the affected areas, Cao said. Direct economic losses to the forestry business were $3.3 billion and 232 forestry workers were killed, he said.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Mao Mao………such a beautiful girl and such a sad ending. Im angry and sad that these things happen and don’t understand it right now. Im greatful that she left a legacy and i just wish she could have lived her life well into the future. Im just very very sad right now. God speed, Mao Mao…….and may you dance in the heavenly stars.
June 17th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Wolong panda life getting back to normal – photos taken about 20 or so days since the 5/12/2008 quake (upload date 6/7/2008)
1 – Caretaker Ma Qiang feeds milk to Gong Zhu’s cubs. Gong Zhu [means princess] watches with motherly attention.
2 – Year 2006 born Fu Ni enjoys her bamboo meal.
3 & 4 – Year 2007 born panda cub enjoy playing in yard, having apparently forgotten earthquake event terrors.
5 – Mei Qian having fun playing ” hiding cat” game [maybe it's something like Peek a Boo? Does anyone know?] with caretaker Ni Xingmao
www(dot)pandaclub(dot)net(slash)%5Cview.jsp?tipid=1213580015915
June 17th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
It is so sad to read about Mao Mao. One panda’s passing is one too many! She was such a cutie too. I was at Wolong’s Panda Club(dot)net site reading the Chinese section and found some beautiful pictures of Mao Mao titled In Memory of Mao Mao.
If you would like to see them, please go to:
http://www(dot)pandaclub(dot)net(slash)%5Cview.jsp?tipid=1213581593714
I, too, am so angry that something so tragic had to happen to an innocent panda, not to mention the innocent Chinese children who were crushed to death in the school house.
So long, Mao Mao, I will see you again one day in Heaven!
June 17th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Wolong Research Center Successfully Repair Enclosure ” E” (upload date 6/9/2008)
(summary)
Enclosure ” E” suffered damage from 5/12/2008 earthquake. The right wall collapsed and rear wall crushed by huge rock. This enclosure was living area for Gong Zhu [means princess] and her 2 cubs. It was the largest part naturalized enclosure of the Center. Fortunately, Gong Zhu and her 2 cubs did not suffer ill fate as staff workers rescued them in time.
After 5/12 earthquake, Gong Zhu and cubs lived in crowded conditions. After Director Li Desheng inspected the area and judged the enclosure safe to repair, it took some 20 or so days to complete the project. Once the enclosure was repaired, a special sumptuous breakfast of fresh bamboo and bamboo shoots was laid out for her. Having been cooped up over 20 days in tight quarters, she was released back into her yard. She made her rounds to inspect the area and then happily sat down to her meal. As the weather got warmer and tight living conditions got tense, this was a good solution.
photos
1 – After Director Li Desheng inspects Gong Zhu’s enclosure and judges it safe for repair, workers make repairs
2 – Director Li watches as Gong Zhu finally returns to enjoy her home
3 – Gong Zhu back at home enjoys her delicious breakfast
4 – Gong Zhu’s lovable cub climbs up high
www(dot)pandaclub(dot)net(slash)%5Cview.jsp?tipid=1213580329926
June 17th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Wolong Research Center bringing care packages and tents to quake stricken families of staff members. (upload date 6/3/2008)
photos:
www(dot)pandaclub(dot)net(slash)%5Cview.jsp?tipid=1213579776426
June 17th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
5/12 photos of Wolong Research Center (upload date 6/2/2008)
Caption translations:
1 – Research Center entrance area
2 – surrounding landslides
3 – fish pond filled with debris
4 – Qing Qing’s enclosure buried under several tons of rocks
5 – rescuing panda cubs
6 – leading foreign tourists to safety
7,8,9 – visibility was poor
10 – taking risk while rescuing Qing Qing
11 – Bureau Chief Wang Pengyan risks his life rushing to Center; Inspects damage
12 – total destruction of enclosure area of Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan
www(dot)pandaclub(dot)net(slash)%5Cview.jsp?tipid=1213579035351
June 17th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Searching for and rescuing Qian Qian (upload date 6/2/2008)
(caption translations)
1 – At 9:00, photo of rescue crew
2 – Team 2 led by Wei Rongping discovers panda poop while climbing downhill. In next few seconds, they find Qian Qian
3 – Qian Qian hungry and emaciated, fearful and exhausted
4 – Qian Qian runs downhill and rests at river to take a drink
5 – In pouring rain, Wolong Research Center staff, Army personnel, Chongqing Police Force Transportation Division personnel lift anestetized Qian Qian and return her back to Center
6 – At 19:10 Qian Qian is finally brought back home to enclosure 2
www(dot)pandaclub(dot)net(slash)%5Cview.jsp?tipid=1213578245127
June 18th, 2008 at 8:49 am
Got an email from Panda’s International this morning and of course got all teary eyed, so then I log onto the SDZ webcam and got posssibly the ” closest” close up I have ever seen of little Missy… It was perfect, she then climbed up the tree a bit, and then down to sit next to her Mommy, playing with a little piece of bamboo leaf.. It was just what I needed this morning, perfect just perfect….
Our local (Vancouver) news showed the Wolong segment last night, My husband looked and me and said ” don’t worry one day you’ll go” .. I just looked back and said ” Is there any doubt in your mind???” As the center is moving, I hope it isn’t more than a year before everything is back to some kind of normalcy and the ” new” reserve can accept visitors.
I would also like to thank the bloggers Solshih, PWong & Chari Mercier for your constant updates and translations of news articles that we cannot read. Much appreciated to all for the posts and again to the moderator for allowing such detailed posts providing so much information to all of us Panda Lovers…
June 18th, 2008 at 9:53 am
With all the sadness and heartbreak maybe finally some good news, they are starting procedures for birth watch for Lun Lun and if we do have a little one this will be uplifting of sad spirits.
Chari, P. Wong, Solshih thank you for all the updates, I haven’t been able to check as often as I want. You are truly my lifeline. I can hardly wait for a baby to be born in China, that celebration will probably be bigger than the olympics.
June 18th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
oh, wouldn’t it be wonderful for a panda to give birth and name the cub after Mao Mao!!!!
June 18th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
DO NOT OPEN PANDA CLUB PHOTOS UPLOADED 06/11/2008
As a former hospital chaplain who has ” seen it all” I advise you that most of you would find those photos devastating. They are photos of the recovery of Mao Moa’s remains. Thanks to P. Wong for directing our attention to other photos on that site and for not recommending the ones to which I refer. I just fear that some of you might fish around on that site, as I did, in order to see other shots. Suffice it to say that even I wish I hadn’t seen them. Let us remember beautiful Mao Mao in happier days and give thanks for the gift of her life and the lives that she birthed into this world. My condolences to all who grieve for Mao Mao and other loved ones. May you be further gifted with strength, comfort and peace.
June 18th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Hey, you all! Hope you had a very nice day today! Writing to let you know that NBC Nightly News did do the news story about the Wolong pandas on Tuesday nite, June 17, that was postponed from last Friday nite. This was pretty much the same news story about the pandas that the Today Show did last Friday morning. Even just watching it a second time on TV, this story still says alot about doing what we need to do to make sure these pandas get thru these rough days, weeks, and months ahead. Also, I got my email newsletter from Pandas International called ” Beginning at the End” which was written by Susan Braden who is still in China right now. She describes her journey to Wolong bringing the much needed supplies and donations, and then describes her feelings about the discovery of Mao Mao under the large rubble of her enclosure, being ID’d by one of the keepers on her microchip, the burial and funeral for her. It was a very good article that she wrote. It is also on the PI website with some pictures along with the article. She didn’t say when she would come back to the states yet, but she is getting a very good luck at what Wolong Reserve is up against and helping the director determine where they can get Wolong Reserve rebuilt at a safer location. That was the other thing that she described in her newsletter; the mountainous area that Wolong Reserve is located in and how the earthquake has totally changed that compound. A very good description from her along with the pics.
Didn’t get a chance to get on the pandacam today, but will get on the cam tomorrow. I have to check out little Miss ZZ and hopefully spot her doing her usual toddler antics! Also, no new updates on Lun Lun’s and Mei Xiang’s luteal phases. We’re getting pretty close to when the keepers and vets at the DC and Atlanta zoos will be checking on these 2 girls with regular ultrasounds. I’m staying very positive that both of them will be pregnant and giving birth within the next month or so! Ya Ya in Memphis is still not in estrus–yet!
Gonna go and get to bed! I’m writing this at 1:10 am EDT in the morning here in Florida!
Love and prayers to all of the keepers and the pandas,
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
June 19th, 2008 at 6:15 am
Michelle #123 what a beautiful thought, how fitting it would be. A living tribute to a beautiful, special panda.
June 19th, 2008 at 7:09 am
Thanks to the Moderator and everyone who has kept us up to date on the situation in Wolong. Special thanks to P Wong for taking the time to translate the Panda Club information. And thanks, Liz S., for the warning about the pictures of Mao Mao. After reading the news accounts of her death, I already had very vivid pictures in my mind and I appreciate not having those reinforced. Rest in peace, Mao Mao, the ” hero mother.”
On another topic, I really enjoy the coverage of Zhen Zhen in the afternoons as she is doing her stretches and lazily rolling around on the tree branches. She looks so relaxed even though she’s really ” out on a limb.”
I also wanted to ask which panda is in the photo on the zoo’s home page–is it Su Lin? So sweet!
Moderator’s note: That is indeed our sweet Su!
June 19th, 2008 at 10:24 am
I read the article from the head of Panda’s International last night about what happened to Mao Mao’s enclosure when the ” dam” on the river broke. The sudden surge of water crashed the wall of her enclosure (which was beside the river) and it crushed her underneath. They didn’t know where she was until her body started to decay and the odor prompted them to dig the mud and rocks off the top of the fallen wall. She was given a heroes funeral with everyone present very respectful and grieving very deeply.
It is a very touching story. Her keeper said she was a very expressive panda with her eyes, as the photo in this blog entry shows very clearly. I think it shows how attentive and inquisitive and attuned to humans she really was. It is sad to think of her dying so harshly, but everyone in Wolong hopes that she died instantly and did not feel or know what hit her. They gently exhumed her body from the mud and debris and buried her in a simple wooden box with two apples a special slice of Panda bread to ” send her on her journey.” They placed a rock as a headstone.
On another subject – Do the SDZ pandas have access to A/C in their indoor bedrooms? I know it gets very hot in SD in the summer, and previously zoo staff have stated that you are blessed that Panda Canyon is cooler than the rest of the zoo. With the misters, and the shade, and the lower elevation it appears that the pandas spend most of their time outdoors, except when it is time for refreshing/cleaning their yards. In Hotlanta they say that their pandas spend most of the day indoors in the A/C and the NZP and Memphis Zoo pandas seem to be spending more time inside in the hot weather too.
ZA is now sending Lun Lun’s urine samples to NZP encrinology expert weekly. ” So far, her progestins concentrations indicate that she is still in the early part of pregnancy/pseudopregnancy.”
Moderator’s note: Yes, the pandas’ indoor bedrooms are air conditioned.
June 27th, 2008 at 8:03 am
IM SAD BECAUSE OF THIS AND WISH I COULD HELP BUT IM ONLY 11! R.I.P MAO MAO
June 27th, 2008 at 11:06 am
#129 Megan – You have helped the panda lovers by sharing in our sadness over the loss of Mao Mao. One day, you will be able to help in more ways than you can right now. Keep up your love of animals and continue to learn more about them and speak up for them, especially for those who are endangered like our beloved pandas.
August 11th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
Hi Ron I just found out about MaoMao I’m so sorry.
My Twin sister Loves Pandas we have at least 50 Pandas (not real)in our 2 bedroom Apartment
Pat sleeps with ALL of them at night,
We hope that one day we come and see the Pandas in China.
Tell Maomao’s Babies that we are sorry that they lost their Mother
I wich we can take care of them in our apartment but we can’t,
I Think it’s Against the law to have a panda as a pet and we need $200 us Dollars for each Panda to stay with us