Wild Panda Research Helps Andean Bear Conservation
Posted at 2:55 pm October 20, 2008 by Russ Van HornCusco, Department of Cusco, Peru
I’m on my way back to Quince Mil, after being gone for three weeks (see previous blog, Andean Bears: New Behaviors to Study). During that time I traveled to China with the head of the San Diego Zoo’s Applied Animal Ecology Division, Dr. Ron Swaisgood, and Dr. James Sheppard, a postdoctoral investigator for the San Diego Zoo. James and I have different skills that complement Ron’s, and we met with Chinese collaborators to discuss the research questions, and research plans, of the giant panda in situ program. Several of the questions being addressed in that program are similar to questions we plan to address in the Andean bear research program, but in many ways we know more about giant pandas than we do about Andean bears. However, the giant panda faces more serious threats than we think confront the Andean bear.
Ron, James, and I gave presentations and talked to researchers at the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), in Beijing. In particular, I met with Dr. Wei Fuwen of CAS, and Dr. Hu Yibo, a postdoctoral researcher working with Dr. Wei, regarding their plans for a research program using noninvasive genetics to better understand giant panda behavioral ecology. I’ve used similar methods in the past and plan similar investigations in Peru.
The three of us from San Diego then journeyed to the Foping National Nature Reserve, where we stayed for seven days. Research on giant pandas has been based at the QinLing Giant Panda Research Base since 2003. Although it rained more than half of the time we were in Foping, I had a great time! In addition to experiencing the overall landscape in Foping, and seeing, wading, and practically swimming through bamboo, we were able to see the types of data and samples that researchers collect in the giant panda program. We saw places where giant pandas had recently fed on bamboo, as well as fresh feces and resting sites. One of the goals of the giant panda program is to better understand the denning ecology of wild giant pandas, and I was fortunate enough to see a den where a giant panda female gave birth this past season.
Another goal of the program is to investigate the scent-marking behavior of giant pandas, and I was impressed by the number of marked trees I saw along a narrow, steep ridge. After viewing the topography, I have a much better appreciation for the constraints that shape research into giant panda behavior and ecology. I also gained great respect for the ability of the research team to work so successfully in this reserve.
Everyone involved with the giant panda program, whether in Beijing or in Foping, treated Ron, James, and me with fantastic hospitality. I’m confident that one reason for our welcome reception was the relationship that Ron has built with these scientists over the past several years. I hope that I can contribute to strengthening this collaboration, as I continue to learn from the experiences of the giant panda program.
Although it may not have any scientific merit, I did benefit in another way from my visit to Foping. One afternoon, after spending about six hours radio tracking a collared giant panda, I saw my first wild giant panda. We watched him for approximately 30 minutes, as he noisily fed on bamboo. Now that was an experience well worth the hike!
Russ Van Horn is a senior researcher in the San Diego Zoo’s Applied Animal Ecology Division, and now the envy of many of our panda fans!
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October 20th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
You’re not kidding that we envy him!
What an interesting article. We just see the bears as the end result of all the work and research of so many people. But the researchers spend years and years gathering all different types of data to try and understand the where, when, why, how, etc. that goes into understanding these magnificant animals. That is why I consider these scientists as special people who give so much of themselves for very little in return.
Please pass on a great big thank you to everyone you know who gives of themselves this way. They are not doing it for any other reason except for the sake of the animals. If it were not for these rpeople, there would be many less animals in this world.
October 20th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
#1 Lee in Vancouver – I’m with you on how much we owe to the scientists for the amount of knowledge we now have on these precious creatures. And isn’t it great that the data gathered on one species is, in turn, benefiting research on another. Just goes to prove that the world was meant to be one harmonious whole.
Thank you, SDZ, for this article and for this blog in general. It has taught us so much!!
October 20th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Envy is not the word – nor are there enough thanks for all these researchers do. Wow, to have seen a wild panda is something that all of us panda fans cannot imagine . Thanks for all the work you you do
October 21st, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Thanks, Russ. Sounds like a fantasic successful trip. To have the honor of seeing a wild panda eating so well is unbelievable. We envy you.
October 21st, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Hi
Just wanted to point out that the date is passed for your survey. I spent a long time telling you guys how good I think your cams are. Also telling you how much I think of the job
you people do for the animals and fans for the whole zoo. Just think you won’t be able
to see all my compliments! Just kidding. I went back to make sure I was correct about
the end of the survey but it stopped me since I didn’t have time to fill all the spaces in again.
Anyhow thank you for all for taking such wonderful care of all the animals. I wish I could
have seen the panda in his natural environment, just like everyone else!
Best Regards
Linda L. Moreland
October 21st, 2008 at 5:07 pm
another interesting and educational post! wow! what a trip. I love seeing a deer or elk in the wild; I cannot imagine how exciting it would be to see a wild panda!!! it sure rains alot there it seems! lots of rain-gear and boots won’t stop the progress of research though. I’m sure you have learned even more than you already did. nothing like being in wild panda country to really see for your-self what goes on. the species has to be saved, what a terrible loss it would be for the world to lose these precious bears! thanks for letting us in on your fantastic trip………………michigan animal lover/panda especially!
October 21st, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Hi everyone from Bora Bora! The weather is beautiful; and I’m being spoiled. I do have internet service here but it’s really SLOW. Love the update. WOW, a panda in the wild. I’d give up every vacation to experience that. Seriously. Baby Boy in Atlanta opened his sweet eyes while I’ve been gone. What a cutie. Every time I’ve checked SDZ, no pandas in site. Are they hiding from me???? I MISSSSSSSSS checking on everyone throught out the day. Take care, sweet kids and all my panda cam buddies.
October 21st, 2008 at 8:02 pm
And for anyone who missed it, look at the video pandafan mentioned (#70 in the last blog)–it gives a glimpse into the world of the people who devote their lives to the study of the giant panda. And it shows some amazing (and humorous) panda resourcefulness. Don’t miss it.
October 22nd, 2008 at 8:11 am
Russ, thank you for the interesting article.
You got to see a wild panda, and eating too for 30 minutes. I envy you!
October 22nd, 2008 at 9:51 am
Hello to Linda in Bora Bora! So glad everything’s OK there, but sorry your connection is so slow. ZA’s baby boy certainly is quite the cute little gent these days. They also had some great pictures, especially the one on the update from a couple of days ago.
As others have already said, I’m so very grateful for the work and research done on behalf of these gorgeous animals. Thanks for another educational and informative post.
October 22nd, 2008 at 1:55 pm
To #3–Maureen in Michigan-have you never had a dream where you are tracking a wild panda? I certainly have…She was lying back munching on bamboo, stopped chewing, and looked right at me! Then, she turned to her right and rolled upright onto all 4 paws and ambled away. The excitement of seeing her…the disappointment that I couldn’t follow her! It was SOO COOOLLL!
October 22nd, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Russ, thanks for the informative report. Glad to know that wild pandas survived the earthquake where you were. Rain seems to be a common denominator in the panda habitat areas. Seeing the wild panda for a whole half-hour must have been a real thrill. So glad it happened for you.
October 22nd, 2008 at 6:47 pm
#11 – L. Young – Doggone, I’ve never had a dream about wild pandas (guess from what I’ve read they are almost impossible to find so Russ was VERY LUCKY)—-but have had many day dreams about cuddling our cubbies here in the US. My favorite one is winning a lottery at the NZ & being with Tai for a day – then after I win the mega bucks lotto we’ll be off to Wolong (before the earthquake) to spend a week or so with the newborns. We were living in Virgina when China gave us Ling Ling & Hsing Hsing. Several trips to the NZ resulted in no view of a panda – lines were outrageous but I’ve been lucky enough to visit the SDZ & catch a glimpse of SuLin high in a tree, Bai was sleeping but pappa Gao decided to walk around right in front of me —–made my vacation.
October 23rd, 2008 at 10:10 am
How lucky you were to be able to see a wild panda! That in itself would make the entire trip worth it.
Just read the cutest blog about that very determined (and very smart) Lun Lun. She caught on to the keepers’ little tricks and tried to use them to her own best advantage! These bears are remarkably clever.
October 23rd, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Today, papa Gao Gao seems to be loving his wading pool, freshening up his face for his adoring public, and now he seems to be taking a nap in it. And Su Lin has a hanging toy that seems to move by itself.
And I guess Bai Yun is either eating or sleeping and Miss ZZ is up in the tree. Thanks, Meerkats!
October 23rd, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Glad to see papa Gao exploring the front exhibit again. Great time for sniffing after his lovely daughter Princess Su Lin just vacated.
It is fun to watch and read about the way that different pandas handle their ” boo.” Loved the exchange about left versus right pawed, male versus female handling manuevers last year.
The latest update about cub at ZA is hilarious when you read about how LunLun reacts to the keepers trying to get her not to take bamb” boo” into her den so she won’t harm cub. I remember Bai Yun dragging boo into the den last year about this time, and a keeper note that it almost looked like she was blocking the entrance so that ZZ couldn’t get out or to camoflage so predators wouldn’t come in.
Maybe that is what LunLun is up to, or perhaps at this stage, mothers are getting their cubs used to the smell, sight (eyes starting to open) and sound of bamboo. Afterall, if it is their staple diet for life, it makes sense that as soon as their eyes are starting to open it is safer to have it in the den, and it helps mom multitask. They can eat all they want, while still being near cub and tending to their needs. Momma pandas need all the nutrients they can get to feed two, and to prepare for the next 10 months of training and keeping track of a cub that will be increasingly mobile. They are into everything before they get to the climb a tree and stay there independence stage that ZZ seems to have reached.
Now that I have seen this happen 4 times (Su Lin, Tai Shan, Mei Lan, and now ZZ) I can see that it is the precursor to starting the maternal separation and beginning of independence. The more cubs we watch, the more we can see the way it would work in the wild, and the more we can see the wisdom in how the cubs in captivity in US are weaned and sheperded into independence under the ever watchful eye of their keepers.
October 23rd, 2008 at 12:59 pm
I’ve just posted a second batch of photos from the China trip. The URL is:
http:[slash][slash]www.flickr.com[slash]photos[slash]kkshaw43[slash]sets[slash]72157608309937935[slash]
and I think I got it right this time. Hope you enjoy them. Sorry about the previous good, but I was winging my way to Germany and J. S. Bach organs by the time you found my goof.
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:17 pm
It’s wonderful to know someone has seen a wild panda since the earthquake. It’s also great that so many people are working to help keep these beautiful animals going.
October 23rd, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Darn, just checked to see if I could see everyone, and AGAIN, nobody in sight!!!!! I’m in Moorea now, and I don’t know if it’s because of the internet service in the South Pacific, but I haven’t been able to see ZA’s cam clearly all week. Has it been having problems? SDZ is great except no kids ever visible. Haven’t had time to check NZ. After tomorrow, I won’t have access at all until next Wednesday. Darn……….just wanted a glimpse of someone in San Diego today!
October 23rd, 2008 at 8:06 pm
Thanks, Mary #17 for more fantastic pictures of your trip and those adorable pandas!
Can anyone tell me how to find the blog that Margaret #16 mentioned about the bamboo handling behavior? I must have missed it somehow.
I agree that the story about Lun Lun is very funny and very telling. Panda dreams…
October 24th, 2008 at 3:13 am
Russ, you lucky thing, being able to see a Panda in it’s own habitat.
Linda A, sorry your connection is so slow and then, when you do get on, there’s nobody there! Life’s like that, isn’t it?!
Reading the November issue of National Geographic I’ve been reduced to tears as I turned the page and unexpectedly came across a picture of Mao Mao’s remains being recovered. Thought I’d warn anyone who might not want to see it (Wildlife, Pandas after the Quake).
Caught Bai the other day sticking her tongue out and then having a huge yawn. Made me smile.
October 24th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Mary from Brooklyn #17 – your pictures are amazing. You even got pics ofr Hua Mei and Mei Sheng for all of us pandaholics. By the pics both look well cared for. Holding the pandas had to have been the best experience 9I am a tad jealous). Thanks for thinking of all of us and for sharing your great pictures. What an experience it must have been.
Thanks again to you and to all the SDZ keepers who keep all of our pandas happy and safe.
October 24th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
awwww, watching Zheny sitting in her hammock eatin her boo….soooooooooooo CUTE!!!!!!
October 24th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Frances #20, if you go type in Panda Paws in search at top of Panda Blogs it should bring up the blog from January 10, 2007 about how different pandas eat with their paws.
October 24th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Spent a while watching Zhen Zhen today, sitting in her hammock, trying to eat bamboo. Couldn’t tell how much she actually ingested, but she gets an A for effort. It must have been very frustrating for her to keep dropping bits of it to the ground. She periodically looks over the edge to see where it is, then makes the trip down to the ground to retrieve it, and then back up to the hammock. Whew! She finally went down to check out the spot where Bai had left some branches, then to watch Mom eat some, then make a round of the yard. She wound up on top of the den, where Momma Bai came to get her, but ZZ kinda resisted her. They had a short wrestling match, which turned into a nursing session, with Momma Bai sitting up, leaning across a limb. Very interesting.
The Prince of Atlanta’s cam has been down today. Hope it’s back up later. He’s weighing close to 5 pounds!
October 24th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Mary, thanks for the link to your pic’s from China, loved all of them…
I am so jealous of anyone that is in the Panda exhibit right now as there is an awesome play bout going on between Mother and cub… too too funny. Bai walked away from Zhen, then slowly backed back into her and plunked her butt right on top of Zhen….. It is so neat to see them wrestling around and enjoying each other so much.
Can’t believe how much our little fluffy butterball is growing over in Atlanta. Soon, he’ll be pouncing on his Mom’s head just like Zhen is today..
Have a great weekend everyone..
October 24th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Mary from Brooklyn #17. I just saw the second set of pix from China. They are absolutely wonderful….the colors are amazing, as are the sweet bears. Perhaps you should become the official “Giant Panda Photographer”. Thank you so much for sharing them.
Back to Bai Yun and Zhen Zhen today. (2:30 p.m. SDZ time): They have been wonderful today. There wrestling bouts are comedically priceless!
October 24th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Thanks, Margaret #24.
And yes! What a great play session with Bai Yun and Zhen Zhen–seems like it has been a long time for such a long one, and oh my Miss ZZ had me scared there for a minute, as she seemed to be all tangled up in a bunch of leaves up in the tree. Back to play with mom–I’m in panda watching heaven!
October 24th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
The website wasn’t down today at AZ they were just showing some of the other pandas while the baby boy was sleeping. It’s nice to see what Yang Yang and Mei Lani are doing sometimes. I emailed the zoo about the cam and that’s what they said.
October 24th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Frances #20
I think what Margaret was referring to was the kepper’s notes at Zoo Atlanta. Go to their panda cam page and on the right you’ll see a link to “Panda Cub Updates.” Scroll down to the entry from Thursday, October 23. Enjoy!
October 24th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
When I checked on the ZA cubbie today it looked like he was not in the nest box. There weren’t any grip strips on the floor – no hay either – just lots of bamboo. Lun Lun was with him. She was eating the boo. I don’t know for sure but I’m guessing that she moved hm there.
Mary #17 I thoroughly enjoyed all of your charming photos. Thanks so much for sharing them.
October 25th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Hello panda lovers!
Video Alert – Our panda princess Mei Lan has a couple of new clips on youtube. Search by ‘panda mei lan’ then sort by Date Added. The two latest ones should be right at the top: “Mei has fun” and “Mei lan has fun.” I love the way she circles the enclosure while keeping her eye on the hanging braid; it’s almost as if she’s planning her attack; and then, she goes at it. You’d swear she was thinking of the many ways she could approach that hanging ‘thing’ to get the most enjoyment out of it. Right side up, upside down, from the top, from the bottom! Then she grabs it and let’s it swing her round and round. What a clown!! She’s ‘little miss entertainer’, I tell you. When she decides it’s playtime, everything in sight becomes fair game – logs, bamboo, hanging braid, whatever!! Enjoy, everybody!
And did you read how much weight Mei’s baby brother gained between Friday and Saturday?? Wow!! He’s going to be walking before we know it. But I think the teeth come first, ya? Doesn’t matter as long as he keeps getting longer and wider and more alert. Bless the panda prince of Atlanta!!
October 25th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Hello, it’s me again! It’s 4:20+ p.m. SDZ time and I’m enjoying a full front view of the princess Zhen herself – she, whom I haven’t seen in eons, it seems. She was happily “bamboozling” while her loyal subjects paraded past her in the background, taking pictures of her backside. I cannot believe how big she is now – she hardly fits in her favorite hammock anymore! Such a treat to see her!
October 25th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Diane #27 — thanks so much for the compliment, but I think I’ll take a pass on anything official. I love taking pictures of things that interest me, obviously one of them being pandas, but trust me I am a rank amateur who wishes to retain that status. I’m just happy to share the experience and the photos. I’m still pinching myself to remember that it was real.
October 26th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
It is 4.00pm and our fast growing Fluffy Butt is reclining on her branch – she has such a great attitude to life, Lady Bai must be having a few minutes relaxation while her boisterous cub is quiet!
Since AZ has had the Panda Cam on 24/7, until today I have seen some wonderful views of LunLun’s young man, after his ‘worrying’ start he is progressing in leaps and bounds, yesterday he was very mobile near the exit of the nest, however LunLun quickly retrieved him and cuddled him tight.
Today (Sunday 26th October) several times when I have tried to access AZ Panda Cam – a ‘voice’ came over my speakers advising I was attempting something ‘illegal’ ? and to access via another route?
Has anyone else heard this announcement when trying to access AZ Panda Cam?
October 27th, 2008 at 2:03 am
Hi Dianne in Texas
I think you were correct about the Cam at AZ. I had the same problem until Sun. evening. And..there was a very creepy voice saying that I needed to contact my Internet provider. My Son and Mom had the same problem! I thought that it might be a Halloween thing, but I don’t think they want to mess with Panda People!!!
Happy Halloween!
Linda
October 27th, 2008 at 6:28 am
this was an awsome information i was blowed away of what i learned it was fabulous
October 27th, 2008 at 9:26 am
Hazel #35 and Linda #36, I also heard the creepy voice Sunday and couldn’t see the Atlanta cub (I have dialup, which only allows a still shot and rarely a bit of movement); thought it was a problem on my end but today I see them again, and what a little butterball he is! That’s good, in a panda cub. I much prefer San Diego Zoo’s wonderful pandacam, that goes all the time and one doesn’t need to click an ok button every 5 minutes…I got to see so much better views of miss ZZ growing day by day. Mustn’t complain, at least the USA did have a panda cub born and is well on his way to growing into a big boy panda like Mei Sheng! And thanks to Atlanta for 24 hr pandacam, in theory at least, and the daily updates are interesting too.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Good morning everyone. It’s 9:30 and I finally got on to the panda cam after 3 days away. Now, am I seeing things – or is that really Bai UP a tree sleeping and Zhen on the shed roof sleeping? Honestly that’s what it looks like to me but of course that is backwards. Isn’t it? Please, someone tell me what is going on.
October 27th, 2008 at 10:07 am
LInda and Hazel, I started to panic when I heard that Message because our Tech dept is starting to cut what we can view and I thought for sure It was over for me.but this morning there he was all cute and cuddly. I can’t believe how he has grown, soon he will be 2 months old and getting his name in about 6 weeks. I also have problems getting Washingtons panda cam
October 27th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Linda #36
Pleased to learn that I was not the only person ’spooked’ by the AZ PandaCam – it was weird because I viewed the Cub Update ok…..then came the ‘creepy voice’ and a blank screen on the cam.
Today it is back to ‘normal’ showing the adult pandas relaxing….hope LunLun’s young man is in good health, or was it strange happenings at Halloween?
GaoGao was busy munching boo as always early this morning – maybe I should try the ‘bamboo diet’ because he never seems to gain excess weight!
I have not seen ZZ but undoubtedly ‘the ladies’ will audition for us later today ~
October 27th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Hi, Liz #30–no, I was referring to the right paw/left paw information that Margaret #24 had referred to, which is, as she wrote, in a SDZ blog, dated Jan. 10, 2007. Thanks, Margaret.
Hazel #35 and Linda #36–I’ve heard that creepy voice too.
As the ZA blog for today says, little boy in Atlanta is going to set new growth records! Are the weights and measurements for Miss ZZ still available anywhere on the SDZ site for comparison? They used to be posted below the photo gallery.
Moderator’s note: Their are currently no links to the old Panda News page, but it can be found at http://www.sandiegozoo.org/news/panda_news.html
October 27th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
News of wild panda found in Wolong region –
Sick and starving female wild panda descends 10/26/2008 from higher altitude snowed area as weather gets colder and food supply freezes. Age is 10 or 12 years and she had not borne any cubs. She was found within 3 kilometers of 5/12 earthquake epicenter and brought to Walnut Plain Research Center in Wolong. She weighs 60 kilograms and has no injuries. It is not uncommon that pandas seek help during this part of the year but with the recent destruction brought on by the 5/12 quake, the center will be on the alert to patrol the region for needy pandas. This is first wild panda rescued since the 5/12 quake. Article is in Chinese with photo.
www(dot)pandaclub(dot)net(slash)%5Cview.jsp?tipid=1225074339717
October 27th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Hi Lee #39 – Yes, you have it backwards. That was Bai Yun on the shed and Zhen up the tree to the right of the shed. At 9:06 AM, I snapped a postcard of sweet Zhen up the tree – no Bai Yun on the shed. At 10:16 AM, I took another postcard, which captured both Bai and Zhen fast asleep – Bai on the shed and Zhen up the tree. I checked back at Noon and Bai was no longer on the shed, however, Zhen was still fast asleep. Now, I’m wondering, “were they both out partying last night”?
October 27th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Mary I sure enjoyed your lasted pictures. If it wasn’t Halloween time the little spooky thing this weekend at the AZ panda cam would not of been so funny.
pandafan#32 The Mei Lan youtube videos are really cute hope everyone gets a chance to see them.
I haven’t got to see much of the SDZ pandas lately I guess I’m not checking at the best times.
October 27th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Moderator–thank you so much for that link! And I hate to think of that information being lost or inaccessible, so could you ask that there be a link somewhere on the current Web site?
While we are all amazed at the rapid growth of the little boy in Atlanta, if you check Miss ZZ’s milestones, you discover that she grew at pretty much the same rate or might even have been slightly ahead of him at this stage. He is a few days short of his 8-week mark and weighs about 5.6 lbs. (and every day makes a real difference at this stage of growth, it seems). At 8 weeks, Miss ZZ weighed 6.5 lbs! And, if I’m not mistaken, both Lun Lun and Yang Yang are bigger than Bai Yun and certainly bigger than SDZ’s little big man Mr. Gao Gao. So I would guess that after his rocky beginning, little Mr. Atlanta will eventually surpass Zhen Zhen in weight. But she’s my first cub, so she will always be the cutest panda cub ever to me.
October 28th, 2008 at 10:45 am
good news from China, A wild panda came to a villagers gate and was rescued and taken to Bifenfxia base for examination, the panda was about 10 or 12 and had never given birth. It was under weight and given medical treatment and food and will be observed for other problems. This is the time wild pandas are searching for food and have come down off the mountains because of the quake and lack of food at higher elevations. The Chinese government is stepping up patrols looking for wild pandas to rescue if need be.
October 28th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Thank you Rose #44. I have never had a problem before with who-is-who, but yesterday the bear up the tree was soooo much bigger than the lower one that I was really puzzled.
What scent was in Gao Gao’s paper this morning? He looked adorable sleeping on it. Probably dreaming.
October 28th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Thanks, P Wong #43 and barbara #47 for news of the wild panda rescue.
Lee #48–I did a double take, too, when I saw Bai and ZZ the other day. I think it’s a function of the proximity of ZZ’s limb to that camera that makes her look so much bigger.
And you’re right–Gao Gao did look totally sweet curled up on his paper shreds. And Miss ZZ has a veritable blanket o’boo up in her tree. Sweet sweet sweet.
October 28th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Barbara #47 — the wild panda is at a center in Wolong. Ya’an (Bifengxia) is a distance from Wolong. There is a serious question as to whether the survivor is strong enough to move at this point. It is just such good news that at least one panda in the area survived so far. Let us hope that there are more.
October 28th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Wild panda rescue articles… same 10/26 incident but verbiage in English:
www(dot)pandaclub(dot)net(slash)%5Cview_e.jsp?tipid=1225153960551
This article has photos in color but verbiage is more general -
www(dot)china(dot)org(dot)cn(slash)environment/news/2008-10/28/content_16680148.htm
October 28th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
P Wong thanks for info about wild panda seeking help – somehow instinct seems to kick in so that wild animals know where to go for help. Hope this wild panda has the luck of GaoGao (who after being helped refused to return to the wild). Let’s hope there are more wild panda seeking help.
ZA updates have been a riot the past few days – it not so much the info provided but how it’s written. I was rolling on the floor reading about the Atlanta Prince “scooting” around the den – making a 360 degree circle & ending up back where he started. This little one got a rocky start but he has the genes of 2 large pandas . Lun Lun is a good sized female & pappa Yang often weighs over 300 lbs. The Chinese consider Momma Lun’s round face to be beautiful. ZA reports pappa Yang to be a fun loving goof ball. Lani seems to take after both of them.
(l I also know I read on a google “panda alert” that voting for this cubs name was to start Mon – BUT see nothing on the ZA website – have also checked the AJC.com (Atlanta Journal) who always reported anything about Lani. In fact they kidded about Lani’s “firsts” (her first poop & pee by herself made the front page.
October 28th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Hello again – I’ve been watching the “Atlanta Prince” (great name to be voted on) scooting around the nest box all night. He works so hard trying to get all 4 limbs working together – takes a break & tries again. One just wants to go “OOOHHH, get those back legs going & that “fat belly off the ground”. They try SO HARD to get mobile — thank heaven for our panda cams.
October 29th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Mary #50 thanks for the correction , in my excitement I wrote the wrong base name. Every panda that is rescued is a blessing and thankfully we are able to begin to get a count of the wild population even if it’s one at a time. I am glad to see that the Chinese will start patrolling the area more to see if any other pandas can be found. The pictures that they showed, the poor thing looked kind of thin and dirty and in need of help. Only now are we beginning to see the true effects of the earthquake on the wild population.
October 29th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
This is off-topic moderator but I have a question. ZZ is getting SO big it seems that she barely fits in her hammock anymore. I wondered if at some point it would be removed from the exhibit? She obviously loves her little private place high up in the tree but it just looks as if she is getting too darn big for it! Maybe in the near future, we will see a request for a bigger hammock on the wishlist..?
October 29th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
We had a great day at the San Diego Zoo today. We first visited the baby silverback gorilla born on 9/3/08 at the Gorilla Tropics Exhibit. To date, he is only on view on Mon, Wed. & Fri. from 11 AM to 11:30 AM. Since his mom, Azizi, hasn’t shown any interest in breast-feeding, he is being bottle fed and doing extremely well. The infant is spending a lot of time with his mom and the rest of the group.
A short time after 11 AM, out came the keeper cradling the baby. The keeper walked along the viewing window and presented the baby, face to face, to all the visitors. It was absolutely thrilling. The baby would look intently into the face and eyes of each visitor. So very, very cute. The keeper made certain that everyone got to see this sweet face up close. Needless to say, the infant was not only adorable, he also had the most gorgeous head of hair!
After lunch, we headed down to the Panda Exhibit to see our sweet pandas. Gao Gao was happily eating his bamboo – he’s such a cutie! Zhen Zhen was sleeping in the hammock. Bai Yun was enjoying a few tidbits while walking around the exhibit. Then Bai Yun decided to take a nap. While at the Panda Exhibit, it was great to see and say hello again to the narrator, Kay – a very lovely lady.
Kris #55 – Regarding Zhen Zhen’s hammock – I believe that the web cam distorts the size of things. The reason I say this is while I was at the Panda Exhibit this afternoon, Zhen was sleeping in her hammock. The hammock appears to be adequate for her. Also, while watching Zhen, I noticed that she loves to scrunch up onto one end of the hammock and deliberately hangs over the side, thus making it seem that she doesn’t have enough room.
If I’m not mistaken, I think Gao Gao is still outside, sitting in the dark, munching on some bamboo.
October 30th, 2008 at 8:56 am
Great camera work Meerkats to catch acrobatic ZZ Doing somersalts on the high tree branch right above her sleeping, and presumably oblivious, mother. I loved the scanning between daughter and mother to see what was below this high tree act, and to see if Bai Yun had any reaction. She appeared to remain blissfully asleep while the rest of us were holding our breath. ZZ obviously is getting great at her acrobatics, and may be preparing for her tree-top conversations with big sis Su Lin in the late winter and beyond.
October 30th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Hi you all! Just a few to write to you about. First, I checked in on both the AZ and SDZ pandacams over the last couple of days. On the AZ cam, been watching the little fuzzy butt mostly napping either by himself or with his mom in the den. Haven’t seen him do his scooting yet, but according to the keepers, he’s been scooting around a little bit more every day. His weight is a little over 5.5 pounds now, so he’s really growing! You can see how much he’s grown on the cam when he’s by himself. Been watching the SDZ cam the last couple of days or so, and have seen Bai Yun eating and napping, but have been missing ZZ lately–until this morning! Got on the cam, and the cam has her on the screen high up a tree napping! Finally caught her on a high tree branch! YEA!!! Have also seen Su Lin and Gao Gao off and on.
I will read this new article that you have written about pandas and Andean Bears. Just haven’t gotten to it yet! Sounds very interesting.
Well, gonna go! Will check back in later on!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
October 30th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Wow little Miss ZZ high in the tree it looks like if she fell out of it she be with the zoo visitors. LOL I got to see her yesterday having some mother, daughter time it was so sweet. Speaking of mother and child time I was just checking out our little one at AZ and mom and him were having some togather time also. But it looked like at times like he was trying to get away but mom says no way.
October 30th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
While I love the South Pacific, I LOVE BEING HOME AND BEING ABLE TO WATCH ALL OUR KIDS!!! I can’t believe how much Baby Boy has grown; he’s huge. While I never saw anyone on the SDZ cam while I was gone, I’ve been blessed to all today. ZZ was a crack up this morning. Thought she would fall out of the tree. Thanks for all the entries — I was able to catch up on everything while I was gone. Thank you!
Moderator’s note: Welcome back, Linda!
October 30th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
A contest winner from ZA suggested the name of Hua Sheng for the new cub from the article the name translates to Peanut, could the name refer to Hua Mei and our beloved boy Mei Sheng.The list of possible names will be out on Monday for the public to vote on.
October 30th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Just got on the SDZ cam and low and behold there was Miss ZZ getting herself some boo and up in the tree she went with it. Settle in a good spot by her hammock and began eating away. Thanks to the people on the cam they did a great job getting a close up on her. I seen many people walking by below not even looking up to see her maybe she was hide enough from them they didn’t know she was up there. But she was so adorable just wanted to give her a big hug.
October 30th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Oooh…Little Zhen Zhen is imitating mother Bai Yun on the artistry of eating bamboo!!! So cute!
October 30th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
I was just making a quick check on the SDZ cam. Zhen Zhen is sitting up, right next to Bai Yun, eating bamboo, looking like an adult. They grow up so fast! Bai is probably teaching ZZ how to culm bamboo, since it’s that time of year!
October 30th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
#60 Linda – welcome back – I know how bad not seeing our pandas on demand can be.
#61 Barbara – thanks for the info when voting for our Altanta “Prince” (Peanut is a good one also) begins. I know I read something about a Mon – thought it was this week. I’ve watched Lun Lun carry him out of the birth den several times in the last day or so. They are not gone for long as ZA reports our 2 month old cub doesn’t enjoy his outings so far. He weighs almost 6 lbs – wow – he had us all worried with his first few days Just wait till he can get his fat belly off the floor and his back legs going he’ll soon be off. Like so many wonder if LunLun will be so protective of this one. I don’t think Lani got 3 feet off the ground before mommy was there dragging her off.
I’ve also been fortunate to see Miss Z & Bai side by eating (?) bamboo. Way too cute.
October 30th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
Hello panda lovers! Got on the SDZ cam at about 10 p.m. SD time and saw Bai and ZZ actively going at it in the dark. ZZ “bamboozling” up in her hammock, and mama Bai doing likewise in the far corner of the enclosure. After a few minutes ZZ got lonesome and climbed down to join mama for a bout of wrestling that must’ve lasted close to an hour! What a treat!!
Speaking of treats, here’s a couple of video alerts: sign on to youtube and search for “up close with zhen” – it is up close, all right. She practically fills the screen!! Don’t miss this one.
Video alert #2 – at last, new videos of prince Fu Long in Vienna. There are two clips – if you just search for “panda fulong” then sort by Date Added you should get to them – good captures of him interacting with his keeper (made me green with envy!); plus, a clip of Fu Long’s parents, Yang Yang and Long Hui waiting for their snacks.
Video alert #3 – Search for “panda mei lan” and sort by Date Added. In honor of Halloween, you’ll see a replay of Mei from a year ago, attacking the ghost while Lun Lun is nonchalantly chewing her boo in the background. And, this clip was posted by lcnessie!! It seems she’s back on youtube again.
Enjoy everyone!! Have a good Halloween 2008!!
October 31st, 2008 at 9:30 am
#66 Pandafan – thanks for the tip about the videos on Youtube.
I just watched Lani’s video from last Hallowe’en – hilarious! I did notice however that there was no music. I have to say that even without music LC Nessie’s videos are the best!! I hope she continues to provide us with them!! Thanks Nessie!!
The closeup of Zhen was a real treat since I never seem to catch her except when she’s sleeping high up in the trees.
I wish everyone a safe and happy Hallowe’en – it’s a little chilly here in Canada but at least it’s dry!
October 31st, 2008 at 10:37 am
Thanks, pandafan #66 for the video alerts. It looks like Fu Long has a little black tip on his tail, to go along with the white one on his foot. Mei Lan is very cute with her ghostie and Miss ZZ is adorable as ever.
Sorry I missed the wrestling bout last night–it must have been fun to watch. the time-lapse didn’t catch it either.
Happy Halloween all!
October 31st, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Hi! I have been reading a couple of the comments about a wild panda being rescued near Wolong this week! WOW!!! Was I glad to hear about that! I have been so concerned about the wild panda population ever since the 5/12 quake hit Sichuan Province. I’m happy that the panda is being cared for at the center by the best panda keepers in China. No telling how much bamboo has been destroyed during the quake, but it looks like the residual affects of this quake is beginning to show up now. With winter starting to kick in, I would not be surprised to read and hear about more of these wild pandas coming to Wolong because of the severe shortage of bamboo in those earthquake scarred mountains. I’m also glad to read that the Chinese will start to patrol those mountains in the earthquake area to see how many more of the wild pandas have started to come down from the upper elevations of the mountains. Then, the patrol group and researchers can hopefully get some kind of a count of how many wild pandas are still out there that have survived the quake. It’s been 5 months since the quake with no news about the wild pandas until this week! Now, we’ll just have to wait and see how many more are still out there.
Was on the AZ cam a little while ago, and I saw Lun and baby boy snuggled up. It looks like Lun was having a little bit of play time with her little boy and had her big furry arms holding him. That was soooo cute! Before long, those 2 will be playing and having wrestling matches with each other for real! Guessing from the cub’s weight today, he’s just about at the 6 pound mark! The AZ keepers said that the cub gained about 101 grams in 24 hours! Mom’s milk is doing the job!
I’ve got my youtube video list going of panda vids that everybody’s been mentioning lately! Gonna get on there to watch these vids. No doubt that they will be funny and cute. I’m glad that LCNessie was able to get some of her vids back on youtube. She had some good ones about pandas for us to watch!
Well, gonna go for now. Going back on the pandacams to see what’s up with the pandas!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
October 31st, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Thanks, pandafan #66 for the video alerts; I watched those three plus many others… It seems that lcnessie is reposting some of her old videos with the music… I love this one: Luni-Lani Show “Monday Morning Mayhem”
Fu Long had about half of one back foot white, it seems to be less now, when he was young he had some pink pads but I could see if there were still pink, perhaps the pads are dirty now… And his other back foot has white spots.
I had seen Zhen Zhen in that spot “live” and I couldn’t tell if she was actually eating anything or just playing with that bamboo. After watching the video on YouTube, I am still not convinced she actually ate anything…
November 1st, 2008 at 9:10 am
Joan (#67),
I also watched the video from LCNessie of Mei Lan last Halloween and it played “Ghostbusters” for me. Are you sure you had your speakers on? Fu Long is one adorable guy and his keeper is one lucky girl!
November 1st, 2008 at 9:02 pm
Wed ZA reported that the cubbie was unhappy with his “outings” Well, today I saw one reason why we had an unhappy cubbie. LunLun had obviously carried her cub into her “bamboo dining room”. The little guy was covered with bamboo, trying so hard get out from under mom’s lunch. I watched Lun pick him up in her mouth & then drop him off in the nest box. It still amazes me to watch a HUGE giant panda look at her cub, then pick it up her mouth, move it around in huge paws so the cub lands in the right position to nurse or be dropped off in snother den that momma panda felt is right.
November 1st, 2008 at 10:42 pm
Hello again, panda lovers!! Hope you all had a good Halloween 2008. More videos to watch on youtube:
The princess Mei Lan:
search for “panda lani swinging” then sort by Date Added – this is a real hoot, especially with the music. The look on her face when she looses her grip on the log is priceless!
Next, search for “mei lan’s heart belongs to daddy” – she’s stuffing her face with her boo, looking so much like her mommie, Lun; the captions are guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
Didn’t catch much on the cams today. Hope to do some more watching tomorrow (Sunday).
November 2nd, 2008 at 12:32 pm
#66 pandafan, thanks for the introduction of all these wonderful videos. The babies are so cute. I couldn’t wait to put my hands on them.
I have been watching Lun Lun’s new baby, he is so precious, so sweet. What a beautiful day, these live teddy bears fill my heart with tons of sugar.
November 2nd, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Sunday Morning
Ok, I have to ask what is the big steel{?} box on camera position#2 is?
I am watching at 12:00 Pacific. Bai doesn’t seem to be interested.
I hope it isn’t a ZZ catcher!!! If so, she is too smart for that!
Be sure to Vote!
Linda
Moderator’s note: We do use a gray crate for an enrichment item. Keepers often put hay inside the crate and hide food for the pandas to dig through. It is a big hit with our young girls!!!
November 2nd, 2008 at 2:52 pm
I watched the video of Mei Lan waiting at the door for Lun Lun… how sweet was that?!?! When the keepers opened the door for Lun Lun to come out… I can picture Mei Lan saying MOMMY!!! where HAVE you been…. I’ve been lookin all over for you!!!
Shouldn’t be tooo many days now til the voting starts for the little prince’s name voting should it be?
November 2nd, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Hello, it’s me again!! This weekend has been great for panda watching on youtube. In addition to the ones I mentioned in my last post, two more Mei Lan videos were added today, Sunday, Nov. 2nd. Both are re-posts from lcnessie so they are the usual entertaining, smile/grin/laugh producing clips we’ve come to expect. Just search for “panda Mei Lan” and sort by Date Added. All the latest clips will show up first. Just be sure you have enough time to sit in front of your pc for almost 30 minutes of laughter therapy.
Video alert #2: Not to be outdone by his big sister, the panda prince of Atlanta is shown trying to navigate under a canopy of bamboo, no doubt left in the den by mama Lun. He is actually getting quite good at scooting around. Good closeup shots too. Search for “cubbie in the real world.”
Vido Alert #3: Two more clips of prince Fu Long in Vienna were added today, as well. In the first one, we witness a lovely nursing session, and then, you’ll have to see for yourselves what happens next – pretty funny!!
Enjoy everyone! Now I have to get back to the cam to watch Bai chomp on her boo – it’s 6:50 p.m. SDZ time. The princess Zhen is snoozing away in her hammock.
November 3rd, 2008 at 7:34 am
Russ, thank you so much for your very interesting report and of course your and all the others’ dedication regarding “our” beloved pandas. Apart from scientific success the highlight of your trip, I dare to guess, was watching the wild panda eating his bamboo. As everyone else I am so envious!
Pandafan #66, great hint! Thank you for pointing out the videos of Zhen Zhen and Fu Long to us. I had a great time watching both of them. I must definitely go to Vienna very soon to see Fu Long again. He has certainly grown a lot, and so has Miss Zhen. She looks awfully cute in her tree. Frances #68 I think you are right. I, too, noticed a little black tip on his tail.
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:08 am
Boy I was just on the AZ site this morning and they have started the vote for little cubbie name today. There is so many neat names to vote for it’s hard to pick one. But I’m sure the one he get will fit him to a T.
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:24 am
ZA has the “Vote to the Name the Panda Cub” sight open this morning, as I’m sure you all know. Great name selection! I love “peanut” but the others are wonderful too. Since this is election time, and vote to name the cub!
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:11 am
I voted for “little buddy” because that’s what I call my precious grandson. This is the keepers’ name entry and I’m sure they feel closer to him than just about anyone because they’re with him 24/7.
November 3rd, 2008 at 11:03 am
Hi Everyone – There’s a very cute and enjoyable video of the three Malayan tiger cubs enjoying their Halloween pumpkins with their mom. The title of the video is “Tiger Cubs, dated 10/29/08”, and is narrated by Rochelle Wilson, their keeper.
To view this video, click on “Live Cams & Videos” on the San Diego Zoo page, then click on “Video Portal”. I believe this is the tigers debut video since their birth six months ago.
November 3rd, 2008 at 11:36 am
Linda #80–I liked “Peanut” too–Hua Sheng–both because it’s a cute reference to Atlanta and because it looks like a combination of Hua Mei and Mei Sheng to my American eyes.
Linda #75–camera 2 is on Gao Gao these days. It looked like a milk crate to me. Zhen Zhen used to play in one when she and Bai Yun were in the classroom space.
Thanks for all the new video information, pandafan #77, Ruth #78, and Rose Nowicki #82.
November 3rd, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Wow, another wild panda has been found, this time by a villager who took the animal to a nature reserve. The panda was then taken to the Ya’an bifengxia base by auto to be given medical treatment. This one is a small male about 10 years old, very dehydrated and in need of food. his teeth are very frayed and he had some parasites that needed attention. I suspect that more and more are going to show up in need of help becaue of the cold and lack of food. Thank God the villagers respond to them and get the needed help to save them. It is reassuring to know that these beautiful are going to be helped and have a chance for survival.
November 3rd, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Regarding the naming of the panda boy in Atlanta: Although I like the idea of Hua Sheng because of reference to other USA panda cubs, I don’t quite think “peanut” is a suitable name. This baby boy will be a large animal! His father is 300 lbs. and Lun Lun is a large panda also. I like Wei Sheng, “greatness is born.” It still has Sheng in it, and is close enough to Mei Sheng (our adorable first boy).
November 3rd, 2008 at 3:16 pm
I voted Hua Sheng to honor Hua Mei and Mei Sheng.
The little guy is cute as they were at the same age.
November 3rd, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Meerkats: Thanks for capturing two great close-ups today. Zhen Zhen sitting on her favorite tree branch biting a plastic San Diego Zoo lunch pail. Of the five animal pictures on the pail, the panda picture is the one in full view — it truly made a beautiful postcard. The next one is of Zhen sitting up with her back against a tree enjoying a small pile of treats. She looks just like a mini Bai Yun.
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Hi! Finally got back on the SDZ blogging talking page! Been busy the last couple of days with campaigning and doing other things this past weekend.
Read the article about Marcella, the Bornean sun bear giving birth to twin cubs! WOW!!! Congrats to Marcella and to her keepers! That’s an amazing thing for her to accomplish! From what I read, it looks like Marcella is doing very well taking care of two tiny babies! Keep us updated about their progress, ok? Get some pics of the babies as soon as you can, too! Maybe the sun bear keepers can do a name voting campaign for the 2 cubs once they find out whether they are boys or girls, or one of each. That’ll be fun for us!
I also read the news from AZ about the name voting campaign for the little panda baby boy! Started today, Nov. 3rd and will run thru Wed., Dec. 3rd, 4 pm EST. The 100 day name ceremony is on Dec. 8th. I looked at all 12 names on the list, and I decided to put my first vote in for Mei Chuan, “handsome Sichuan boy”. That name just reminded me of Sichuan Province, China, and what the people have had to go thru after the May 12 quake, as well as all of the staff and volunteers of the panda reserve centers that are located in Sichuan Province in their efforts to take care of the pandas in those centers and rescuing wild pandas when any one of them comes down the mountains looking for more food. I’ll probably go back to the AZ panda page quite a few times to vote on a couple of other names that I like. Fun time for the next month! I’m glad that they were able to translate Peanut into a Chinese name–Hua Sheng. Little boy fluffy butt is now around 6.5 pounds!
My list of panda vids is growing thanks to some of you letting all of us know of video alerts of pandas doing funny cute stuff. Gotta go watch them now!
I just read Barbara’s comments about another wild panda coming down from the higher elevation of the mountains looking for more bamboo to eat, and the villagers taking him to Bifengxia. That makes 2 wild pandas that have shown up in the last week or two because of winter kicking in at the higher elevations of those mountains making bamboo scarce to find along with practically no boo left in the earthquake scarred mountains. I’m wondering the same thing as Barbara is wondering about–how many more of these wild pandas will be coming down to the villages looking for bamboo to eat? I’m hoping that the search patrols and researchers will be keeping an accurate count of these pandas that maybe showing up in villages. I’m also concerned about the space available at all of the reserve centers in Sichuan to keep these wild pandas in with the rebuilding going on now. I’m sure that everyone will work this out pretty quickly so that they can accomodate the wild pandas that will show up soon. That is a good sign that there are wild pandas that did survive the quake, but it’s sad that they have to come down the mountains to look for more food and not looking too healthy. I agree with Barbara; thank God that the Chinese people are willing and able to help capture these wild pandas and make sure that they get to one of the panda centers to be fed, hydrated, and cared for. These wild pandas are very lucky to have these human caretakers watching out for them especially with winter coming in soon.
Hope everybody has gotten used to the time change now! That extra hour of time is nice but we have to get used to standard time until March, 2009, when we have to go back up an hour for daylight savings time again! How do the animals handle all of these time changes every year?? Just curious!
Well, gonna go and check the pandacams again before going to bed. Be sure to go out and vote today, Nov. 4, 2008, if you haven’t done so already!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
January 6th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
I’m sorry for the delay in responding, but thanks everyone for your interest and your appreciation. I’m honored to work for CRES, with such a fine group of people.