A Star (or Two) is Born!
Posted at 10:56 am November 3, 2008 by Suzanne HallBai Yun, the San Diego Zoo’s giant panda, gets a lot of attention for being a superior mother, as well she should. She has been successful at rearing four cubs, three that have grown into well-adjusted independent animals thus far. But though she may be a fabulous mother bear, she doesn’t have the corner on that market in San Diego: she has some serious competition from Marcella.
Marcella is our female Bornean sun bear, and she, too, has given birth a number of times. Like Bai Yun, she has reared her cubs to the natural time of weaning at or beyond 18 months. Her first two cubs, Danum and Bulan, are thriving at their new homes in the Gladys Porter and Oakland zoos. But now Marcella has done something even our beloved Bai Yun has not.
On October 25, Marcella gave birth again – to twins! Keepers observed the birth of the first cub at 6:51 a.m. and were pleased to see Marcella be attentive to her newborn from the get go. After leaving her a moment to give her peace and quiet, Marcella gave birth to a second cub!
Keepers began to suspect twins later in the day, when they heard unusual vocal patterns coming from the den. No one was able to see the cubs, monitored on closed-circuit TV, because Marcella was doing her job and keeping the infants well covered. After 24 hours, Marcella decided she needed a snack, and when she left the den we saw two squirming, squawking figures on the den floor. Way to go, Marcella!
Both cubs appear vigorous, wiggling and calling for their mother. One is slightly larger than the other and also a bit lighter in color. On day three postpartum, the larger cub was observed scooting in small circles on the floor when its mother was out to feed; clearly, a strong little bear! A few days into caring for her infants, Marcella appears calm and reasonably well rested… a good sign that she will be able to care for these cubs without any assistance.
How frequently Borneans birth and rear twins is not clear to us. Marcella is the first and only Bornean to give birth in North America, so she is breaking new ground. We do know that the other subspecies of sun bear, the Malayans, do routinely give birth to twins that they can care for without assistance. In this way, Malayans are more akin to black, sloth, polar, or brown bears than to pandas. Thus far, it seems Marcella is doing a fine job with her twins, suggesting that Borneans are also more like other bears in this regard.
It will be some time before Marcella and her litter will be outside in their exhibit for you to enjoy. They are securely tucked into their den where they will remain for several months as the tiny, hairless, blind cubs grow into the fast-moving, curious youngsters we know they will become. In the meantime, I will happily keep you updated on their progress.
Just don’t tell Bai Yun she has been outdone by the little bear up the canyon!
Suzanne Hall is a senior research technician at the San Diego Zoo.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Scroll to the end to leave a comment. Pinging is not allowed.
November 3rd, 2008 at 11:32 am
Congratulations to Marcella. I know we will all be looking forward to more news and lots of pictures of these two new arrivals. Somehow, I don’t think Bai Yun will mind, do you?
November 3rd, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Congratulations to Marcella. Bai Yun would probably be envious of the ability to care for two at the same time, something a panda can’t do. I’ve always figured we were lucky in many ways not to have twins born to Bai but I know that these days things have been worked out so that both do survive but do the mothers ever get to care for them at the same time. I mean ZZ is all Bai can handle as it is and since they’re not really weaned until much later it would mean that the switching back and forth with the cubs would be permanent. Not the ideal way to raise a baby panda from the mother’s point of view I’m sure. Marcella will have paws on with her two until they are weaned and that means they both get superior care from mom. I’m sure Bai won’t mind sharing some of the limelight with Marcella.
November 3rd, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Exciting. Yes do keep us updated !! And congrates to you all !!
November 3rd, 2008 at 1:33 pm
I hope to see pictures of the twins in the near future.
Now off topic. There have been two malnurished pandas rescued already. How many can Bifengxia, Wolong and the other reserves take in before they are too full? Of course we all want the pandas saved but there are only so many spaces available. Are more emergency compounds being built? Does anyone at SDZ know?
Thanks, Lee
November 3rd, 2008 at 1:37 pm
A job well-done Marcella – You are now famous for being the first Bornean sun bear to give birth to twins in North America!
Suzanne, how soon will we learn the sex of these rambunctious sun bears? Please keep us updated on their progress. Also, please let us know when the family will be ready for their debut.
November 3rd, 2008 at 1:57 pm
the voting for the panda cub name for our little guy in atlata is going on. personally i like “little man”…i tend to go with the what the zoo staff prefers…after all, they get to see him on a daily basis. he is such a fluffy butt.
November 3rd, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Congrats to Marcella and all her keepers!! I’m sure I speak for all us Panda Lovers that we are all thrilled at the new arrivals. Thankyou for posting the info on this blog as this is pretty much the only blog I go to, but may have to do some more surfing on the site… Will wait for pictures of the two little arrivals…
I agree with Peggy #2, I’m sure Bai wouldn’t mind sharing the spot light for a while…
November 3rd, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Congratulations to all, I’m sure that Marcella will be a good mother, a little tired i’m sure with 2 little ones to take care of, but just think of all that will be learned from her as the cubs grow, a wealth of knowledge for the future of the species. can’t wait to get a peek at them or at least a picture.
November 3rd, 2008 at 3:36 pm
I agree with everyone that I’m sure Bai will graciously share the spotlight and perhaps thank her lucky stars that so far she hasn’t had the pleasure of twins (yet! It could happen, after all…).
Lee #4–glad to hear about the latest wild panda rescues in China. I hope there will be more rescued and more found that managed to survive the earthquakes.
And doesn’t Mr. Gao Gao look regal in his new pavilion?
November 3rd, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Congratulations to the fuzzy Mom and her little tykes! What a blessing! At this point with raising Zhen, Bai Yun is probably glad she hasn’t had twins. Could you imagine 2 little ones jumping on you, biting your ears while you try to eat your bamboo??!! Plus, I am thinking of when she does her famous “talk to the paw” move to keep her youngster away from her bamboo. She would have to be very coordinated to modify that one for twins.
There are so many options for the Atlanta cub’s name. It was hard to choose. I have been telling everyone to make sure that they do the REALLY important vote: The panda name (ofcourse)!
Love, Joy
November 3rd, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Sometimes I feel a little guilty that the pandas get all the limelight! There’s plenty of room for Marcella, too. I hope there will be some pictures after this tantalizing post about the new little ones–from your description, it sounds as though they are nearly as helpless at birth as the panda cubs. Congratulations, Marcella!
November 3rd, 2008 at 6:17 pm
P.S. Is that Marcella with a cub in the video linked in your post? They are pretty adorable
Moderator’s note: Yes, that’s Marcella with one of her previous cubs shown on our Sun Bear Animal Bytes page: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-sun_bear.html
November 4th, 2008 at 4:51 am
Congrats to Marcella and the staff on the new additions! I got to see these magnificent bears last month. It was love at first sight!
Lee #4 – I just returned from Chengdu and Biefengxia where I volunteered for a few days. They are building additional enclosures to accommodate the bears, both the “kids” and the bears relocated from Wolong. They have ample space now and there was no sense of overcrowding whatsoever. It was amazing.
November 4th, 2008 at 9:24 am
I saw all the names proposed at AZ website. Personally, as an ethnic Chinese, I am quite puzzled by the names. Lan is almost always associated with Chinese girls’ names, which is part of AtLANta, though Lan in Chinese doesn’t really mean Atlanta.
I picked up Wei Sheng (Greatness is born), more like a boy’s name.
November 4th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Thank you Catbelly #13 regarding the new enclosures being built. If 2 bears have already come out of the mountains starving then this might be just the tip of the iceberg as they say. Would the Earthquake Relief Fund help cover these new buildings or is it just to be used at Wolong? I guess it is about time to send some more money.
November 4th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Saw one of the Memphis pandas getting treats and scratches from a keeper today. Sigh…
I REALLY shoulda been a panda keeper! What better job could there be?
November 4th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Lee #15 – You make a good point – I think it is time for me to make another donation as well … to help the animals I so absolutely adore! I donated the first time around through this site on my credit card – this was the easiest and quickest way to donate from Canada.
How great would it be for the zoo to be able to forward another large donation to Wolong – a wonderful Christmas present!!
November 4th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Wow! Twins!I hope Bai Yun has some soon.I would love to see her raise them.Maybe a boy and a girl,because as far as I know she has not had a boy.
Moderator’s note: Bai Yun’s second cub, Mei Sheng, is male.
November 4th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
I want to be a panda keeper,Kris.
November 4th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Hi….
today is a big day for everyone, guess we have a good few hours to wait until we hear the result.
While on the subject of time, please can some kind techie or ‘webkeeper’ adjust the time shown on the PandaCam as it makes us kinda confused!
Thanks for the wonderful close up pics of Bai and little Miss Independence yesterday afternoon about 4.30pm and again this lunchtime – she is aiming to be a mini Bai Yun!
Moderator’s note: We’ll get it changed within the next day or so.
November 4th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
I just saw a clip on CNN of the two pandas that are going to Taiwan. A chinese envoy has arrived in Taiwan to make arrangements, these 2 pandas are a gift. One of the pandas is Hua Mei’s son. this is considered a goodwill jesture.
November 4th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Good job, Marcella! On the sun bears’ webpage listed above, #12, I can’t play the videos or see of the pics at the bottom of the page. That’s very odd because I’ve never had an issue with anything on your website. I have it open all day, and check on the kids (panda kids). (Which by the way was hysterical around 1:00 pm Pacific time — ZZ and Mommy were killing me. ZZ is a born comedian, I swear.) Cheng, #14, thank you for the insight on Baby Boy’s nominated names. Gives the names a whole different perspective.
Moderator’s note: Do you have RealPlayer installed on your computer? If not, that may be why you cannot view the video.
November 4th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
What a super success for all at SDZ! Congratulatiions to all of you but mostly to Marcella and her babies. I am sure that she will have her “paws” full at the moment. Can one imagine Bai Yun with two youngsters as Zhen Zhen? I guess she would not be able any more to enjoy her bamboo in peace!
Yeah, I agree that donations for Wolong would make a lovely Christmas present. They truly deserve to be helped again after the desaster people and pandas had to go through.
Regarding AZ’s little buddy I think “Atlanta’s joy” would also be a suitable name particularly after the frightening time straight after his birth. To see him grow and put on weight continuously is a real joy for all us panda lovers, isn’t it?
November 4th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
So, our bear girl Bulan moved to Oakland.
Is that where Miss Ting-Ting moved also?
My memory is getting a little blurred.
Looking forward to meeting the twins soon.
November 4th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
Joan #17 – Sorry, just a figure of speech on my part, I alway use my credit card here. I’m glad to see that you think it’s a good idea though. I really hate spending money alone. Ha! Ha!
November 4th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
To Joy, #10: I agree, Zoo Atlanta has too many names to pick from. Narrow the choices down to 5. Then the name that is picked will have some sort of consensus.
I liked the meaning “Atlanta’s gentleman”, but I have never been fond of 3 part names. The significance of “peanut” with regard to Atlanta & Georgia was completely lost on me until after I voted. I settled on Fu Mei, “handsome & happy boy”, which is what I hope he will be when he grows up. Names with “little” may fit now, but not when he is an adult, especially with the way he has been gaining weight.
November 4th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Dear Suzanne,
Thank you for the Great News about Marcella and her little twins!!! We were at the SDZ on Monday the 3rd and didn’t see the Sun Bears on exhibit; now we know why
No, we won’t tell Momma Bai; however, the temptation to awaken her daughter yesterday and whisper a ‘you are going to have competition’ hint might have taken place. Zhen was asleep each of the three stops we made! That Little Star was awake when we returned home and I checked the pandacam! To all: The Zoo is a total treat in November!!! Yesterday All the animals (except for you-know-who) seemed delighted with the cool weather. The polar bears were putting on a great water ballet show. The Flamingo Lagoons…both of them… had what seemed like a Duck Convention going on! We saw the giraffes, The elephants. And my goodness, we saw the Rhinos for the first time!!! Also…Susan in the UK…Guess what we also saw for the first time! The Alligator Snapping Turtle!!! He is Huge! The Meerkats won the video moment of the day for us! They were simply going nuts leaping, running, chasing, digging, racing ALL over their Elephant Mesa exhibit! We LOVE
the SDZ!
November 4th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Rose #5,
It could be a while before we know the gender of the cubs. Our previous sun bear cubs were not examined until they were at least a few months old, and Marcella is understandably touchy with newborns, so we won’t likely bother her to release the cubs for an exam until they are running around under their own power.
Sayuri #24,
Yes, Bulan is in Oakland where Ting Ting also resides. At the moment, the two bears are aware of each other but have not been introduced for a play date. Ting Ting has always been a bit of a grumpy sun bear, so the introductions will no doubt need to move slowly. However, if the two bears get along, Ting Ting will have a new companion… and I wonder if she will recognize anything in Bulan’s scent that reminds her of Marcella. Time was that Ting and Marcella were good buddies.
November 4th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
i call my cat “little man” because he is such a man (by the by…little man is not his name). i don’t particularly care for the overly serious names such as bright this or great hope… i adore pandas because they can be such goobers, inquisitive/playfull and downright silly..besides gao gao is a panda of small stature and what he lacks in size he makes up for in cubs.
November 4th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
besides…to the atlanta staff he will always be their baby.
November 5th, 2008 at 12:23 am
#12 Mary & #22 Linda:
Go to You Tube and search “Rare Sun Bear Cub” and you should get the San Diego Zoo’s official video featuring Marcella, Bulan and Suzanne. You should also be able to view many other videos from San Diego Zoo (account name is SD Zoo).
Moderator’s note: Right you are, Sayuri! Here’s the direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFMT3WRbk_g
November 5th, 2008 at 6:58 am
Hooray Bobbie #27. Finally you got to see the turtle! Glad you had a lovely day. Have you got to the Animal Park yet?
I just had to go for ‘peanut’ in the voting stakes although he’s definitely going to be a large peanut when he grows up.
November 5th, 2008 at 9:43 am
I just saw Bai and Z sitting facing each other eating their Boo. It was so cute.
November 5th, 2008 at 10:22 am
Cnn had a small video clip of the 2 pandas that are going to Taiwan, one of them is the son of our own Hua Mei. A official from China went to Tawian to finalize the transfer which is a goodwill gift to the Taiwanese people.
November 5th, 2008 at 11:18 am
the live video cam is pretty cool i have not been to the san diego zoo but i probably will
November 5th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Thanks, Sayuri and Mod! It’s so cute how mama bear chases after her baby at the start of the vid (reminded me of Lun Lun’s constant chasing of poor Mei Lan!). These are beautiful animals–the may not have the built-in cuteness factor of the pandas, but they are quite elegant and sleek I look forward to seeing and hearing more about them!
November 5th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
Congrats to Marcella & her keepers! I’m sure it was a very special moment for them when they spotted the second cub.
@ Sharon #26: I like “Fu Mei” best too. I’ve uploaded a new video, just search for “Lun Lun & cub (9 weeks old)” or “ToQqlExuzOw” at Youtube.
There’s also a new video with Yang Yang & Fu Long. He is so funny. Although his keeper told me that pandas’ poo does not smell, he puts up a fuss when Mummy … – a real comedian.
–> search for “or1lTP7qTfI” at Youtube.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Suzanne, this morning at 8 AM I saw Bai Yun and Zhen Zhen in a caged steel chute. Both Bai and Zhen seemed to be enjoying themselves. I noticed the location listed M4 C8.
While watching, I also saw two keepers outside the chute. They were interacting with Zhen Zhen at the time. Evidently Zhen didn’t want to leave the chute and had to be coaxed back inside by following one of the keepers.
Will this be a daily routine for Bai and Zhen? It’s certainly entertaining for all panda cam viewers – I watched for ½ hour – until they returned to their usual exhibit M4 C4.
Thank you.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:38 am
I chose Fu Mei for our boy in AZ, seemed like the best one.
November 6th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Rose, #38, I was wondering the same thing. Although when I was watching, Bai was pacing, and ZZ was rolling around on her back eating boo. Mom had to walk around and over her. ZZ didn’t care at all. It was adorable. But I was wondering the same thing.
November 6th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Congrats to Ms. Marcella with her twins sure do hope we get some pictures and up dates. I was just looking at the webcam and little Miss ZZ was up in her tree laying back and enjoying some boo she had taken up with her. She is becoming a real young lady and doing pretty well with her bamboo training. lol
Our little boy is growing more everyday can’t wait to learn what name he is going to get.
November 6th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
I guess I’m going to have to visit Bulan and Ting Ting at the Oakland Zoo, since I live in the Bay Area. I haven’t been there in 23 years because my last visit was…kinda sad. I’m hoping for better enclosures, enrichment, and hopefully a better understanding of what these glorious ambassadors of the wild need to be happy in captivity. I’ll let you know how it goes!
November 6th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
#42 – L. Young – what is “happy in captivity” – no wild animal is happy in captivity – but we’ve all heard the story of Gao Gao who refused to return to the wild – he decided could have a wonderful life in captivity & was sent to SD. Let’s face it – he has his keepers trained to provide his meals & produce Bai Yun a couple of days a year he can make beautiful cubs. Most of our zoos have made wonderful changes to make the lives of our animals better. We read how the keepers take care of their pandas (come on folks, how many wild pandas have back rubs, bamboo or biscuits on demand, hammocks, first class vet care etc. We’ve heard about 2 hurt & starving giant pandas that have appeared at panda reserves looking for help in the last week or so. Yes, in an ideal world it would be great if all species (animal or plant) were not threatened by man. It seems a a big animal ( the giant panda, the mountain & lowland gorillas, the polar bears catches our attention faster than a plant or bug. We need to take a better look at what man has done to this planet
November 7th, 2008 at 7:26 am
Conversation with Gao Gao #46
Tourist: Hello, Gao Gao.
Gao Gao: Hello, Mr. Tourist.
T: You’re busy again.
G: Uh huh.
T: Let’s see. What’s that on your list? Moon…
G: Oh, I’m working on a moon theme.
T: Moon theme?
G: Yeah, I’m designing a theme park.
T: Theme park?
G: Yeah, now that Pandalympic events are over…
T: You mean to put the venues to alternate use.
G: Yup.
T: Now that’s an enormous undertaking.
G: So here’s the space age section.
T: Uh huh.
G: Then the Chinese fairy tale section.
T: Hmmm.
G: And mustn’t forget romance.
T: Maybe you can pipe in some music. Like Moonlight Sonata, maybe?
G: And mustn’t forget fragrances.
T: Oh, speaking of fragrances, what’s that smell?
G: Oh, they’re fermenting biscuits.
T: Huh? Was it raining that much here lately?
G: No, they’re from Bifengxia.
T: You mean they’re Mei Sheng’s wowotous.
G: Yup. He liked the smell and sent me some samples.
T: Hmmm.
G: It’s something like the sweet fermented sticky rice dessert served in China.
T: Oh, you mean mijiang.
G: Uh huh.
T: Now, you don’t mean to plan on a Moonshine section?
G: No, no, no. It’s not for the theme park.
T: Huh?
G: It’s dessert for my sweethearts.
T: Huh?
G: Like Miss Ellie, Miss Suzanne and many of our keepers, vet staff…
November 7th, 2008 at 7:51 am
Jola # 37: Thanks for the video and for the link to the Yang Yang & Fu Long’s video: really good
I also chose Fu Mei for the Atlanta little fellow. He is growing so fast. I saw him once putting one of his back leg properly under his belly but crashed down immediately since the other leg wasn’t.
Yesterday there was a new picture of him on the AZ server as well as an update on Mei Lan training achievements, she is doing really well.
Yesterday afternoon I saw ZZ nursing and was surprised how Bai Yun seems detached, if I wouldn’t have looked at ZZ but just at Bai Yun upper body, she was just relaxing with her front legs and head resting on a branch, she never looked at ZZ…
November 7th, 2008 at 7:51 am
Love the sunbear story. I, too, will eagerly await updates.
Also want to say thank you to the meerkats who have been capturing the stunning closeups of Zoomy and Mommy Monster. They have made such wonderful postcards. Zoomy is certainly a typical panda messy eater. But no fear, if she’s like big brother and sister in China, she will get it all eaten in the end and present herself neat and clean.
November 7th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
P. Wong…………….as usual, great conversation. I truly look forward to them.
Gao Gao, you are so thoughtful!
November 7th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Gao Gao, the bread loaves in Ya’an (Bifengxia) are very very tasty when they are fresh. You need to have Mei Sheng freeze one and send it overnight to you. Yum, yum. Seriously, folks they really do taste good.
November 7th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Yes, thanks, P Wong #44, for letting us know that Gao Gao is properly appreciative of his keepers’ efforts to keep him fed and fluffed and provided for.
And thanks, Meerkats, for the beautiful views of Bai Yun and Miss ZZ the last couple of days.
November 7th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
P. Wong – another masterpiece! Thanks!
Video alert, panda lovers. A new video of the prince Fu Long on youtube. Search for Fu Long in Action.
I was able to watch all three sites today = saw a nursing session in SDZ, also Gao Gao chowing down his boo and Su Lin wandering around; a scooting cubbie in AZ’; and a wandering sleepy 3 year old prince Tai Shan in DC. Twas a good day for this panda fan.
November 8th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Yes P. Wong love your panda chats. This afternoon which is Sat. Bai and Zhen are setting together having their lunch it’s so cute. Just love mother daugther times. Just wish I was still able to have that sure miss my mom.
November 8th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
To Maureen in Michigan…I absolutely agree with you. It seems to me that zoo keepers today have a much better understanding of reproducing in captivity what an animal might experience in the wild. Although it isn’t the perfect solution, you can see by the success of breeding programs, the increase in life expectancy of captiv e animals that keepers are getting it right. Like it or not, one of the best ways to engender in people the love of animals that will one day allow for a reintroduction into the wild of a certain species, is the up close experience of a modern zoo. The San Diego Zoo and the Wild Animal Park can take pride in their herd animals lying in alert circles, their rare black rhinos, and the fact that they expose SO MANY people to what, in the distant past, the wild may have been like.
November 9th, 2008 at 11:05 am
Here’s a great link to some photos and short video clips taken of Mei Sheng at the end of Oct. He looks happy and healthy.
www(dot)flickr(dot)com(slash)photos(slash)leouu(slash)sets(slash)72157608454699977(slash)
November 9th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Hey, you all! Well, the AZ cub is now slightly over 7 pounds! He is cute, fuzzy, furry, loveable, and he is working those 4 legs to try to do the scooting thing around the den. He’s also got a very plump tummy!His mom, Lun, loves to move him around to other dens and rooms, too! So, if you all don’t see cubbie on the AZ pandacam when you check in, just wait awhile. Lun will eventually bring the cub back into his original den. There’s a very nice cute close up pick of the cub with the update today. Also, apparently they are limiting the voting of the cub’s name to one vote per computer. Shucks!! That means we all can’t vote for our favorite names more than once unless we use our family and friends’ computers! I just found that out late this week when I got on the voting page to vote for a couple of more names that I liked!
Been on the SDZ cam off and on this past week as well. Been watching Gao, Su Lin, Bai Yun, and every once in awhile, Little Miss ZZ. I did see Bai and ZZ in the chute waiting to go out to the yard. Bai was doing her pacing back and forth, and ZZ just sat just doing her own thing while mom just steps over her. I saw both Bai and ZZ sitting together eating boo, and catching ZZ in a tree branch napping. Always fun to watch them!
Got on the Memphis Zoo website, and they have done a new web design on it. Got on it today and tried to click on a couple of links, but there were errors on their pages, so I’ll just try again tomorrow. Wanted to check the panda keepers’ blogs about Ya Ya and Le Le, and whether Ya Ya has started her estrus yet or not. With it being November, I doubt it. But, you never know what Ya will do and surprise all of us!
Been getting email newsletters from Pandas International about their upcoming Christmas sales to raise more money. Haven’t heard anything from them about the 2 wild pandas that were captured when they came down to the villages in China. I also read on one of my news websites that NW China had a 6.5 magnitude earthquake in the Qinghai Province. No news of injuries and damages yet. It’s a long way from Sichuan Province, tho, so that area was not affected, thank goodness.
Well, gonna go and send this to you. Have a good night and a very nice day!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
November 10th, 2008 at 11:10 am
Thanks Pandacamer #53 for posting the link to the Mei Sheng set. The sky was certainly bluer than when I was there! It also looks as if only the electrified web fence is now up. We were unable to see into the yards very when when we were there in September. It’s always so good to see our boy. Wonder if Leo caught Hua Mei too??
November 10th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Thanks so much for the update on the sun bears. Truly, this species of bear is my favorite. I love their coloring and the beautiful crest in their chest. Do you happen to have any pictures of the new cubs you can share? I’m glad to know that mom and dad must be happy there because I understand they can be difficult bears to breed.
Moderator’s note: We’ll post some photos when they become available.
November 10th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Hi PandaCamer #53,
Many thanks for the current photos and videos of our sweet “tree climbing” Mei Sheng. The close-ups of his face are stunning – he’s so beautiful! I especially enjoyed the video of Mei Sheng loudly snapping his carrots at “tea time”
November 10th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
OK – wow – wasn’t expecting that. Just checking in on the kids — and low and behold the camera was on Mama Bai. She was resting against a tree, having her mid-afternoon snack — when she decided to use the “ladies room” — right there, where she was eating. Wow — not really what I expected at all. She just scooted over a bit, grabbed her bamboo (which by the way was right next to where she had done her business) and continued snacking. It is interesting and I guess I never really questioned where they did their business — and if like dogs or cats — they went somewhere away from where they eat or sleep. Is this normal? She certainly made it look that way.
November 10th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Hello all!! It is 2:27 pm SD time and there’s a great postcard scene on the pandacam – mama Bai is snoozing away on top of the concrete shed, with her body slung over the low tree branch, and miss ZZ is draped across her hammock, which is clearly getting to be too small for her. I can’t believe how much she has grown! Sometimes, I have a hard time telling mama and cub apart. I notice Bai is starting to limit the nursing bouts. She no longer adjusts her position when ZZ comes over for a ‘drink’, so poor ZZ has had to be a contortionist to get access to the ’supply’. I’m afraid the time for weaning will soon be upon us. Be brave, panda lovers, be brave!!
November 10th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Thanks for the conversation, Gao Gao. It’s always nice to know what you are thinking! Let me know when your theme park opens, I would like a “Lifetime Membership” to visit the pandas anytime.
Great pictures of Mei Sheng, I especially like the “action shots” in the tree. It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year since he left. I hope he is happy. The pictures make him look like he is doing great in China.
Mary (#48) is the panda bread sweet? I always thought it looks like it would taste like rye bread. Just curious.
There was a great nursing session this week-end with Zhen Zhen trying every nipple several times and then “chasing” her Mom around when Bai Yun got tired of it and started checking out the enclosure. I was wondering if Bai Yun’s milk is starting to dry up ??? It was a bit sad, because I realized it is getting ever closer to that time of weaning another baby. AND, wondering if I’m strong enough to go through that again! I’m so glad I have the panda community to help me through it.
Love, Joy
November 10th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Our sweet Mei Sheng! My heart skipped a beat seeing his sweet face. What a gorgeous panda.
I swear, Meerkats, you are the best. I want to be you! What great views. And the shot of ZZ a like while ago, was priceless. Thank you, thank you.
November 10th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Thanks, Pandacamer #53 for the link to those Mei Sheng photos and videos. He’s getting to be such a big boy! Does anyone know how much he weighs now? The last picture makes it look like he has white stripes in the fur on his back legs–did his keepers see that when he was at SDZ? He looks just like Miss ZZ when he’s asleep.
And thanks, meerkats, for the great nursing shots this afternoon.
November 10th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
#53 PandaCamer – thank you for the link to the latest Mei Sheng photos. He looks great!
Meerkats, thanks for the clear, crisp views on the cam. Right now, the princess ZZ is having a stretch session on her black and white hammock – just being her usual adorable self. Oh, now, I see the venerable Gao Gao having his fill of ‘boo’. He eats with such gusto – he so enjoys all that chomping and grinding. What a happy fella! Now back to ZZ. She’s still squirming around on her hammock. She had tried to take up a stick of ‘boo’ but she dropped it and now she looks like she’s feeling sorry for herself. I could watch them all day. Oh, look, somehow, miss ZZ has managed to drag a rather large bamboo stem and is now trying to find a comfortable position on her hammock – crazy girl!! She can’t decide between eating the ‘boo’ and sleeping with it!! Darn, it, I have to go. If any of you are on the cam at 4:11 pm Monday, Nov. 10, enjoy your panda watching!!
November 10th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Hey, you all! Just got off the SDZ pandacam and was watching Miss ZZ on her tree branch and in her hammock. Don’t know what she was doing in the hammock because of the tree trunk that was partially in the way. But, I did notice bamboo leaves on the branch pad, so I know she’s been bringing her boo up the tree to munch on. Smart little girl! I was also on the AZ pandacam a little while ago, and little Mr. Fuzzybutt was stretching and doing a little bit of scooting around in his den, then he did something different today. He is learning how to scratch! The keeper that wrote the update today mentioned about him doing scratching motions with his left hind leg yesterday. Another milestone accomplished! He is definitely looking very cute, too! I wrote an email to Memphis Zoo about their new website and not being able to click on some of the links. Got an email back from them, and they are aware of the problems and trying to work out the kinks. I’ll check the website out later to see how well it is working. Wanted to check on their 2 pandas on the pandacam.
Well, not much else right now. Will check back in later on!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
November 10th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Mom pandas know when it’s time to wean their cubs – seems like Bai is starting a bit earlier with Miss Z (who seemed ahead of Bai’s other cubs – it must have been those night excursions when Zhen was so tiny) – it’s a sad time for humans to watch. But I’m sure Miss Z will be fine – it seems to be the males that have trouble leaving mommy.
November 10th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
I read today that there is great concern about the wild pandas coming down from the mountains in search of food. Usually every winter the Wolong area will see 5-6 pandas appear in search of food – but so far this year (& winter has not really arrived) – there have been 2 injured & starving pandas already rescued. The panda reserves have been stretched to their limits after the earthquake. Things don’t sound too good for our beloved wild pandas – we have no idea of how their food supply is or how many pandas died or were injured . Those in search of food may also carry diseases which may endanger the captive pandas – it’s a bad, unknown time.
On a BRIGHTER NOTE – I have watched our little cub in Atlanta moving (I would call it crawling today – he had 3 – sometimes 4 limbs going at a time & managed to get himself out of camera range in a fairly short time. Watch out Lun – the fun is just beginning again for you.
November 11th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Hi, everyone! I hope that you all were able to sit back and reflect on Veteran’s Day, a day in which we honor and remember all of our veterans who have served, fought, died, and were injured to make sure that the USA stays free, safe, and secure for all of us, our kids, and our grandkids. Because of them, we are able to go to the zoos in our American cities to watch and enjoy the animals that are there to help send their messages of conservation, animal survival, and habitat rehabilitation here in the US and around the world. We owe our vets alot of thanks today and everyday. Please keep them and our current military personnel in your prayers.
On the pandacams, the pandas were doing their usual sleeping and eating routines. AZ panda keepers have a nice update about the cub and the measurements that were taken over the last 2 months in centimeters. If you want to convert centimeters to inches, they wrote the conversion equation in the update, or you can get on the online conversions website to do the conversions there. This just shows how much this little guy has grown during that time. He’s still very small compared to Lun’s huge size! Just saw the both of them in the den on the AZ cam. Little guy napping, Momma Lun snacking.
Saw Gao Gao napping on the SDZ pandacam. Will check the cam later on to catch Miss ZZ.
Well, gonna go and get some things done. Have a very nice Veteran’s Day with your family and friends!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
November 11th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
If Bai Yun had twins it would be like having Zhen Zhen x2. Zhen is so full of tricks. I like pretending that she has a cell phone that says “Zhen Zhen rocks!” as her ringtone.
November 11th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Hello panda lovers! Just wanted you to know that on the AZ site, today’s panda cub update (Nov. 11) shows a chart of the panda prince’s measurements over the last couple of months. Amazing numbers! That ‘little’ creature has practically doubled in size!! His tail, of course, is beginning to get shorter and his nose pad is getting wider, but everything else is grrrooowwwiiinnnggg!
November 11th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
I sure do love seeing Gao Gao up front – eating, sleeping, eating, more eating! What a lucky panda (and smart for figuring out that THIS was the way he wanted his life… instead of wild!).
Thanks to posters for the links tot he Mei Sheng photos and videos. Hardly seems like it’s already been a year, sniff, sniff! Sure was good to see him – Leouu sure had some great shots (in the tree and sleeping beauty were my favorites)!
For the revised Memphis site, I was finally able to get around by going to the site map in the upper right corner and picking from there. Even got to see a panda eating (surprise, I know).
ZZ sure looked like she was outgrowing her checkerboard hammock last time I saw here eating there! Such a smarty pants, taking HER boo up the tree and skipping the whole ‘all boo is Bai’s boo’ thing!
November 11th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
I had to chuckle! I’ve *suspected* that the inside of the beautiful black and white hammock might not look quite like the outside anymore…. got a confirmation of that today! ZZ had taken boo up the tree and was in the other hammock. In the background, I could see the inside of the checkerboard black and TAN hammock! Sounds like a drink! She’s made it her own!
November 11th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Cheryl #58
You must be new to the panda cams! Sorry it upset you! I felt the same until I found out
a few things.
First- Pandas eat vegetable and fruit matter. The keepers say that does not cause the
the mess you would get from meat. Or the smell problems.
Second- So much bamboo goes though them that they would be in the Restroom all the
time!!
Third- You will be happy to find out that the Moms do not make a mess in the den where
they have a cub. I remember reading that Bai all of a sudden moved one of her cubs.
The keepers didn’t understand until they cleaned out the bedding material and found a piece of fecal matter she must have tracked in. Once it meet with her standards she brought the cub back.
All of this is by memory. I hope I am correct.
Linda
November 11th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Re: Pandacamer #53
www(dot)flickr(dot)com(slash)photos(slash)leouu(slash)sets(slash)72157608454699977(slash)
If you go into Leouu’s photostream (click on his name upper left) you will find many photos…page 2 has a photo of Gao Gao when he was still in Ya An…Hua Mei’s son, Tuan Tuan and his mate…Hua Mei is on page 3…lots of great panda pics!
November 11th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
#53 Pandacamer Thank you Thank you for the website with photos of Mei Sheng and many other pandas. One of lovely Mao Mao’s 2yr old cub Xi Dou and TainTain while still in China also Gao Gao before he came to the SDZ. Bai Yun brother XiMeng also Lun Lun and Mei Xiang half sister You You. Many other pandas and who their parents or silblings are this was so neat.
November 12th, 2008 at 9:22 am
Hi Linda #72
A very informative blog; you have an excellent memory! I do recall the time that Bai decided to move her cub to another location so soon after giving birth. Bai’s behavior prompted the keepers to investigate. As you mentioned, during a thorough cleaning they found that some fecal matter stuck to Bai’s fur and had fallen in the den.
November 12th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
#53
I love the last picture of Mei Sheng hanging upside down in the tree, a bit dark but so funny.
November 13th, 2008 at 9:11 am
To Joy #60 — The panda bread is not sweet, but it is very dense. I’m not sure I could describe it. I picked up some bread in Germany a couple of weeks later that was very much like what I remember the panda bread tasting. It contained a lot of corn. Corn is one of the main crops, along with rice, that is grown in the Ya’an area, so I would not be surprised if the reserve bread also contains corn. The texture is very crumbly and the pandas were absolutely fastidious about consuming every crumb that either fell on their fur or floor of the enclosure. Sorry I can’t be more specific.
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:08 pm
I watched ZZ and Bai Yun in the PBS channel – Panda Tales – WOW what a treat.
I noticed that Bai Yun didn’t do much supervising or disciplining with ZZ (Unlike Su Lin)
I remember Bai Yun used to flip Su Lin as a measure of discipline.
Bai Yun is a lot smarter Mom now. She knows child psychology. Bai is saying – “I’ll just leave her alone and let her learn from mistakes.” On the other hand Bai probably knows that ZZ is a lot smarter than her older sibblings.