A New World For ZZ
Posted at 3:31 pm January 28, 2009 by Ellie Rosenbaum
Monday, January 26, 2009, was the first day for the connecting door between the left and right panda exhibit areas at the San Diego Zoo to be opened. It’s part of the separation/weaning of Zhen Zhen and Bai Yun. We give them extra space: a new place for ZZ and a familiar place from a different time for Bai.
The center door was open when Mom and cub were let out. Plenty of bamboo and treats were spread for each to enjoy. ZZ came out a bit before I arrived and made a beeline to the NEW PLACE! The Zoo is not busy at this time of the year, but the people who were there were treated to a wonderful morning. ZZ embraced this area as her best, favorite, fun playground!
She sniffed, climbed, railed, romped, stomped, scent-marked after Bai, listened, jumped up a tree when new sounds came from a different direction, investigated the hollow tree stump (inside and out), hung by her heels…This smart, independent little panda girl finally tried to nap for 45 minutes in a large tree place, but too much was going on! She and her mother would pass like ships in the night, and she would only go to the connecting door to follow Bai or for just a recheck. Move to connecting door – walk through – make U-turn – return to right viewing area…pretty amazing, not unexpected.
Tuesday morning found the young, growing cub sleeping in her “new” tree before the Zoo opened. It appears that Zhen Zhen is more than ready to step out on her own. Each of the cubs has done this differently; we’re always surprised by them, their personalities, and how they react to this phase of their lives.
Updates to follow, as we can. Meanwhile, enjoy!
Ellie Rosenbaum is a panda narrator 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.
January 28th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
Thank you for the update, Ellie. You’ve made a lot of pandaholics feel better.
And ZZ is just quite the girl. Geez, I’m kinda proud of her, and I’ve had nothing to do with it!!!!
Thank you again.
January 28th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
At 16:47 ZZ had a tug of bamboo battle with Bai Yun for a choice piece of culm, and ZZ won. She was restless wandering back and forth sitting beside Bai appearing to eat her own bamboo, when all of the sudden she decided to take the piece Bai was eating away from her. Bai swayed from side to side as ZZ climbed all over and around Bai, and ZZ finally walked away with the “prize.” Bai calmly sat forward and picked out another piece.
Got to get back to the “action” to see if Bai decides she wants it back!
January 28th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
Sorry, it was actually 16:42. Bai calmly got up and went over and got a drink. Then she proceeded to head back into the other yard. Meanwhile the “thief” continued to pick through the bamboo pile, and when she realized “mom” wasn’t coming back she took off after her. When she found her, she stopped and had a drink herself, then proceed to follow Bai. Now I can see her in the distance looking up at something that appears to be near the opening between the two yards. Always something new for her to explore. One thing I have noticed about ZZ that appears to be more like Mei Sheng than Su Lin is that she doesn’t seem to get “bored.” She is always inquisitive and finds some new adventure or place to check out. She will have plenty of new things to check out in the coming months, which will keep her rapidly maturing brain busy.
January 28th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Beautiful ZZ will do just fine when the door closes for good, but I’m not so sure about the rest of her panda fans…! Even though we know this is a natural transition for panda cubs, it is still difficult for us to witness the separation, without shedding some tears. No matter how many cubs I have seen go through this experience, it doesn’t get any easier…!
We love these bears so much; with the panda cams giving us a window into the world of their lives, we are witness not only to the wonderful moments they give us, but, also, to the ones that are definitely heart wrenching. We do realize that mom and her cub must be separated, but after watching them together for 1 1/2 years, it is sad to see them parted. Bai certainly has earned some well deserved time for herself, before she comes into estrus, and, hopefully, brings another precious cub into the world.
January 28th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Thanks for the update Ellie! I did think that ZZ would really enjoy all the new things to explore, and am sorry that I wasn’t able to spend more time glued to the SDZ pandacam that day. No real surprise that she’s already found a good tree (or trees) for napping, etc – she’s smart! I wonder if she will set a record (like her parents did when she was conceived) for weaning? Wouldn’t be shocked! Joy seems to have hit it on the nose with her Su Lin/ZZ conversation. Wonder how ZZ will like being able to eat on the ground, without having to drag a good piece of boo up the tree to be able to enjoy it? Oh boy! Exciting times, they are HERE!!!
January 28th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
OMG! I LOVE this bear (ZZ)! Well, heck, I love ALL the bears (although GG has a special place in my heart for his spunky – curmudgeonly? – and idiosyncratic personality)! How exciting for ZZ to enter this new phase of her development and take it all in stride. Keep up the good work all you wonderful panda peeps!
January 28th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
WOW!!! I missed that action from ZZ! Hope this is on the time lapse video page! Haven’t had too much time to get on the SDZ pandacam this week because I’ve been going to my doctor’s office all week for B12 shots. Nothing serious for me, but my B12 level was fairly low, and this was a prevention against possibly getting pernicious anemia. I feel fine otherwise. I did read Ellie’s article about the weaning process getting started this week and watching ZZ just going nuts in her new yard! She’s always looking for something new to explore, and that was it for her! Based on what Ellie was describing about ZZ, this little panda girl is well on her way to having her own independent life, so I feel that she will do really well during this process. I know that the panda keepers will keep this weaning phase at a steady pace so that neither Bai nor ZZ will have too many disruptions over the next couple of weeks. I will try to get on the pandacam to catch ZZ as much as I can.
National Zoo in DC had snow overnite and into today, about a couple of inches. They had a slideshow of pics of some of the animals that were really enjoying the snowfall, including one of the pandas (maybe Tai Shan) rolling around in the white stuff (he loves snow anyway!). The zoo was looking just great with all of that snow on the ground when I was checking the animal cams that were set outdoors.
Pandas International finally sent me an email newletter for the first time since Oct., 2008. They were describing what they went thru during 2008, including all of the relief efforts that they did after the May 12 earthquake. This was pretty detailed in what they were able to do to get supplies and equipment over to Wolong and Bifengxia right after the quake hit, some of that thru the Red Cross. Now, they are looking forward to what they can do during 2009 to help in the rebuilding of Wolong Panda Center in a new location as well as replanting bamboo in a new area that will support the plants. PI is also celebrating all of the panda cub births that happened in 2008 despite the quake rattling so many nerves and brains! They have a lot to do this year, and like last year, they are totally relying on support from people and companies here in the US to keep them going. They know that they have a huge job to do now. PI thanks everyone who have helped in these efforts thru financial support and other ways during 2008, and they greatly appreciate it tremendously! To those of you who don’t get PI’s email newletters, check the Pandas International website to read this update; it should be up pretty soon.
Well, that’s all of the good stuff from me! Will check in later!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
January 28th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
To those who remember: what did the other cubs do during weaning? I know folks have said that Mei Sheng was a little mama’s boy. Did he react differently? How about Su Lin?
I missed a great deal before discovering my panda obsession!
I’m not surprised that ZZ is reacting to this so well (so far). She’s been much less clingy to mom for quite a while now. I’m more worried about Bai Yun!
January 28th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
Glad to hear Miss ZZ is adjusting to her new world it seems she doing better than we are. Hooray for ZZ
January 28th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
Good for Zhen Zhen! I hope she makes the transition well.
January 28th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
This is my 4th cub weaning & knew Miss ZZZ & Bai were more than ready. I have to laugh when I read in the blogs that such & such cub looked or acted so sad. This is life in the wild & our zoo staff makes the transition so much easier. We knew our Miss Z was going to be an independent cub from her first weeks as Bai had her out of the den & stargazing at such a young age. Put your Kleenex away & rejoice that because Bai was a wonderful mother again Zhen will be an independent cub with very little stress.
January 28th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
I really appreciate how the SDZ people communicate with the public about what is happening. From the beginning Zhen has been “ahead of the curve” on her timeline and I know she will be OK during the weaning process. I always think of the cubs in China that are being weaned at about the age of Xi Lan now. As a human, I feel sorry for them. The US cubs get the better deal, staying with Mom until about 18 months. (Again, that’s my opinion because of my human feelings.)
I was wondering: Does Bai Yun have a “favorite side” of the 2 exhibit spaces. I have only seen her in the left exhibit when I’ve been there in person.
January 29th, 2009 at 1:03 am
Sigh….another one is growing up too fast!
January 29th, 2009 at 8:20 am
It’s 8:45am CT and what a coincidence that both SDZ’s and DC’s webcams don’t have live feed. Hope things are well. Gladly, very cute update about Xi Lan in Atlanta.
January 29th, 2009 at 9:12 am
ZZ is quite the gal – she is growing up and am glad she is getting accustomed to her new place!
Mary from Boston
January 29th, 2009 at 10:36 am
I didn’t have access to panda cams when other weanings have happened but I have to admit that seeing photos of Mei Xiang and Tai ’s final days together left me feeling wistful. After reading Suzanne’s explanation of the whole process, however, I feel okay about captive panda weaning, especially after considering how the process happens in the wild. Thus far I don’t think the final moments between a wild mother and cub have been documented. For me, that would be difficult to watch.
While we ultimately don’t know what lies ahead for Zhen, in the short term I know that she will be capably cared for by her human “family” at the zoo and that she will be safe and well fed, immune from the many dangers that would await a cub/sub-adult in the bamboo forests of China. Those are otherwise hard things to contemplate and I’m glad that we can take comfort in the assurance of ZZ’s current well-being. She is a darling little panda and it will be fun to watch her continued growth and maturation into a big, beautiful adult panda. The great thing about having cubs born here is that we can refer to pictures of them in their youth and cherish the memories that we’ve been witness to via the cams and visits to the zoo. We are lucky panda watchers!
January 29th, 2009 at 11:47 am
Is it just my PC, or does the link from the Post Card page to “return to cam page” take you back to the old web cam page, not the new one? I have noticed a couple of other old links like it that need to updated. Not a big deal, but it takes some manuvering to get back to viewing my favorite “independent” precious cub.
Moderator’s note: We’ll get that link fixed. Please let us know about any other bad links so those can be corrected as well.
January 29th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Good News: – According to a reply to a previous blog, posted by Suzanne, blog #53 – Suzanne mentions that it is likely that there will be “howdy-gate” introductions between Zhen Zhen and Su Lin in the future! I can’t wait to see their interaction.
January 29th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Assuming that it is Zhen Zhen in the tree right now, she must really love that spot, as she has hardly moved for the last hour! She is getting big enough now that, from the backside, I have trouble telling her from Bai, unless they are sitting together. Had trouble with the old computer the last 24 hours, so I haven’t been able to watch the cams much. Judging from Ellie’s report, the transition must be going fairly well. Wish I could have seen the antics of our little girl. I’ll be paying more attention today, unless I have to go shopping for a new computer!
January 29th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Zhen Zhen sure LOVES “her” new tree!! Every other time I tune in to check — she is up there snoozing away — daydreaming about all the bamboo she can eat — just one big ZZ buffet — all to herself. I say we all climb a tree (weather permitting of course) this weekend and take a little nap — just to check it out.
January 29th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Cheryl #20 I don’t think I’ll be climbing any trees at my home this weekend I would slide right back out of it as all of my trees are covered in ice and snow. LOL
January 29th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
I saw that tug of bamboo last evening and thought Bai was remarkably mellow about letting Zhen win the piece she targeted, she never ceases to amaze me with her mothering style, no wonder her cubs are so great! Little ZZ must’ve tired herself out, she has been snoozing in a tree all morning! That is so clever that the low box is a scale! Thanks for answering Suzanne, I meant to ask that months ago when I was there but was too awed to be anything but tongue-tied!
Someone asked if maybe ZZ and Su Lin would see each other as rival females, wouldn’t ZZ be too young to feel anything but playful with another? (I think of the youngsters in China rolling and wrestling around her age growing up in their ‘kindergarten’ groups, and ones around her age are still plopped in tourists’ laps, aren’t they?). SL might be starting to feel that way, but remember how joyful she as a 2 yr old and 4 yr old Mei Sheng were to see each other through the gate? I saw them (on the cam) rolling on each side of the gate to greet one another. Also ZZ and SL have smelled each other’s scents and know about each other! But the size difference alone makes it impossible for them to roll around in person (oops, animal) even if they wanted to, too risky with animals the zoo doesn’t own! They take such good care to them and grow such wonderful cubs for China and for us all to enjoy. I trust the panda keepers’ judgement 100% on these matters!
January 29th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
I too, have been wondering if little ZZ will get to see her big sister, Su Lin? I know Su Lin got to see her big Bother from up a tree, and they used to talk to each other. It will be very interesting to see the reaction of the sisters. It seems no time since Su Lin was going through this, my how time flies. Thank you to our Panda Keepers for all they do, and for Panda Cam.
January 29th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
I’m really looking forward to seeing if Bai Yun can become a mother again. What is the age of the oldest panda female to give birth and successfully rear a cub? Bai will be 18 in September and from what I can see, she’s still got the energy to keep up with those youngsters!
January 29th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Thanks, Ellie for the great update! I now realize that Monday was the day I should have been at the SDZ
Or, I should have remained there until after 2:00!!! Thanks to the meerkats for showing Gao Gao today in his ‘backyard’. He was busy eating, an activity that I enjoy watching.
I think that Zhen and Bai are both enjoying their new-found moments of independence. To me, Bai Yun clearly enjoys the c-4 exhibit and the top of the cave/hut. Zhen simply adores the c-3 side and the tree
I cannot wait to see if she decides that swinging from the low limb will be a new trick
January 29th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Thank you for showing sweet Gao. I’ve missed him the last few days. He has been eating for a long time and each time I switch back to that screen, he has an ever-widening expanse of bamboo spread across his room. I fear he will disappear soon! What a lucky panda…tomorrow he will get room service to clean up the mess (and he deserves it!).
January 29th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
It’s like that song from Fiddle on the Roof – Sunrise Sunset
January 29th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
Rose N #18, thanks for sharing the info about ZZ and SL and the howdy gate. I will go back to the previous blog for the updates.
Since ZZ was introduced to the great outdoors as a very young panda with barely open eyes, and not able to walk, she learned very early about independence and fending for herself. I still wonder what Bai was doing on those starlit nights, and what she was teaching ZZ. Since ZZ was still so young and very tiny, it is not likely she was doing the same introduction to their yard as Lun Lun did by dragging Xi Lan all over the day room, but it might have been something similar or else was predator evasion because something didn’t smell right to her. I remember that after her den was completely cleaned out she returned ZZ to her snug home, and did not remove her again. ZZ finally left when she was old enough and big enough to walk out on her own.
The independent and precocious streak we saw in her while still in the den, has continued. Her rapid exploration of the new yard is a prime example. With that strength, she will amaze all of us by taking the weaning process in her stride. Perhaps she takes after Gao Gao, and his wild birth and introduction to life. He decided as a youngster about her age that he preferred the pampered life with humans to the wild freedom and fending for himself. Perhaps she wants somewhere in the middle. She can explore and expand her horizons, but still has her boo provided abundantly every day, many times a day. What more could a precious precious panda girl ask for??? How is the new bamboo cooler coming? Hopefully the old one is holding on just long enough to get the new one up and running. I would hate to think of the old one dying while keepers are intently watching the weaning process and trying to make it go as smoothly as possible.
Moderator’s note: Keepers say the old cooler is hanging in there!
January 30th, 2009 at 11:24 am
Good morning everyone. How good is a pandas eyesight? Right now Su Lin is awake and up her tree looking over the building at the yard that Zhen Zhen is currently in. She was on the gound last time the camera was on her but who knows were she is now.
People have mentioned that Mei Sheng and Su Lin vocalized to one another but how did they first become aware of another panda in the vicinity since they normally are quite quiet?
Anyways, Zhen Zhen hasn’t looked anxious (to me). Is she taking the changes all in stride?
Bye for now, Lee
January 30th, 2009 at 11:34 am
Michelle #24: Your questions had me curious so I googled it! I read that in the wild pandas can give birth as old as 20 and the WWF panda site also lists 20 as the maximum age.
However I also found a link to china where they announced in 2007 that a 21 year old panda (the oldest ever they know of to give birth) gave birth to twins!!!! They said that was definitely a first and that most pandas stop before they are 20.
So I”m guessing this might be Bai’s last time out however…given her mate is Gao Gao the super stud…I wouldn’t be shocked if they surprised us and broke that record!!
January 30th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Dear Panda fan friends,
I don’t write often but I do read every blog and comments. If there is certification for panda fan, I think I was certified when I flew to San Diego just to see Bai and ZZ and for no other purposes. Since I have enjoyed reading everyone of your post here, I would like to share what I saw that was so dear and sweet with you all as well.
Just a couple of days before Zoo Atlanta brought down their panda cam, I saw Lun Lun in the exhibit by herself. Xi Lan was inside the door that was closed to her. My guess was that the keepers were giving Xi a physical exam. Lun was happy and content to wait, and while waiting she ran around the yard, climbed up the structure, summersaulting into the hammock, and summersaulting out of it, and ran around some more and went back to summersault on the hammock again, she shook the hammock when she was in there. She looked like she was really enjoying the ’stolen’ ‘cub-less’ free moment, and she was like a little girl again!! After awhile she rested on a log that was lying there to catch her breath. She did not rest long and the door to her cub opened. She immediately ran in to check on her beloved Xi.
January 30th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
#30 Kathy…Thanks for the info on the 21-year-old panda mother. I was curious so I searched for the panda’s name. Her name is Bing Bing which is the same name as Lun Lun’s mom. I wonder if it is the same panda? I have also been curious about Mei Xiang’s mom (Xue Xue) for a while. A panda named Xue Xue gave birth to twins at 18 years of age in 2005, but I don’t know whether it is the same Xue Xue that is Mei’s mother. It was said in 2001 that Mei’s mom held the record at that time for having the most cubs (11 at the time) so Lun and Mei Xiang may very well have record-breaking panda moms. Mei Xiang doesn’t seem in a hurry to follow in her mom’s fertile footsteps though. She’s keeping us all in suspense.
In my perfect panda world, Bai would have a cub this year. After weaning the cub in 2011, she and Gao would “retire” in San Diego and live out their remaining years here in the U.S. Su Lin would stay in San Diego this year, welcoming a young male panda from China as her friend and future breeding mate and continuing the tradition of panda breeding at the SDZ. Things don’t usually go according to plan in my perfect panda world, so I will keep having blissful panda dreams.
January 30th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Sniff’ (tears of joy) She is growing up so fast. Seems like yesterday when she was a fluff ball! I hope that Bai Yun and Gao Gao will have another baby this year, and hopefully a boy this time! Love you ZZ!
January 30th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Melissa, #32: Your perfect panda world sounds like a plan to me. Bai and Gao should be able to retire in San Diego, and be the Grande Dame and Grande Sire of the zoo world. And why not leave Su Lin there with new blood from China to extend the family plan.
BTW, there’s an update from yesterday at ZA, that tells a legend of how the Giant Panda came to get their black and while markings. I hadn’t read/heard it before. Very touching. Check it out.
Happy panda-watching to everyone.
January 30th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
I was just watching Bai and Miss ZZ having lunch together. Or maybe it was a tup of war as they were both eating off the same bamboo stake. It was so funny as they both were trying to have it as their own one on each end. This is some of the funny things we’ll miss when ZZ is on her own. So enjoy while you can.
January 30th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
What an incredible battle for bamboo (Friday, 1:00-1:30 pm). Zhen seems to always want the piece Bai is currently eating. Would love to have been there to get a picture of them both eating from the same stalk of bamboo. It went on till the end, with Bai using her feet and a paw to try and keep Zhen away.
January 30th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
I’m back had to check in again to see who was winning the battle over the boo. That must have been a good stake because they battle it out to the last bite which Bai won but not without a fight with Miss ZZ. It must of worn Bai out because as she finish the late bite she just laid face down for a couple of minute and ZZ went after some more bamboo. It won’t be long and they will have all the bamboo they want to themselfs.
January 30th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
#32 Melissa, I think that ZA recently said that Bing Bing is Lun Lun’s mother, and that she is still having cubs.
January 30th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Faye, #31, thanks for a cute story about Lun and Xi Lan. ZA keepers were surprised by how mellow and accepting she was of their early and frequent removal of Xi Lan, especially after how protective she was of Mei Lan. Your account of her relishing her “alone” “mom’s cub-free” time reinforces how different she is handling the care of her cub the second time around. It is a night and day difference, probably because she is now an experienced mom and knows what to expect.
#30, Kathy, Since Bai was only in estrus for 24 hours in 2007, the keepers were thankful that she and Gao had 4 natural breeding events in that short time. I am sure that they will be watching even closer this time because her “receptive” window might be even shorter. Gao was interested the second day, but she was not. So it is a good thing they are such an expert mating pair and ZZ was a product of that union. Who knows what this year may bring. I too hope she has at least one more male cub. Maybe she will go out with a bang and successfully produce twins this time. It will save her from having to do it again at age 20, and she will be in the footsteps of her oldest daughter, Hua Mei, who has produced twins 3 times. Has anyone heard if Hua Mei had any cubs this year. She has skipped a couple of years, so hopefully the earthquake didn’t ruin her chances this year.
January 30th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
#8 Hi Fonsia:
I can tell you that the Mei Sheng’s weaning process was gradual, during many days, but stressfull for him and for me.
At that time, I have spent a lot of time watching the cam and the first day by himself, my heart broken.
When he appeared to the exibition he walked around, climed, and sniffed all the places and I realized that he was looking for Mom. In the day before, I have seen him nursing. Poor Mei Sheng!
Su Lin was much more mature ( or me?). I d’ont know if the girls are more independent and go through well.
January 30th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
The battle for the boo made me realize once again what a good mother Bai is. ZZ will never be a namby-pamby panda, for certain! It’s good to know those vital survival skills are being passed on, even if ZZ will never need them in a zoo environment. With luck & care, perhaps ZZ’s grandchildren will be wild-born, & she will pass down to them through her cubs what Bai has taught her.
January 30th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
#38 Margaret…So Lun Lun’s Bing Bing is the same Bing Bing that broke the record as oldest panda mom? Sometimes pandas share the same name so I wasn’t sure. I love panda geneaology! It would be fun to be privy to all of the information that researchers used to determine the “genetic value” of pandas based on their representation in the gene pool.
January 30th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
How lovely to see Bai and ZZ sharing some boo together. ZZ looks so grown up now.
January 30th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Ahh. What a cute scene of Bai and Zhen dining together in the pool area. They seem to be very content to share their boo pile. Thanks Meerkats for getting such a wonderful clear closeup, one of the last one’s probably.
Has anyone else noticed that the duo seem to spend a lot of time in the “new” area. Someone asked what Bai’s preference was. I remember Bai spending quite a bit of time in this area with Su Lin in the early days of the weaning process. She seems to be content to spend time with her cubs in the newer area during weaning, probably her maternal instinct to help them adjust to a newer environment??? I couldn’t see where they were last night, as it gets very dark in the Panda area at night. I wonder if she remembers that she will once again be alone in the adjacent area, and wants to get her cub use to being on their own and comfortable in “their” space in the “new” area. Whatever the instinct or motivation, I enjoy seeing this time together and wistfully watch as it is so rare and so short lived. Pandas seem to “cram” a lot of maturing into a very short span of time, both physically and mentally/emotionally. I never cease to be amazed at their adaptability and flexibility, and try to picture how it would be in the wild.
January 30th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
#38 Margaret…I found a post here from 2007 and the Bing Bing’s I was wondering about do seem to be one and the same:
“Sheen Zheng says:
June 30th, 2007 at 10:43 pm
China Daily reported that on June 20th, Lun Lun’s mother Bing Bing gave birth to a female cub at the age of 21, which is very rare for Giant Panda. It also reported that Bing Bing’s son, Lun Lun’s brother Bing Xing is leaving China for Spain for an international cooperation program on endangered pandas.”
January 30th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Faye, #31, how lucky were you!!! Thanks for sharing the sweet story.
ZZ looks like she’s practicing yoga (3:18). She is so adorable and REALLY, REALLY funny. She’s sitting on her booty with her left leg up around her head. Her right leg is dangling down. She is a comedian.
Have a good weekend everyone.
January 30th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Question for Suzanne and Ellie: Is one of the “clues/signals” Bai gives you that she is “willing” to allow her cub to eat from the same pile in close proximity to her. It appears to me that up until the weaning process begins the cubs have to either take their bamboo up in the tree with them, or eat it at a distance from Bai. It seems that the weaning process starts within few days to a week after they start eating next to or across from Bai, very close, on a regular (daily or many times a day) basis. Is this coincidence, or is it by design? If by design, it seems to be a very good and clear signal from Bai, as she doesn’t seem to react as much as if the cub is a threat to her food supply. Instead, she seems to calmly be encouraging them to eat bamboo, and not nurse, when they are in her presence. It is also noticable that the cubs are down on the ground for more of the time, and less time is spent napping. At least shorter naps, and more eating take place in my observation of the cubs. That is the indicator to me that weaning is approaching and I start watching more closely and more frequently.
January 30th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
There is a funny video. Xi Lan is inside de water bowl.
“Xi Lan takes a dip” , uploaded by Simon99
January 30th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
#39 – Margaret in Va – I thought it was Bai who ready to go again on mating day 2 & poor Gao was exhausted from his performance the day before.
#32 Melissa – am with you about Bai & Gao having another cub and “retiring” here – let’s hope.
It was great fun watching the battle of the bamboo today – love it when Bai sticks out her hind paw.
January 30th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
Thanks for that info Margaret, I wasn’t aware that her estrus was such a small window last time. That I guess would stand to reason as they get older..not unlike humans in a way really. I too would like it if Bai and Gao could retire here especially after reading about Yong Ba all alone in her elder years and not being treated properly – I would hate to see our pandas end up in that type of situation. And wouldn’t it be nice to see the two of them sitting by Gao’s cave, eating some boo and we could imagine Bai telling Gao all about his offspring..hehe!
January 30th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Elisa #40, thanks for the info on Mei Sheng. I’ve read that male cubs sometimes stay longer with mom, so maybe being a “mama’s boy” is just a panda thing! I wish I’d been around to see him.
I was lucky enough to tune in for today’s battle of the boo! ZZ was absolutely determined to get THAT ONE piece of boo from mom. She grabbed it a couple of times, but Bai kept getting it back. Bai pushed her away over and over. Finally Bai got it, ate it, took a good long drink from the pool, and went back to the C-4 area for a nap. ZZ found another pile of boo in her new home and munched on. The whole thing showed just how confident ZZ has become. She thought she could stand up to mom!
It was really hilarious. (Although a couple of times I was worried that it could get nasty–but Bai stayed calm and just as determined as ZZ.)
January 31st, 2009 at 6:51 am
Twice during the week of Gao’s anniversary, I saw Bai and ZZ tussling over the choicest bamboo stalk. Bai had a death grip on the bamboo and Zhen kept tugging and tugging at it until her little paws gave way and she tumbled over backwards. Another day I saw Bai put her front paw in Zhen’s forehead and push her away several times. The intrepid ZZ just moved to Bai’s other side, positioning herself behind a small log (as if the log would shield her from mom’s feet) while she kept trying to swipe Bai’s bamboo from her paws. It is fun to watch the two hungry girls stake out their bamboo, even if it is a bit of a mismatch.
January 31st, 2009 at 10:15 am
I know this won’t post until Monday, but I didn’t want to forget because it’s sure to bring a smile to any panda lover’s face…
There is a cute video of an adult panda having a sneezing fit. If you put the following term in whatever search you use, you should get quite a few results from news stations, etc.:
“Big Panda’s Big Sneezing Fit”
I discovered it on the abcnews.go website. It posted there in early January 2009. I don’t think anyone’s posted about it here, but if someone did and I missed it, I apologize!
January 31st, 2009 at 11:11 am
Kathy #30 and Melissa #32, I believe Bai will be 18 this summer. In my eternally hopefully, and very ‘panda baby greedy’ mind, I hoping for a cub (or 2) from Bai and Gao this summer, and then maybe even one in the summer of Bai’s 20th year! Go panda superstars!
January 31st, 2009 at 11:04 pm
Elisa, Sao Paulo, Brazil; you mentioned a video called “Xi Lan takes a dip” that was uploaded by Siman99. I got on the youtube website to find the vid, and there are no vids with that name in there! So, which video website is this video on? I want to see Xi Lan in the water cooler! One of the AZ updates during this last week mentioned about this, and that got me wondering if anyone got a vid on Xi Lan doing that! Let me know, ok? Will appreciate it alot!
Thanks,
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
February 1st, 2009 at 3:26 am
OK, it’s Sunday morning 1.45am SDZ time. It is freezing cold in the UK today and we’re expecting snow. And what has silly old me been doing? Gardening. Yes, I know, I’ve finally lost it – must be all that tree climbing I’ve been doing!! Anyway, I had a thought looking at the cam – all pandas safely tucked up in their dens for the night. In the wild where do pandas sleep at night? Do they sleep in the trees or do they make their own dens as in the Zoo? There’s probably an article on this somewhere so I apologise if I’m asking a silly question. Just curious.
Oh, and why was I gardening? Planting some yellow bamboo to go with the black bamboo I bought a few months ago (which is doing very well).
I also love the idea of Bai and Gao Gao ‘retiring’ at the Zoo. Such a lovely thought.
February 1st, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Hello panda lovers, those of you who are wondering how Fu Long is doing in Vienna, sign on to youtube and search for “fu long getting chased in the snow.” It looks like they have had a good dump of the white stuff and fu long and mother yang yang have a most entertaining romp around their enclosure, including a chase up a very tall “tree”.
Yesterday, I had fun seeing our princess ZZ having a pleasant “ladies lunch” with mama Bai. So cute! and getting to be more of a rare moment now that the weaning is in full swing.
February 1st, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Hello, it’s me again!! Another video alert; go to youtube and search for “cute panda in san diego zoo”, uploaded February 1, 2009. A very entertaining 2 min. & 45 sec. showing our miss ZZ trying to wake up her mother. She tried all sorts of contortions to wake Bai up – what a cute clown!!!
February 2nd, 2009 at 8:44 am
Just adding to my above post about expecting snow. Well, we got some. Apparently the worst for 18 years and the country has ground to a halt. It’s only 6 inches for heavens sake!!! A lot of you have to put up with a lot more than that and life still goes on. My daughter’s been building snowmen, the ‘baby’ cat (2 years old) loves the snow and has been snuffling and jumping like a rabbit all over the place. Her friend (3 years) hates it and wouldn’t even go out the door! I’ve been busy making sure the birds have got lots of food and made a fresh batch of bird cake for them. The robin almost came onto my hand for a mealworm. My daughter is also going through all her photos from the SDZ and WAP last July and enjoying all the memories. She will be going to Washington (a few blocks from the Whitehouse) in April with her school. Unfortunately I don’t think they will be visiting the Zoo. She will also be in New York for a couple of days.
I think I shall spend an evening watching the panda, polar bear, elephant and ape cams to try and forget the cold wet snow out there.
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:40 am
Margaret #39, Hua Mei did not breed this year. I heard that she did not go into estrus. Maybe someone else has better information.
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:58 am
Today marks one week into the weaning process and I am wondering what’s in store for Zhen and Bai today.
Earlier this morning, shortly after 6 AM PT, I started watching Zhen and Bai. They were pacing around the right hand exhibit (C2). A few times they went in and out of the bedroom door – following each other.
Then at one point Zhen sat down and picked up a piece of bamboo (I thought she was going to settle down and eat) – not at all – Zhen started playing with the bamboo and in doing so performed a cute somersault. Zhen then climbed up the tree branch leading to the top of the stump. On her way back down, she stopped to scent-mark a few times and then slid down the length of the branch. So cute! Zhen then climbed up the tree nearby and continued to play. While on a branch she hung upside down swinging by her heels for a few seconds and then she climbed back down. Zhen was so adorable – a joy to watch during the early morning. Uh-oh, it’s 6:38 AM – the camera just switched over to C29 and our very sweet Su Lin. Su Lin looks like she is thoroughly enjoying her breakfast.
This was a wonderful way to start my day – watching our beautiful pandas!
P.S. Last night at 6:18 PM PT, I watched a tender scene between Bai Yun and Zhen enjoying a very sweet nursing session. It lasted ten minutes. I sent myself postcards to remember this event. Sadly, it may be the last time I get to see this heartwarming scene again between Zhen Zhen and Bai Yun.
February 2nd, 2009 at 11:13 am
Chari (#55) – the “Xi Lan takes a dip” video is on Flickr. Don’t miss it! It is way cute!
February 2nd, 2009 at 11:25 am
Chari #55 – The video is on Flickr – Just Goggle “Xi Lan takes a dip”. It’s very cute.
February 2nd, 2009 at 11:26 am
Good morning fellow pandaholics ~
Since Bai and Zhen Zhen have been given access to the areas previously known only by Bai – my guess is that she has been thinking there is a possibility that she will shortly be reunited with the love of her life – ‘Sir Gao Gao’.
While ZZ has been exploring Bai will be have been busy reading the pheromones that Gao Gao has placed around the ‘tree house’ (C3) and other locations hoping that Bai will read his messages.
Large ‘Fluffy Butt’ has been busy zooming all over the area and has it all mapped out in her mind where the best places are to rest, climb to high places and any other places where she can best perform her aerobatics.
Fonsia #8
You asked the thoughts of ‘pandaholics’ who have been through the weaning period of Bai’s previos cubs.
Bai’s first cubs father was Shi Shi (via AI) and it resulted in the birth of the one and only Hua Mei who has a very ‘laid back’ attitude to life like her mother. I do not recall Hua Mei being stressed during her weaning period, everyone was sad when she eventually had to leave SDZ for China, I expect you will have read that since she returned to China, Hua Mei has produced three sets of twins.
Mei Sheng’s father is Gao Gao, he definitely was a ‘mummies boy’ – but like humans, many males are reluctant to leave their moms! We were all sad when he had to return to China however in the future we hope to hear that he has become a father to his own family.
Our Princess Su Lin’s father is also Gao Gao, she is always a perfect lady and adapted to an independent life style with out undue distress. It will be sad when she leaves for her homeland and hopefully produces healthy cubs like her half sister – Hua Mei.
I feel certain that ZZ – little ‘Miss Independence’ – will also adjust quickly to ‘freedom’ from her mom when her time comes in the next few weeks/days? There may be a few days when she looks for mom but she is a little zoomer with so many things to do. Between climbing high trees and ‘Stargazing’ at night, like her mom taught her she will wonder where the time goes!
ZZ is a little person wearing a panda coat – she will take it all in her stride.
We will all be keeping our fingers crossed that Bai is suitably impressed by the place markers of ‘Eau de Gao Gao’ that he left for her approval. – meanwhile we will be watching for any signs of her impending estrus.
February 2nd, 2009 at 12:43 pm
#54 the other Suzanne…I’d thought about Bai having a cub this year at 18 and again in two years at 20 (making her nearly 22 when the prospective cub would be weaned) but I guess I was considering the 20- and 21-year-old panda moms as the exception rather than the norm. It would be fantastic if Queen Bai has the endurance to see two more cubs through sub-adulthood because she is a such a good mom! She has been nursing a cub for 4 1/2 of the past 5 1/2 years so in my perfect panda world that I described, she would be eligible for retirement at 20. Pandas in the wild average raising one cub every four years (according to Dr. Kati Loeffler of the NZ), so 4-5 cubs in a lifetime seems like a reasonable number of cubbies for Bai.
February 2nd, 2009 at 1:05 pm
#55 Chari The video with Xi Lan taking a dip is on Flickr not youtube. If you go to Atlanta Zoo Myspace one of the blogs on it where member blogs it’s called Atlanda Zoo Friends comments and go to Sharon’s comment there is a link to it. You will see a picture on her blog of Xi Lan getting into the water bowl also. Hope this help you out and anyone else who would like to see, it very cute and will make you laugh.
February 2nd, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Chari #55 Sorry… the video ” Xi Lan takes a dip” is on Flickr, uploaded by Simon99
I wrote a complete web adress, but it didn’t appear in my post.
February 2nd, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Rose #61–I saw that sweet nursing scene too. When Bai decided it was over, ZZ was fully extended on the ground trying to reach for her leg, but Bai was too quick. I guess I was surprised that such long nursing sessions still take place during the weaning process.
The Xi Lan video is adorable. Zhen Zhen was fond of sitting in the water bowl in Bai’s bedroom area outside the den. She was either smaller or the bowl bigger (or my memory faulty), but I think she fit in the bowl better.
Needless to say, I love the idea of Bai Yun and Gao Gao retiring at SDZ–and if Su Lin gets to stay, I think Zhen Zhen should too. Amazing how they become such a part of our lives.
February 2nd, 2009 at 3:10 pm
1:36 pm Pacific time zone here,and Zhen Zhen is having lunch with her mom. At least they are not fighting. Boy,are they close to the glass! Lucky People! I will miss that lovely picnic scene. sniff… Well,I might see the new panda cub come into the world, IF I buy a laptop. Will we get to see it come out? Anybody know?
February 2nd, 2009 at 3:11 pm
And at 13:36 today the food competition continued. While Bai was eating away on a long leafy stalk, Zhen reached in a grabbed the choice fat stick of culm and starting munching on a smaller piece she picked up with it. Suddenly a big paw reached out and whosh, away it went into Bai’s mouth. But Zhen didn’t seem to mind, and kept on eating her own piece which is probably what she wanted anyway. By grabbing both, she could distract Bai from one of them and keep it for herself. Smart girl!
They are so much fun to watch during their learning sessions, which now include almost exclusively eating. Bai is obviously training Zhen to find her food, and eat it, lots of it. By keeping Zhen occupied, she is weaning her from nursing exclusively, and is teaching her panda eating style.
February 2nd, 2009 at 3:21 pm
I think there may be a problem with the panda cam legend again. It has reverted back to saying that Gao Gao is in C1, C2, and C3. Since there were two pandas on C1, that can’t be correct. It may have happened when fixing the links from the Post Card page back to the Panda cam.
Moderator’s note: Thank you, Margaret, for letting us know. We’ll fix it soon.
February 2nd, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Susan, (UK) #56, great question. I don’t recall reading where pandas sleep at night, other than mothers with newborns sleeping in hollow tree stump dens and shallow caves, and cubs sleeping in trees. I do recall reading that pandas in the wild are often active at night because they need to eat so much every day. They spend 16 or 17 hours per day eating or foraging for food, so that doesn’t allow much time for sleeping. Since the captive pandas have their food supplied without much foraging required, and therefore very little activity, they get more time to sleep. I too would like to hear more about such habits that have been gleaned from research on wild pandas.
February 2nd, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Shortly after this Bai got up and followed ZZ.
Check out the mother/daugther napping positions at 14:09. Zhen is asleep on a branch above the cave with her right foreleg hanging down. Bai is asleep spreadeagle on top of the cave, with her right foreleg draped across the log on top of the cave. Quite a photo opportunity for those who were lucky enough to see it live.
February 2nd, 2009 at 4:43 pm
How did the girls do on their first morning apart?
Moderator’s note: We’ll be posting a blog regarding this shortly!
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Whew… on a completely different note — I just checked the Polar Cam and there’s an update on Kalluk and Chinook’s “romance” — sounds like exciting things are happening over there. Check out the update.
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Hi Frances #68 – Yes, I too was surprised to find Bai nursing Zhen. After 10 minutes, I started to wonder how much longer would Bai continue when she suddenly stopped, got up, and made a quick exit.
I enjoyed the beautiful scene of these pandas nursing so much that I took two postcards. The first picture was beautiful with a bright light shining above and light rays falling towards the pandas. The second photo was taken 10 minutes later. The bright light was off, however, the lights in the front part of the exhibit were on. Both were pictures of a loving mother and child. It was very touching. I’m glad we got to see it.
I also agree that Bai and Gao are now part of our lives. I feel as if they are my pets living in a beautiful place where I can visit them any time I want. I can’t imagine them ever leaving us.
February 2nd, 2009 at 5:58 pm
It would be interesting to know how Zhen compares with Bai’s other cubs, at the time of weaning, in weight, average amount of bamboo consumed, and any other factors you monitor. She has certainly inherited Gao Gao’s love of bamboo. She is the first cub I have been in agreement with you that it is time to wean.
February 2nd, 2009 at 6:53 pm
#66 Pam T- thanks for the info about where to find the video of XiLan & the water cooler – too funny!!!! It’s so sad that we are unable to see all of these fun events of a panda cub first months unless someone is kind enough to share a video. If a company does step up to sponsor the ZA cam we’ll have missed so many of the heartwarming events. But from what I can tell from watching the videos on you tube Lun is much more laid back & lets XiLan explore & try to climb – 2nd time mom or used to cub being removed for weight checks when we had the “cub scare”
#56 Susan (UK) – well, are you snowed in – London made the news on CNN tonight with the “huge” snowfall (8 inches) that ground the city to a halt. Here in Michigan we count that as a spring day!!!
I have been able so see some wonderful shots of Miss Z & Bai the last few days – weaning is going well.
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:14 pm
THAT’S OUR UNIQUE LITTLE /BIG CUB FOR YOU….I JUST HOPE THIS IS A SUPER EASY TRANSISTION…..
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Hazel, thanks!
Margaret #72, during my time as a panda-viewing night owl, especially several months ago before the night pandacam went mostly dark, I used to see Bai and Zhen active many times even at 3:00 a.m. (I’m in San Diego). When the cam was trained on a good spot, there they’d be, munching boo at just about any time during the night. They acted the same way they did in the daytime. Same with Su Lin and Gao, if the camera was on them.
Here’s another video alert: “Xi Lan Raw footage January 24, 2009″ on YouTube. Shows him exploring, trotting, and poking his head up through the bottom of the hammock (literally). Very funny.
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:18 am
There is an adorable video of Zhen Zhen on Youtube. It was taken on October 3, ‘08. From the Youtube page, search “vpandasd” – it is described as “the newest little panda at the San Diego Zoo gives her keeper quite a lot of trouble”. After viewing, you will find other related videos of Zhen Zhen.
Pandafan #57 & 58 – Thanks for sharing the videos of Zhen Zhen and Fu Long. They were both very enjoyable. In the first video, Fu Long’s mom Yang Yang, is a first time mom and is very overprotective. At times she would literally sit on Fu Long to keep him close by. The scene where Fu Long climbs up the tree was scary and funny at the same time. In the second video, Zhen Zhen is trying her best to get Bai Yun to rollover for a nursing session.
February 3rd, 2009 at 11:48 am
Hi Susan #56 & 59 – I heard on the news last night that some areas of the UK are having a huge snowstorm that is disrupting travel and closing many schools. I hope that you and your family are doing well. I know that 6 to 9 inches of snow predicted does not sound like much, but it can definitely cause a lot of problems on the roadways.
I hope your bamboo will make it through the cold weather. I’ve been told that the snow acts as insulation for some plants. Stay safe and warm – you may not see this much snow for quite a while.
February 3rd, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Maureen #78 and Rose N #82, to me and my husband the amount of snow we’ve had was nothing – like you said Maureen, it’s a Spring day to you! When I got up in the morning the back garden was beautiful. The garden lights were on, the sky was very dark grey, it was still snowing and I just had to sit down and look at it for a while. It was like a magical fairyland, with the snow on the trees and bushes. My daughter and I were taking photos – no, we don’t know when it will happen again. On the subject of the snow causing disruption, we just can’t believe that a lot of people couldn’t even be bothered to try and get to work. I used to walk to work in deeper snow than 6-8″ and others came in from a lot further away. If the buses or trains couldn’t get through, they walked 2 or 3 hours but they came in. Now we have no buses, no trains and empty roads. We’ve had no post for 2 days. My husband went out in the evening on a trip that usually takes a couple of hours due to traffic. The roads were empty, and he was back within the hour. I think people here have forgotten how to deal with snow and just can’t be bothered any more. I must admit, usually I don’t like it but I must be in my second childhood because I loved it. It’s nearly all gone now, but I’ve got the photos to prove it was here! Hopefully my plants will be OK. I had to plant them because they’d just come from a nursery and were bare root plants. I’ve covered the roots with newspaper or old net curtains. I have to admit to daydreaming while watching the snow and ’seeing’ pandas romping in the trees and the snow!
February 3rd, 2009 at 2:06 pm
12:34 PM here and Zhen Zhen has just found a box full of something that looks like grass. It is a recyclable box.I wonder what is inside?
February 6th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
OMG how scarey Miss ZZ is so high in the top of a tree napping I hope she make it back down ok.