Watching Bai Yun
Posted at 11:12 am March 5, 2009 by Anastasia JonilionisZhen Zhen has been doing an amazing job of adapting to her new life on her own, so far. Bai Yun has also been doing a wonderful job of getting back into the swing of things. Last week she and Gao Gao both had their spring physicals. Bai Yun has been eating and resting, as she may be coming into her estrus in the near future.
Now that it’s March, we will be watching for signs of any hormonal change and observing her behavior closely. Bai Yun and Gao Gao are currently spending their days in the front viewing area, so guests may be able to see some great behavior. As Bai Yun gets closer to a possible estrus, she will be eating more daily and might be scent marking quite a bit as well. Females in the wild have a home range of about one square mile, and as they come into heat they will scent mark their home range, letting neighboring males know that it’s again that time of year. The same goes for Bai Yun’s exhibit and her neighbor, Gao Gao, who has always been very good about responding.
When the pandas get into the swing of spring, the keepers will be switching Bai and Gao Gao’s exhibits. This way each will smell the presence of the other. Bai Yun will find scents of a male that she is familiar with, and Gao Gao will smell a female that might soon be ready to mate. To prepare for mating season, Gao Gao might put some more weight on. Weighing in at 175 pounds, he is a lot smaller than most males; but however small Gao Gao is, he is currently the only successfull naturally breeding male panda in the United States.
Anastasia Horning is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo.
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March 5th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Hats off to Gao Gao!! I am so looking forward to spring and hope to see some new panda cubs in the US (especially in SD) and possibly some polar bear cubs as well! Exciting times at the zoo! Thanks for the update.
March 5th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Thanks, Anastasia. Everyone is naturally curious about how Bai is ‘progressing’. I know it will go the way it will go. Animals are like that, even the intelligent ones. (Actually, they are ALL intelligent!
) Bai and Gao will eventually what comes naturally. Everything will be alright.
March 5th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Thanks for the update. Both of them have been doing their share of eating and resting lately. We all wait patiently for their potential reunion and hope for another cub(s). You all do a great job of monitoring these beautiful animals and providing for their every need.
Will Su Lin and Zhen Zhen be seeing each other before their turn in the front exhibits? Has anyone noticed any attempts at vocal interaction between them since they can hear and smell each other’s presence? I wonder if Su Lin remembers her encounters with Mei Sheng. If so, it will be interesting to see how she reacts to the presence of a much smaller female panda in the vicinity.
March 5th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Glad to hear both Gao and Bai are doing ok and I sure hope an eariler blog about Gao is not true. Also great that ZZ is doing so good on her own.
I read on pandasliveon about a railroad they want to put up in the mountains in China where the pandas live. I sure hope if they do this they are very careful about how they so about it. So it doesn’t damage any of the bamboo forests and scare the pandas with all the noise they will make. The poor wild pandas have had such a hard time this past year I hope this doesn’t add to it.
March 5th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
like they say “good things come in small packages ” and THAT’S our big daddy.
March 5th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Thanks for the update. If Bai and Gao were to never have another cub because of advancing age, I would still adore them. Bai has been a wonderful panda mother and Gao is an awesome little giant panda. No other panda can compare to how cute he is while simply munching his bamboo stalks. He holds a flat strip up to his nose with both paws, seemingly sniffing it as if breathing in the aroma from a cigar. Today’s great closeups of Gao helped me see the long tufts of fur on the underside of his paws, the tufts that evoke thoughts of Cookie Monster’s paws. Thanks for making my day.
March 5th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Really funny shots of Bai Yun this afternoon — sitting on a rock, with one paw (her left) casually grabbing a branch, the other one holding bamboo as she eats, with some smaller bamboo resting on her stomach. It made me laugh, because it looked so casual — especially with her one paw resting on the branch and her munching away. She just looked like she was enjoying the view, eating her lunch, not a care in the world. Oh, to be so lucky! I’m excited at the possibility of breeding soon — and the hopes for a new cub late summer. Exciting times at the zoo — and gosh — how exciting it would be if we had polar cubs too. I would never get any work done or sleep — switching from one “cub” cam to the other! Might have to buy a second computer and view simultaneously… but I’m getting ahead of myself ; )
March 5th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
I am watching little miss ZZ sitting eating her boo – she is so cute! Reading about the excitement that might be coming our way with Gao Gao and Bai Yun, makes me wonder – if we have another baby panda, will someone have to leave in order to have enough room for everyone??? I hope not!
March 5th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
Melissa #5: I second your post, well said!
March 5th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Thanks for the current blog, I have been wondering about our little ZZ, and also if she has got a look at her sister yet. As everyone says, we are awaiting for Bai and Geo to get together, and hopefully have another little cub this year. Bai is such a great Mother.
March 5th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
I was watching Miss ZZ today at about 11:30 PT. I think her new nickname should be Zip-Zip! She made me dizzy. She was making rounds of her yard, going around the perimeter, through the pool (cooling her heels?), up 1 tree and down another; then she starts the round again. She really frightened me, stretching out from a limb to a very fragile-looking limb on another tree. Is she burning energy, or is she searching for something/someone. Maybe looking for Mama Bai? Does she do this every day? Since the separation, I haven’t been able to catch her on cam very often. But I see a lot of Gao, seemingly oblivious of all but his bamboo.
March 5th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
A BOOK REPORT!!! I just finished reading a really fascinating book I bought at the SDZ called Giant Pandas: Biology, Veterinary Medicine and Management edited by Wildt, et al. If you love Giant Pandas, (and I know you do), and if you’re not intimidated by a little science, this book is for you. It will give you a glimpse into the extraordinary interdisciplinary and cross-cultural efforts required to save an endangered species. Ron Swaisgood and Meg Sutherland-Smith (you’ve seen them on the SDZ panda videos) are contributors, along with others from NZP, ZA, and elsewhere. Bai Yun is featured on the cover with a baby Mei Sheng. Please don’t be intimidated by the title of the book. You might not understand 100% of the science, but there’s plenty of really cool stuff in there that I think readers of this blog will enjoy. Some examples:
Did you know that every Giant Panda in captivity has a Studbook number? The first Su Lin who went to the Brookfield Zoo in 1937 is Studbook (SB) Number 1. Our lovely Bai Yun is SB Number 371. Gao Gao is SB Number 415.
We’ve all heard that Pan Pan (SB 308) is genetically over-represented in the captive population. He is the sire of both Tian Tian (SB 458) and Bai Yun. The book describes a DNA study that was done because many cubs in China were born with unknown paternity. They were conceived after both AI and natural mating (just like Mei Sheng!). The results of the study showed that 21 of 29 offspring at Wolong were sired by Pan Pan or one of his sons (SB 394). That’s over 72%! The results are also illustrated in really cool pedigree charts for both the Wolong and Chengdu populations.
Those of you who have visited SDZ no doubt have heard the panda narrators talk about how these are research animals, and not zoo animals. When you read this book, you will be blown away when you understand what that really means. Bai Yun has contributed so much to our knowledge of her species…you have no idea. On page 233 you can see her allowing the collection of vaginal cells while sitting up, on page 234 you can see her doing the same while lying down. Her data are in Tables and Figures throughout the book…just look for SB 371. She is a panda research star!
This book will leave you in absolute awe of Bai Yun, grateful for what has been accomplished by some pretty amazing scientists, and humbled by the challenges that lie ahead to save this species and its habitat.
Moderator’s note:
This book is also available for purchase through our online store, Shopzoo.com. For more information about the book, Giant Pandas: Biology, Veterinary Medicine and Management, please send an e-mail to shopzoo@sandiegozoo.org
Hear Dr. Meg Sutherland-Smith, who will be giving a Special Speakers presentation, “Giant Panda Management and Reproduction,” at the Zoo on March 18 at 7 p.m. For more information: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/calendar/zoo_speakers.html
March 5th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Great write up about Bai and my hunka hunka studmuffin Gao. There is nothing like watching these two do the mating dance.
Little Ms. Zhen is the picture of independence, just like I thought she would be. There is nothing more relaxing than watching her down her boo!
March 5th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
#12 – Lizzie – wow, thanks for your “book report”
Many of us panda lovers have forgotten that the SDZ is a premier research station – not only for our beloved pandas but also for many other endangered species 
We all knew that our Bai was special but had no idea of what she contributed to research. Our pappa Gao is another small in size but super special panda
March 5th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Moderators: please allow this to post.
#4 Pam T, #12 Lizzie: I hear you when you talk of the destruction of wild panda habitat in China. Unfortunately, the concerned people at panda centers cannot get the people of China to listen to them.
March 5th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
It just fills me with joy to see Miss ZZ munching away and zooming around her yard and sleeping and doing just about anything–and Queen Bai and Mr. Gao Gao loving their boo and Su Lin frolicking in her yard.
Spring, pandas, life is good!
March 5th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
Hi! Hope to see Bai Yun become a mom again one more time! Bai and Gao are a perfect match for each other! Glad to read that ZZ is doing very well on her own. I knew that she would! She’s that smart! Bai is having her ME time for awhile!
Just read an update this week from Atlanta Zoo that Benjamin Charlton will be back in China along with Jennifer Keating from SDZ to do more research on panda vocal communications which ended a little bit early due to the May 12, 2008, earthquake. They are staying in Chengdu and will be doing most of the research work at Bifengxia where most of the Wolong pandas are currently at now. Along with Joseph Slovke (sp?) from AZ at Chengdu doing vocal research on pandas going into estrus, there will be some fascinating data coming out soon from all 3 people. Just hope and pray that there will be NO major earthquakes while they are in China this time around! I’m also hoping that one of them will be able to do some research on the wild pandas that were seriously affected by last year’s quake to find out how many did survive the quake and where they are located at in those mountains. Looking forward to all of the great info that will be coming out soon!
Well, gonna go for now. Will write back soon!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
March 6th, 2009 at 5:16 am
Lizzie #12, thanks for the book report. Sounds fascinating. I suppose it’s not too surprising that Pan Pan is represented in such a major part of the captive population–it took so long to learn how to get pandas to breed in captivity. And Bai Yun was, I think, the first cub born at Wolong. How lucky we are to have her. We’re really just in the early days of saving this magnificent species. I’ve also read somewhere that it was the scientists here at the San Diego Zoo who developed the formula for feeding cubs. The Chinese had been using dog’s milk, and it didn’t have enough nutrients to keep the cubs alive. Is that true?
OK, I’ll try this again. For those of you who missed it, I got lots of shots of Bai and ZZ on their last day, and posted them on Flickr. Go to: www (dot) flickr (dot) com (slash) photos (slash) mwyatt129. Then click on the Panda set in the box on the right, and “detail” to get them in order. (They’re on the front page too, but they’re in reverse order there). Run the slideshow to get larger shots.
The set starts with a wonderful close-up of ZZ, which I snapped from a YouTube vid that’s no longer on the site (now using that as my wallpaper–confirmation of my panda obsession). Then you get 20 shots from the last day, including their last nursing session. I also tacked on some shots from that Saturday with ZZ lying in Bai’s lap and playing zestfully with her hanging blue toy. Then one of Gao looking like Mr. Cool.
I have a Mac, so I don’t have to send myself postcards. I can take snaps right from the screen, so I just snapped away! Feel free to download any that you like.
(I tried to post this on the last thread, but the URLs turned into links, and the moderator never posted it. Finally I understand why people write out the dots and slashes on this blog. Apparently the links were the problem, because there was nothing untoward in the post.)
As I watch our panda friends, I’m still slightly wistful about ZZ. I’ve seen her zipping around and climbing, and certainly she’s had no loss of appetite, but I haven’t seen her playing yet. She does look less bewildered, but I’m not going to relax until she starts playing. I so want her to be able to meet Su Lin, but I imagine she still has some adjusting to do.
And yes, Bai is awesome to the max! I think she loves being a mother. Let’s hope she gets one more cub–and a cub for the polar bears too!
Also, I was so sorry to hear of the passing of Sunita the elephant. Her former owners posted on the elephant blog. Sounds like she had a wonderful life, full of love and joy.
March 6th, 2009 at 6:33 am
Thank you for the heads up about that book, Lizzie! Giant panda research is so fascinating and it’s always great to learn more about the objects of our admiration. In no way do I mean to take away from the panda fellas, but the female pandas really do a lot for the sake of research. Bai is definitely a panda research star. And Mei Xiang will be on her seventh pregnancy watch this year and she is not yet 11! It is hard to imagine that she experienced her first pseudopregnancy when she was the same age that Tai Shan is now. Bai, Mei and all the other pandas have done so much for their species and are great ambassadors for wildlife conservation in general. It’s really neat that scientific research gleaned from giant pandas is now being applied in some instances to other bear species, so they really are Most Valuable Pandas!
March 6th, 2009 at 8:25 am
I spend every free second watching ALL the Panda Cam’s!! But I have always wondered why Mei Xiang & Tian Tian in Washington co-habit when the none of the other male/females pandas do. Does anyone know why not? Mei & Tian get along so well and are always playing!
I still cannot believe that Miss Z is already grown & alone!! Time really flys watching these guys!
March 6th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Mei & Tain are ownly together in the fall and winter of each year she doesn’t have a cub, for just a few hours a day till she comes into season. After breeding they are not together anymore. I think they do this in hopes Tain will get things inorder to do it the natural way. lol
March 6th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Fonsia #18 – Many thanks for sharing all the wonderful photos of our sweet pandas, Bai and Zhen. I noticed that Zhen was clinging to Bai as is she knew that it was their last day together. It was great seeing Bai and Zhen hugging, snuggling and thoroughly enjoying each other.
I’m glad that you shared these photos with us. I was not home for most of the day on the 22nd of Feb. and did not save any postcards. Your pictures filled an empty page in my scrapbook.
Thank you again.
March 6th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Barbara #20, I believe that Fu Long’s parents also co-habit some of the time. It was mentioned when he was a younger cub. Mei and Tian are an exception that they get along as captive adults. In the wild pandas are solitary animals except for breeding. Therefore in order to maintain as natural an environment as possible pandas housing facilities keep the males and females separated except at breeding time. Notice that Mei and Tian are separated after breeding and we prior to breeding to make their lives more natural and hormone stress minimized.
March 6th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Hi! I just got my Pandas International newsletter in my email inbox today! Been awhile since the last one that I got from them. They said that they have been behind in sending the newsletters out because they have been so busy with other things, and one of the biggest projects that they have going on is to help Wolong do their rebuilding projects. The website does not have this newsletter up on their front page yet, but keep checking the site often, and they should have it online soon. Hope you all that do get the newsletters in your emails got it today. PI will be sending out more newsletters this month to try and catch up on all of the news about pandas, rebuilding, and other news.
Also, PI mentioned that the program on Animal Planet called “Untamed and Uncut” will have a panda special that will follow the efforts of everyone involved rescuing pandas during and after the May 12, 2008, earthquake. This is scheduled to be shown this Sunday, March 8, 2009, at 9pm EDT (my time). For everyone else, check your TV listings on the time that this program will be on this Sunday. This will be very interesting to watch! Animal Planet will also repeat this program during their late nite hours in case you miss it at the original time. (I put EDT after the time instead of EST because we will be in daylight savings time by then.) Hope everyone will be able to watch it!
Well, that’s all the news from PI for now. Keep checking the website for their newletter online. Will check back later. Oh, I did check the SDZ pandacam and watched Bai Yun doing her walking around in her yard. Gonna get back on the cam to see who else is being spotlighted!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
March 6th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Many thanks to Fonsia #18 for the pictures of Bai and ZZ on their last day together. It’s almost like they knew what was going to happen and had the BEST day ever together. I really enjoyed looking at your pictures and seeing them together. AND of course the last one I saw was a framed Gao Gao – how great was that one!!! Thanks again!!
March 6th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
March 6th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
How wonderful I finally got a chance to watch Miss ZZ this afternoon playing with one of her enrichment toys which had some treats in it. After she finish that she did some climbing on her jungle jim and then she found a piece of bamboo and sat down for a snack. So glad to see her doing so well.
March 6th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
I think ZZ is looking for her mom right now, i’ve been watching for several minutes and she is wandering back and forth and climbing high looking around….makes me anxious for her…..can’t she get a mommy fix? Please?
March 6th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
I have been watching little ZZ climbing up a door with a window in it, can she see her sister through that window? I am curious what she will do when she sees Su Lin.
March 6th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
WOW! Did anyone else get to see ZZ around 3:18 this afternoon climbing the door with the wire mesh window? Well, she got her ‘whole’ body suspended from the wire mesh and just hung there for a minute and then reached over to a shelf and got down. She has been very active …climbing up, down and around her climbing structure until she finally settled down with a bare hunk of bamboo. She is soooo cute! Thanks Meerkats for following her around.
March 6th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
Got on the SDZ pandacam #15 and watched ZZ doing a lot of things in her room. She eats a little bit of bamboo (the large stalks were her choices), walks around alot, climbs the log structure alot, even climbed on the door then using that as a bridge to the platform! She’s either restless or just wants out in her yard for more room to roam around in! She was very active at around 3:15pm PST! I hope she’s not feeling some of that seperation anxiety from her mom now! She’s been doing pretty good on her own so far!
Atlanta Zoo’s Xi Lan is now up to 25 pounds! He is always on the move in the dayrooms walking, exploring, climbing the tree structures, playing with his toys, and bugging his mom as usual! Can you believe that Xi Lan is now 6 months old?? WOW!!! Unfortunately, we are missing those growth spurts because of no pandacam!
Well, gonna go for now. Will get back on later!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
March 6th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Fonsia #18–thanks for the pictures. I took quite a few that day myself–your #6 is one of my favorites, where Bai rests her head on ZZ while ZZ tries to nurse. And the close-up portrait is adorable.
And thanks, Meerkats for following Zhen Zhen running all over her yard and her climbing structure and round and round and round. I hope she eventually stopped to eat. And I loved watching her climb up and hang on the wire window to see what was going on inside the door. Cute cute cute.
March 6th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
I was lucky enough to get some snaps of ZZ just a while ago climbing up the door in the sun room. I’ve added them to the Panda set on my Flickr pages–URL in comment #18.
She was determined! She was shut in the sun room and couldn’t get back out to her exhibit. She tried everything.
I was amazed that she could climb up the door! She actually did that three times while I was watching. Feel free to grab the snaps if you want them.
March 6th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Fonsia #18: Love, love all your photos – the ones of ZZ hanging on the door grid was priceless..hehe..I would expect no less from our girl! And the ones of ZZ and mom on the last day were touching. I am so looking forward to the two girls – ZZ and Su meeting up in the trees.
March 6th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Thank you Fonsia for posting those photos!!
March 6th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Fonsia #33 – Thanks for sharing today’s photos of Zhen in the C15 enclosure. I especially love the one with the caption “Hey, Anybody home?
Zhen was pacing all around the C15 exhibit late this afternoon and acting very anxious. I think she is still feeling some separation anxiety. Zhen definitely needs a playmate. What about Zhen and Su Lin sharing an exhibit?
March 6th, 2009 at 11:36 pm
I am not fully aware of the weaning process, but I am surprised that Zhen Zhen is shut up in a room. She has always been outside, I thought, day and night. Poor baby!
March 7th, 2009 at 9:15 am
I also saw Zhen climb on the door and hang from the mesh window. She had me laughing. Such a nimble little bear. It’s amazing how athletic giant pandas are!
March 9th, 2009 at 6:29 am
Chari#24 I watched the piece on animal planet last night and believe me I have never cried so hard in my life. I couldn’t get the sounds of those poor babies out of my head. The sight and sound of the mountian coming down was heart wreching and to see the way the staff reacted to save the pandas and visitors was amazing, breaking through a wall and climbing up the ladder running to get a baby and run back down the ladder many times. The way the babies clung to the keepers showed just how scared thoses babies were and I believe showed just how much they trusted their keepers. I think the saddest part was seeing them bending over wear Mao Maos body was. Seeing this once beautiful and serene place go through this hell was mind boggling, but to know that 14 babies were born brought me a little sense of relief. I have seen clips on the internet but it didn’t compare to this. This showed the deep compassion and love the staff and the keepers has for these majestic animals.
March 9th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
I love the pictures of Miss ZZ hanging off the window grate too–and has anyone noticed that Zhen Zhen looks like a rock and roll drummer when she waves her two sticks of bamboo around? Or sometimes it looks as if she’s knitting. Or eating with giant chopsticks.
Darn it–I missed the AP special!
March 9th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
I just watched the Animal Planet special. While most of it was good to see (and when the pandas were stressed, they were still cute.) However, I was disburbed when the narrator said that Wolong is completely repaired and that the pandas have returned. They even implied that the 14 new panda cubs were born there. This is not true. I hope this misinformation doesn’t affect, too much, the needed donations to get the new Wolong facility built and equipped.
March 10th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Margaret #23, that’s correct, when Fu Long is sleeping indoor, his parents Long Hui & Yang Yang regularly spend some time together in the outdoor enclosure. They are munching bamboo and playing together. So Yang Yang can spend lot of time with her little son Fu Long who is still nursed once a day, some time with Long Hui, and there is also some time for herself being alone enjoying her bamboo or just sleeping under her favourite bush.