Repeat, and Repeat, and Repeat
Posted at 9:14 am August 6, 2009 by Suzanne HallAs I write this, it’s nearly 11 p.m. on the day of birth of our new panda cub at the San Diego Zoo. Now almost 18 hours old, the cub is settling into a nice routine with Bai Yun, developing a pattern we have seen with our other cubs and one we expect will continue for some time: periods of quiet rest lasting 20 to 45 minutes, followed by presumed nursing sessions lasting about 10 minutes, followed by 5 or more minutes of grooming the cub; then repeat, and repeat again, and again.
This rhythmic pattern demonstrates to us that all is well in the den. Bai Yun has already hit her stride with this cub, demonstrating her maternal proficiency by managing this intense period of their lives together with aplomb. The periods of quiet rest signal to us that this cub is content and satisfied with the care it is receiving. And rest allows Bai Yun to avoid exhaustion, a factor implicated in the deaths of infants. Very fatigued panda mothers have been known to crush their newborns when exhaustion overcomes them.
We are thrilled to see that Bai Yun continues to be the mother we all know that she is: competent, gentle, patient. It makes our jobs easier. And we are gratified by all of your many warm well-wishes. Thanks for caring enough about our panda program to express your enthusiasm about what is happening here. And a very special thank you to those who indicated you were moved to donate in support of our program! Your generosity is very much appreciated.
Suzanne Hall is a senior research technician for the San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research.
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August 6th, 2009 at 9:23 am
Hurray, and congrats to Bai Yun, and Gao Gao! 5 cubs! How old is too old for Bai Yun to have another cub?
August 6th, 2009 at 9:37 am
Yay for Bai! When will we find out if #5 is a boy or a girl? I can’t wait to watch this cub grow up, as I watched princess Zhen grow up.
Moderator’s note: We won’t know for a few weeks. In the meantime, just enjoy this little cutie!
August 6th, 2009 at 9:47 am
I’m very excited about the new cub. And wish Bai Yun all the best. Although twins would have been sweet, it was just not meant to be. But I can’t wait to come out there and see the new baby next year.
August 6th, 2009 at 9:47 am
I’m very excited about the new cub. And wish Bai Yun all the best. Although twins would have been sweet, it was just not meant to be. But I can’t wait to come out there and see the new baby next year.
August 6th, 2009 at 9:47 am
Wow. What great news about Day 1 for Bai and “our” new cub#5!! I was hoping that SDZ would update us all and you have. Thank you. Thank you.
August 6th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
the whole thing just warms my heart from beginning to end. now nature takes over and the expertise of a wonderful experienced, warm, and patient mother of five! bai yun is a natural mom and baby panda breeder!! we love her and big daddy too!! more fun times ahead for sdz keepers and all of us pandaholics.
our moniters will be working on over-drive for awhile now just trying to catch a glimpse of pee wee!
August 6th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Good job Bai Yun – she’s obvious an old pro by now.
But, good job to both parents. They have been very successful breeders! Must be panda love!
All the other zoos must be jealous of these two wonderful pandas.
Thanks for all the news – it is the highlight of my day.
August 6th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Thank you, Suzanne, for the update. I have long believed that Bai Yun will produce another cub in 2011. She is very healthy and has been given an excellent diet and care. She will not yet be 20 at that time. Those closest to her say that she looks exactly as she did following the birth of Hua Mei in 1999 and very little changed since her arrival at the San Diego Zoo in 1996. But for now I intend to enjoy this beautiful new addition to the Bai-Gao family.
August 6th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
It’s so-o-o hard to keep my mind on work, now that our new cub is here. My eyes are glued to the screen, just waiting for a glimpse of our new little one! Can’t wait to come out to California to visit the zoo.
August 6th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Thank you Suzanne for the update — watching Bai take care of a new cub never gets old, does it. It’s such a miracle! I apologize if you have already answered this question — but does Bai Yun know that there is a camera above her? She often looks up — so it seems she might. Also, it looks like there is a spotlight shining down on her — but I think you said that she doesn’t see it — is that correct?
August 7th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
WAY TO GO MOMMA!!! That’s our girl.
We knew you would not let us down.
Here we are again, 5th time around and it still hasn’t lost it’s magic. What can I say?
I’ll see you in 100 days girl, it’s become a tradition for us now hasn’t it.
August 7th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
When I heard yesterday about the new cub, I immediately came to the site to find out as much info as I possibly could about it. Just out of curiosity, I reread the biographies of all the pandas. It was a bit of a shock to read that Hua Mei was born 10 years ago already. She is the first panda I was able to watch during her growing up and maturing. It’s so hard to believe this litttle lady is now the mother of 7 babies herself. Do you know if she has bred with the same male, or has it been different males? I know she just a single cub about a month ago and also has birthed three sets of twins. I’m so happy we have the grandchildren of Hua Mei’s father, Shi Shi to carry on his lineage.
At any rate, about our new baby — welcome to the world, baby panda. You have an wonderful and loving mother and your daddy is quite a guy! I am looking forward to all of the joys and wonder of the next several months of watching you grow and become a little panda who can walk and play with your mama.
August 7th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
Nancy # 6, like baby name for now, pee wee, so cute. So Happy still few days later, will last me very long time. New baby animals do that to me. Thanks to all workers of the pandas, make sure to get your sleep, LOL! Much fun to come!
August 7th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Congratulations to Bai Yun and Gao Gao and, of course, the staff at SDZ. I hadn’t realized she was this close to giving birth and I was doing my usual check of the website when I saw that the baby had been born. Now I’m even more excited for my trip in April because “Pee Wee” will be on exhibit by then. I can’t wait for my first glimpse of the new cub.
August 7th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Oh hurray! The blogs are back
Bai & babe look fabulous!
August 7th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Congrats! I always check SDZ blogs and watch panda cam..but for some reason i got the news thru CNN news!!! lol i was shocked and ran up to my comp ..and was all true..where the heck I was??! anyways I am bit surprise i thought I would give it atleast another week or two…but I am just glad its over with ..bet Bai Yun is also glad too..to the staff of SDZ now you ain’t gonna get some sleep over this!
August 7th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
THanks to the staff at the zoo…you all do a great job. We will be there Aug 18…I know I wont see Bai but looking forward to seeing the others. Thanks for continuing the panda reproduction program so they dont go extinct.
August 7th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Congratulations, SDZ!! And a big wooohoooo to Bai, Gao, Su, Zhen, and the new little one!! I’m so glad that the giant panda world has just gotten bigger by one!! In honor of this grand occasion, I just adopted a giant panda family (any guesses as to which one that would be?? But of course!)!! Now I have this beautiful new panda wallpaper!
I caught a teeny, tiny glimpse of the baby this morning – just the top of the head as Bai was adjusting her position in the den. I was at SDZ in March 2008 just after the precocious ZZ went on exhibit – I will treasure my pictures from that visit forever. So, it looks like another trip is in the plans for March/April 2010 to come and see the newest giant panda!
Moderator’s note: Thank you for “adopting” a panda family, pandafan!
August 7th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Whew!! Blog withdrawal or what?! – I can breathe again. Thank goodness we still had the cam!!
Moderator’s note: We are so glad, too!! Thanks to our Web Team for working to come up with a solution to our extra-busy Web site traffic.
August 7th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Lol..I’m with you Joan, even though I could see Bai and the baby ..I was worried something was wrong. Fortunately it was only a ‘technical’ difficulty and now we are back. Thank the web team for us!! Or were they just looking for a break from us crazy pandaholics
Moderator’s note: No rest for the weary. They worked very hard to get our blog section back online. We’re still ironing out the bugs, but it’s good to be back!
August 7th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Hooray for Bai! I knew when I was watching Tuesday evening that it was going to be very soon. And when the cam view changed from the den to outdoors, I suspected that the watch team felt it was imminent. I am watching as often as I can and taken some postcard shots of the cub barely visible tucked under Bai’s arm. It looks quite content and Bai looks quite well rested as well. Congratulations to all the SDZ panda team for another job well done as well. I’m hoping for a brother for Mei Sheng this time.
August 7th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
I am so glad the blogs are back as I love reading updates on the pandas and anticipate every new word on “pee wee.” I love watching Bai taking care of this little one. She is such an amazing mother. The way she cuddles her baby in those massive paws….she is so gentle, caring, and devoted to her baby. Her devotion brings tears to my eyes. And I am so thankful for her devotion because it gives us all a glimpse into the mothering and care of a baby panda. Thank you to SDZ for all you do and for allowing us into the the lives of these precious and rare animals.
August 7th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
“Moderator’s note: No rest for the weary. They worked very hard to get our blog section back online. We’re still ironing out the bugs, but it’s good to be back!”
Yes, thanks for all the hard work! Also, is it just me or do new births seem to strain you and your colleagues? A new elephant arrives, someone demands profile updates immediately (me and some others, we understand these things can wait). A new panda arrives, traffic crashes the site. I hope the future SDZ births are stress-free for the mothers, babies, relatives *and* staff!
Moderator’s note: It has been busy for keepers, researchers, and Web Team. But moderators thrive on all of these comments! And the Web Team will post an updated Meet the Elephants page when their workload allows. It will be worth the wait. Thanks for your patience.
August 7th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Love to see that all is well in panda land. Just love ZZ will love the “pee wee” to. Glad SDZ has big daddy. Hope baby is a boy but will love baby if it a girl too. Loved all the cam. Have fun with mommy and “pee wee”.
August 7th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Oh……the blogs are back!! Yay!! While I spent today with Bai and babe in the upper left hand corner of my computer screen (I’ll probably get into trouble at work for that, if the IT people catch on!), I missed reading the blog and sharing everyone’s excitement, enthusiasm, tension, love, tears, fears, and hope, knowing that I’m not the only one feeling all these emotions or the only one riding on this same rollercoaster of thoughts. Mei Lan at ZA was my first panda cub experience from birth….and I’ve followed that with Zhen Zhen….and then Xi Lan. I even shed tears when Mei Sheng left for China. And I really would have liked to have “known” Hua Mei (she certainly is her mother’s daughter!) And we all now have this wonderful little guy [oh, was that a Freudian slip?
].
I think everyone at SDZ is to be congratulated for the wonderful success you all have encouraged with the great panda bears in your care. Of course you have the wonderful Gao Gao and Bai Yun to work with, but the knowledge that you all have gleaned throughout the years with these wonderful, breathtaking, awesome animals has served you well, and all the little California pandas have been testament to all your effort, awareness, sensitivity, and science. I applaud you all!
Oh…..and THANK YOU!! xxxxx to all!
August 7th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
Oh! I am so glad to be able to “see” everyone on the blog again. I didn’t realize I go into the blog so often until I couldn’t do it at all! Let me say this just in case I don’t “see” you for awhile again…I really value all the time we spend together reading and writing comments, watching the kids grow, and seeing new panda babies being born. To all the pandaholics, keepers, moderators, Suzanne, thank you for having a place where everyone can discuss all things animal, especially panda. I have come to really look forward to seeing everyone here. Having a new baby to watch and comment on makes a great place even more special. Seeing Bai Yun taking care of her baby is a wonderful experience even if you’ve seen her in her mother mode before. It just never loses it’s magic.
August 7th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Stupid question..but when does Bai Yun eat??
August 7th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
“Stupid question..but when does Bai Yun eat??”
My guess is that right now she’s living on fat she stored from eating extra before giving birth. Here’s why:
According to _Winter World : The Ingenuity of Animal Survival_ by Bernd Heinrich, “…Once settled in, [grizzlies and black bears] don’t feed for seven months, living off their body fat until late spring. In January, sows give birth to two to three naked cubs, which don’t hibernate. They snuggle up to their mother and suckle for the three additional months she hibernates, all the while losing about twice as much body fat as males…” (I also guess the mothers just assume that any little fuzzy things in the den when they wake up must be their offspring and that’s *usually* close enough to help the mothers nurture their actual sons and daughters to grow up and pass on the genes for that instinct, since Heinrich also says “…a rabbit-hunting beagle wandered under a brush pile in the Maine woods, which happened to be the den of a black bear with her two cubs. The beagle attempted to retreat, but every time the dog tried to crawl out, the bear dragged it back inside. The sow acted as though the beagle was one of her cubs…”).
Now, we know panda bears actually aren’t very closely related to grizzly bears and black bears, and Bai Yun’s not hibernating, but I wouldn’t be surprised if storing extra fat ahead of time to live off while focusing more on babies than on hunting and foraging could pop up in panda bears too as a result of convergent evolution.
August 7th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
#27, Janae, it will be a few more days. With no hair, the baby’s body can’t regulate its temperature, but when he/she gets a little bigger with some hair, Bai will leave for food and water.
Thank you Suzanne, for your update. You always know just what we are wondering. You are so good to us, and we love you for it.
So glad the Crash of ‘09 is over.
August 8th, 2009 at 12:06 am
Pee Wee – what a brilliant name. That’s stuck for life now!
To all the Staff, Meerkats and Moderator – thank you for your hard work getting all the info out to us and in getting the blogs back up and running again. You don’t realise how much you miss them until they’re gone!
I probably missed this somewhere along the way but can I ask, is the temperature controlled in Bai’s den or is it kept warm for Pee Wee?
August 8th, 2009 at 3:29 am
Thank goodness, the blogs are back and I am now – at long last – able to congratulate everyone at SDZ and of course wonderful Bai Yun and Gao Gao on this cute cub. Sorry for being so late doing this but it was beyond my control. However, better late than never! Not only do I wish to congratulate you all but thank you for all your hard and efficient work during the last couple of days and NIGHTS. Suzanne, fantastic job done! What would we do without you? I know that all the panda bloggers are over the moon regarding your updates at such speedy time, which is very appreciated. The video was just heartwarming and made me swallow very hard when the cub wriggled around and vocalized for the first time. If his/her voice is an indication of his/her future strength, I guess, we are all in for a big surprise! Whenever watching the web cam Bai Yun looks so peaceful and happy. She is such a wonderful mom! Well, good luck for the next couple of weeks. Watching the web cam is a special highlight for me day after day!
August 8th, 2009 at 4:41 am
Wow…pandaholics crashed the blog and panda cam? And why not, the excitement is at a fever pitch. So glad folks are taking an interest in these beautiful bears. Bai, you are a great mom! Trying to catch a peek of the cub#5 but Bai is very nuturing and the cam is at the top of the den…all in due time, all in due time.
SDZ, hope you will be putting out your videos of the new cubs exams when the time comes. Those were just the best when you did them for Zhen Zhen. My personal fav was Zhen yelping when she got the canine distemper shots and the look on the vet’s face as the keeper returned a still yelping Zhen to the den.
Now all, don’t forget to support Zoo Atlanta too in keeping Yang Yang, Lun Lun, Mei Lan and AJ. Support their fund raising effort too in addition to adopting our SDZ pandas.
Moderator’s note: Rest assured that we’ll post that first exam video and photos!!
August 8th, 2009 at 7:03 am
I just watch Bai in awe, of what a wonderful, perfect mother she is. I dont think I have ever seen such a good mom to her offspring, in the animal kingdom as Bai Yun. I have watched the birth video over and over again, just because I love watching Bai’s motherly instincts kick in immediately following birth. Watching Bai with her cubs just takes your breath away. I cannot get enough of the panda cam !
August 8th, 2009 at 7:47 am
Many thanks to the meerkats for fixing the blog!
August 8th, 2009 at 8:21 am
I am happy for Bai Yun! but it another repeat. I wish her good luck on the new cub. tonia
August 8th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Such a beautiful birthing! Blessings to all! Claudia ____________________(the blog is not “UP” here unless you count getting to it through the listing of all the animals and previous number of blogs?)
Moderator’s note: You’re right, we still have some glitches to fix. Thanks for the alert and we’re glad you found us!
August 8th, 2009 at 11:22 am
WOW!!!!!! Thanks for the fabulous closeup of cubbie while Bai Yun went to get her 1st(?) drink at 12:15 PM PDT Sat. The cub looks very plump and healthy, with a very strong neck and limbs. Bai Yun had it safely tucked between two large pieces of bamboo, kind like a mini-play pen while she was gone. It didn’t look like it was stressed or alarmed at all, and she returned very calmly and picked it up gently in her mouth and is sitting up feeding or cleaning it. What a beautiful experience. I am thrilled that I just happened to check in at the perfect moment. We are so blessed to have this opportunity to witness such wonderful maternal care so close as if we were there in the den with them.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!
August 8th, 2009 at 11:26 am
I have just seen the new little one all by itself it looks healthy mooving its little head around oh so beautiful, momma was soon back gently picking the little one up ,thank you for the wonderful pictures of them on the cam, was it making any noise while it was by itself? thanks again for all your care and sharing theese precious moments with us all.
August 8th, 2009 at 11:27 am
P.S. It looks like “Pee Wee” has got a lot of fur already. Although it is still white but you can see its eyes and ears very clearly, even the tiny claws and nails with the fantastic close-ups that the keepers of the cam were able to zoom in on while Bai was gone. I am sure it was heart warming to keepers and staff to get such a great closeup view of the cub for the 1st time. It looks like it is an extremely healthy and robust cub. Sorry #2 didn’t make it into the world, but the extra nutrition was probably used by Bai’s body in the last few days pre-delivery to build the strength for the cub that was born.
August 8th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
Bai Yun took a break today and gave us a great view of the new cubbie!! He’s huge! Or seems to be to me, very healthy looking and obviously getting fed quite well! Did she eat and drink anything when she went out? Or was a just a ‘do your business break’ ?
August 8th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Got here through the “San Diego Zoo blogs”. Clicking directly produces Error 404.
August 8th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
you know I am still celebrating about ZZ ..now this!! this is too much!!! I love it!! yea blog is up!! this is what I look at first thing in the morning, noon and nite..ok I admit ..every hr and minute I am on the comp…
August 8th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
Well, I finally was able to find a current panda update out of all of this mess with all of the animal blogs! Man!! What a crash you all had! When I saw that you had around 250 comments on your update about the birth of the baby panda in ONE DAY, I figured something was going to come up, but I did not expect the whole entire panda blog and the other 3 animal blogs to go totally OUT at the same time! Ever since this past Thursday nite, I have been hitting the panda blog link and getting the error404 title on the page. I also read your statement about the blog situation, and that answered my question as to what in the world happened to you all!! Anyway, I did find this by hitting the August 2009 link. So, here goes with some of the comments that I wanted to make on Thursday nite!
Kathy (#233 on the other update) and Candy (#237 on the other update), I really liked your comments to Donna (#235) about the female pandas and the conservation efforts that China, US, Japan, Thailand, Australia, Taiwan, and Europe are doing to try like crazy to keep these animals from leaving this world for good. I hope that Donna will start to read about these pandas and the efforts to keep these bears going despite habitat encroachment and destruction, and the human population increase in China. The May, 2008 earthquake was a huge wake up call on how fragile these panda bears are when it comes to a very destructive natural disaster that China had to endure last year. The report of only 35 wild pandas being spotted in those earthquake scarred mountains should be a huge concern for everyone because that number is down from the near 1,600 that was spotted a couple of years ago. None of the USA zoos will do anything to harm these bears—NO WAY!! They are too involved in the research and study of these bears so that we all can understand them, their lifestyles, the female bears’ reproduction, and their habitat. All of the other zoos and reserves around the world are doing the very same thing to help these bears stay with us!
Panda mills?? Not on SDZ’s watch or anyone else’s!! SDZ panda keepers, keep on going with your very hard work with these pandas, ok? You deserve awards for what you are doing along with the panda keepers at NZ, AZ, and MZ!
Off of my soapbox! Suzanne, did you get my comment about a question of whether female pandas’ twins go thru twin to twin transfusion in utero just like human baby twins? Just wondering because I didn’t see that comment on the list of comments with the last update. I’m sure that will be a fascinating research project with female pandas and how their reproductive system works. I’m curious about that myself! I’m always willing to learn more about these bears!
Well, gonna go and check pandacam! Just saw the cam, and I thought I got a very quick one second pick of Bai’s baby panda when she was starting to sit up. She’s been wrapping that baby up in her large warm furry arms since she gave birth on August 5, so I haven’t gotten a peek at him in awhile!
Will be back in a bit! (Hope this goes thru without any glitches!)
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
August 8th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
What a thrill! Today, August 8th at 12.13.22, I was able to snap a picture of our sweet little cub. Minutes later, Bai picked up the cub and immediately sat up with her back to the camera. The cub looked so adorable nestled between the bamboo branches on the floor of the den.
Moderator and Cindy in East Lansing – Thank you for your kind words. The birth of this cub does lift my spirits.
August 8th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Hi, you all! Suzanne, or anyone that can answer this, when do you think you will be able to get that error404 off of the panda blog page so that we can see all of the updates again? Let us know, ok?
Janae (#238 from last update), answering your question about Xi Lan’s start to his crazy life. He was born at Atlanta Zoo to Lun Lun on August 30, 2008. During the first couple of days of the first week, everything was going very well with Lun taking very good care of her cub; this is her second cub after Mei Lan, her daughter. Then, about the third or fourth day of the cub’s life, something was not going right, and the keepers and vets had to intervene. Lun apparently was not able to give enough milk to her cub for some reason, and laid the cub down. Somehow, she knew something was not right with herself or her cub. After watching Lun and Xi for a few hours, it was apparent that the keepers had to go in and remove the cub from Lun and place him in an incubator. It was found that Lun had some kind of an infection that she was treated for with antibiotics, and the cub remained in the incubator for almost 2 weeks. Xi was also given small doses of antibiotics and was fed thru a bottle until they determined that his weight was where they felt he should be. After nearly 2 weeks, Xi was returned to Lun, and without skipping a beat, Lun took her baby panda and took care of him like nothing happened. Every once in awhile for a couple of more weeks, the keepers and vets monitored Xi’s weight and Lun’s actions on how she responded to the keepers taking Xi in and out of the den. Lun responded very well to the whole situation, and now you see the result of that constant care and love that Lun gave to Xi since that illness. During that time, the pandacam at AZ was not showing Lun and Xi for nearly a month, but they finally got the cam back on them for the 24/7 time period until it was taken offline temporarily until more money came in to get it back online. Now, we all see a very healthy, active, playful, mischievous cub that is contantly keeping his mom, Lun, very busy on the cam. Now you know what went on with Xi Lan a few days after he was born. The AZ vets were fortunate to have one of their Chinese colleagues at the panda house with them to help them out during that crisis, and they got some very good info from him on how to care for the cub after intervening. No doubt that they will remember that for a very long time to come, and also have the great info to refer to just in case another scenario like Xi’s happens again.
Hope this helps you out with this explanation. Sorry I write alot, but there was alot of info to share about Xi Lan’s birth. This is why everyone involved with panda conservation are so interested in situations like Xi Lan’s because that is the kind of research info that keepers, vets, and researchers will use in learning what happens to baby pandas when things go wrong with them and their moms in captivity.
Gotta go and get to the pandacam. Hope to catch another peek at the baby panda again!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
August 8th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
OK! Back again! Checked pandacam, and Bai is still in her familiar laying down position keeping her cub all wrapped up. Will still keep watching the cam to get a peek at the cub!
A couple of days ago at around 4pm EDT, I got on the AZ pandacam and saw a very cute site! Lun and Xi were laying down on the hammock together napping. SOOOO CUTE!! Then, all too soon, Lun wakes up and starts to roll off of the hammock waking Xi Lan in the process, and he rolls off of the hammock right after her! That was fun to watch even tho it was a short time! They looked so peaceful together in that hammock!
MSNBC and CNN had the news about Bai’s baby panda, and both websites have the videos. Pandas International, Pandas Live On, and Zooborns all had news of the newest US panda being born. PLO and Zooborns both have the videos of the birth of Bai’s cub.
Well, I did it! I am now on Facebook! I saw the little announcement about SDZ being on Facebook, so being the pandafan that I am, I got signed up on the site. I don’t know if I will be allowed to give my Facebook ID or not, but you can look for me on the SDZ page on Facebook. Written a couple of comments already. I’m also on Twitter, too! Hopefully, SDZ will sign up on Twitter along with Facebook! More ways for pandafans to communicate with each other!!
One more thing, I counted the last days gestation on Bai up to the day she gave birth. Bai went 112 days gestation when she gave birth to her cub on August 5. Is that the usual gestation time line for Bai in the past when she’s given birth to her other cubs? Just wondering as usual!
Well, that’s it for catching things up! Now, I am going to go back to the pandacam and watch Bai with her cub! Will be back later on! Goodnite!!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
August 8th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
It’s around midnight SDZ time and the cam on Bai is so clear that I feel I can reach out and stroke her. It’s as if I’m there too. I can see every one of her claws and her markings and little Pee Wee tucked under her chin. Every now and then, when Bai’s grip relaxes as she sleeps, Pee Wee wriggles and instantly the grip tightens again, then relaxes. She is so calm and happy. Thank you Meerkats for the wonderful close-ups.
August 8th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
Pee Wee stretched and I saw a teeny weeny little leg! Am I sad or what?
August 9th, 2009 at 3:25 am
SDZ Staff? Why isn’t birthing for pandas not so bloody or we just can’t see it??? it just hit me is Panda birthing as not as gross as humans? or other animals…
August 9th, 2009 at 8:26 am
Congratulations to Bai Yun and Studmuffin on their beautiful little Cubmuffin!
August 9th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Where is Bai at now? That doesn’t look like the birthing den she’s always used.
August 9th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Ok. Never mind. It’s just camera angles I don’t remember ever seeing before.
August 9th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Congratulations Bai Yun!!! Well done……..
Congrats and thank you to all you wonderful people at the San Diego Zoo for all that you do on a daily basis for these wonderful pandas.
Thank you for sharing Bai Yuns precious and wonderful moment with us all……………..
August 9th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
I saw your sweet new arrival wriggling around just above Bai Yun’s paw the other day and was thrilled to get such an early peek. Mother and lively cub looked very content. Bai Yun now can call her brood “The Fab Five.”
Congratulations, again! You must be so excited! I know “Cub” will soon wow the world with good looks and oodles of panda personality!
August 9th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
about 20 minutes ago, I got a small glimpse of little pee wee under mommy’s arm. it was wiggling and bai was trying to re-position herself and the baby. she is sooo gentle and nuturing with that little one! it amazes me how she can pick up that baby which is so tiny and she is sooo big! a gentle giant that is for sure! now she has her back to the camera as she has changed position. it is so exciting just to see the smallest gesture or movement on the part of mommy and baby. no one needs to worry about that baby staying warm! bai makes sure the little one is fed and kept warm & cuddled. love it!!!
August 9th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Wonderful news and all the blog posts. I was just able to catchup on everyone’s posts. The poem, songs and conversations are wonderful – I have goosebumps. A virutal hug to Rose for her loss. Louis Armstrong’s Its a Wonderful World is my favorite!
I am, unfortunately, going to be so close but so far to see our Hua Mei and Mei Sheng in BiFengXia on this trip. I will watch all the goings on in San Diego from Beijing so that I feel home and stay caught up. Next trip over here, must book extra time for vacation and to see “our” babies.
Best to all,
August 9th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
just checkin’….momma and baby….lullaby and sleep tight….well, maybe not sleep tight…i am sure this has been covered before, but….how many years is Bai Yun in human years? has this been figured out for pandas, like cats and dogs? would just like to get an idea…her mothering skills just boggle my mind, wish all babies could experience a loving momma like she is. wouldn’t the world just be the best place ever? (zz-oxoxo)
August 10th, 2009 at 4:17 am
the only way that I can get on the blog is to add comments on another article like ” repeat, repeat & repeat.” if I just click on panda bears blogs, a blank page comes up that says error 404 page not found. I take it that this is still a glitch in the system from all! the traffic on this web site!? I bet the regular panda-holics are going nuts!
Moderator’s Note: We’re working on it!
August 10th, 2009 at 4:57 am
Just caught a little glimpse of the peanut. Its so exciting having another little one to watch from day 1.
August 10th, 2009 at 6:52 am
Whenever I check the web cam Bai Yun looks so peaceful and happy. It is rather difficult to figure out if she is holding her cub in her paw, well, it sometimes looks like it. I have just received some news from Schoenbrunn regarding a video featuring Fu Long and his mom Yang Yang which is truly heartwarming. Here is the link: http (colon)(forwardslash)(forwardslash)pandanews(dot)wordpress(dot)com(forwardslash)2009(forwardslash)08(forwardslash)10(forwardslash)wien-happy-fu-long(forwardslash)(Lucky Fu Long and his family). Enjoy!
August 10th, 2009 at 7:34 am
I have been obsessively watching the cam, but have had only one glimpse of peanut…mama is sure good at protecting him/her!
Good to see things up and running this a.m.
August 10th, 2009 at 7:46 am
Got a good view of the newest darling baby when mama Bai briefly stepped out for about a minute, s/he looks healthy and well-fed, was quite calm and without sound I could only guess s/he just made a few where-are-you noises as the little head raised a few times…but it looks like a great baby, and Bai is as always the perfect panda mom. Pee-wee is a cute nickname, but I like to call it P-pod (rather than I-pod), or Peapod, or Sweetpea(pod). This is so fun, thank you SDZoo. Hope the regular blog channel is up soon.
August 10th, 2009 at 8:21 am
Chari..thanks so much much for your detailed responses and explanations. You are really on top of it!
)
I miss the blogs but glad I found this. Appreciate everyone’s inputs
August 10th, 2009 at 8:47 am
The cubbie is so very cute. Good job Bai Yun.
Also, as a follow up to #47 – Chari – Xi Lan was not separated from Lun Lun for 2 weeks. They were separated for 19 hours, at which time he was given ‘back’ to Lun Lun. He was then frequently removed from Lun Lun over the next couple weeks to check on his weight to make sure he was thriving. He’s almost one!
August 10th, 2009 at 9:22 am
Margaret (37) and others, thanks so much for the heads up on pee wee alone the other day! I just checked the time lapse and . . . WOW, that is one chubby little panda baby! Soooooooo cool!!!
August 10th, 2009 at 10:07 am
Xi Lan and Lun Lun were only separated for 19 hours after laying him down, not 2 weeks.She had the cub on a Sunday night and on Monday night the trouble started(if memory serves). I had watched them all that day, and saw the baby slip down from Lun Lun’s breast that afternoon. Lun Lun quickly stood up and picked the baby back up. About 4 hours later, she laid the baby down and walked over to the side of the den. The cub was on the floor of the den when keepers put there hand thru and covered the baby with straw, trying to keep it warm. Lun Lun would not pick the baby up. So the keepers had to intervene. It was thought that Lun Lun had an infection in her breast, and was not able to nurse the baby. So, they took Xi Lan away to access him but at the time, they had no idea what was wrong. He was returned to Lun 19 hours later. She had no hesitation in accepting the cub back to her care. Now, lets just remember that was a wonderful outcome of a very scary event. Now, we have baby #5 with Bai Yun. All is well with this cubby. Anyone wondering about this event can go to Zoo Atlanta and read the account first hand. They should still have this info available.
August 10th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Cam work is awesome! Do we know if Bai Yun has left the nest yet for water or food?
Moderator’s Note: See the latest blog entry, “Fueling Up”
August 10th, 2009 at 10:42 am
I am just curious right now, and I will probably see an answer in a blog to follow soon… Has Bai Yun left the den for the first time yet? As I recall, she left the den for a drink of water within 48 hours after birth of Zhen Zhen??!!
Moderator’s Note: By now, you’ve no doubt found the answer to your question in Suzanne’s latest blog, here.
August 10th, 2009 at 11:40 am
Hi Ruth #60 – It’s so nice to have you back on the panda blog. Bai Yun is truly an amazing mom. When Zhen Zhen was born, I remember watching Bai hold the cub on her paw while grooming it, and then hug it against her chest.
Thanks for pointing out the video of Fu Long with his mom – it is very moving. Fu Long with that little white hind foot is so charming. I understand that Fu Long will be going back to China at the end of this year. It goes without saying that there will be many panda fans in Vienna who will miss him very much. No doubt, ALL panda fans will miss him.
August 10th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
“SDZ Staff? Why isn’t birthing for pandas not so bloody or we just can’t see it??? it just hit me is Panda birthing as not as gross as humans? or other animals…”
The size difference between Bai Yun and Pee Wee is huge, and the size difference between my mother and me when I was born is nowhere near as huge. Maybe that’s why?
August 10th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Thanks for all the updates. I have been watching as much as possible. I am sure Bai know the camera is up there….she always manages to turn her back to it.
August 10th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Congratulations to momma! To the SDZ staff…Thank you so much for having the web cam on 24/7, it gives everyone the chance to see mom and baby#5 whenever we can. And thank you for being so caring and wonderful to all the animals at the zoo. When I was there for the first time in February 09, I absolutely loved it. I was amazed at how it was so clean and didn’t smell ‘like a zoo!’. I was thoroughly impressed with the care and love given to each and every ‘resident’. GREAT JOB!
August 10th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
YIPPEE! I was chatting with a co-worker, I turned to my computer and baby was all by itself! I almost fell on the floor….I was missing this important moment, talking to my stupid co-worker! Egads! I took several screen shots, just magnificent!! I am so glad momma slipped away for a breather…I myself felt more refreshed seeing her eating a few shoots and I think drinking some water? Then, back she went and scooped baby up. This is just amazing! Momma Bai you deserves bouquets and bouquet of beautiful flowers.. er…..bamboo. Watching baby in momma’s paw, looking at those long claws right next to baby, she is such a gentle beast (I say beast in only the most loving way possible). (Miss you, Zhennie)
August 10th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Jane and Widget, thanks for correcting me! Got my brain sort of scrambled since that has been almost a year ago when that crisis situation happened with Xi Lan. I’m pretty sure I got the rest of it right, tho. Xi Lan will be a one year old in nearly 3 weeks! Wonder what the AZ panda keepers have in mind for his birthday celebration? Hopefully, they will schedule the party for AFTER 10am EDT so that all of us pandafans can watch it on the pandacam!
Well, gonna go and get back on the SDZ pandacam to watch Bai and baby panda!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
August 10th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
So glad the blog is back – was having terrible withdrawal:)
I had planned on answering Donna from a previous blog but found many told her what I would have- her comments were tasteless & unfounded
No blog – what an awful week-end- but did see our Bai being a wonderful Mom as usual. I think I did get to see our newest cubbie ( & I like the name P-pod). on a few occasions, Bai is a super mom
Check out the ZA panda update for some fun news.
And an URGENT REQUEST FROM PANDAS INTERNATIONAL today – they need $$$$ urgently to plant bamboo in areas that the last year’s earthquake destroyed. If these areas are not replanted this season the pandas in this area will starve to death – hope the Moderator will allow me to quote this from PI “What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, Men would die from a great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man.
— Chief Seattle, Suquamish Indian Tribe”‘
And from PI “All things are connected. Bare land doesn’t grow bamboo. Devastated forests don’t protect the bamboo. Pandas die of starvation without bamboo. And as we’ve reported, one wild panda has already been found dead of starvation and farmers in these remote regions are seeing more and more wild pandas scavenging for food”
We rejoice in our cubs born here one at a time while our wild panda population is facing extinction faster than we know. What a problem = So many unemployed – how to we decide whom to help – our neighbors that have lost their jobs & or homes or to try & plant somewhere in China to save the Chinese national icon.
August 10th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Congratultions team on getting the blogs back, I missed reading about our wonderful Mommy and her little Peanut.
Keep up the good work. I am going to check on them one more time before going to bed.
Thanks again.
August 10th, 2009 at 11:33 pm
Hi, Rose#69, thanks, I tremendously enjoy being back on the blog. It feels like being back in a big family where everyone has got the same goal, i.e. our beloved pandas. You guys in the States are so enthusiastic regarding the pandas whereas in Europe it is so completely different. Therefore, it is so great for me being part of you panda lovers.
What a pleasure to have the blogs back, thank you so much for all your hard work. The crash of the website when baby was born does, however, speak for itself, doesn’t it? The interest worldwide in SDZ must have been tremendous!
August 11th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
I think it’s great we have another panda cub. Any way we could get audio with the panda cam?