Ten Panda Questions
Posted at 10:15 am February 1, 2010 by Anastasia Jonilionis
Here are some questions posed by our panda blog post readers, along with answers…
Question #1
I have had the wonderful experience of watching the movies of the other zoos where the pandas are. Seen the little cubs, many all together playing, and tussling, and generally having fun and exercise. So I have noticed that Yun Zi (roly poly) has nothing to play with, but the other pandas have many things to occupy them, besides each other…
Pandas are normally solitary, but all of our bears have enrichment to keep them active and, more important, to keep their mind active. We give our adult bears puzzle boxes filled with biscuits, and every bear has a climbing apparatus. Our goal here at the San Diego Zoo is to have an exhibit that is as natural as possible, and though we may not have the same forms of climbing structures as other zoos, we have gotten great feedback from all of our animals when it comes to their health, appetite, and activity level. Every morning Yun Zi is given either a ball or pine cones, and we even have a hanging ball for him as well. We know he looks to be sleeping all day, but he does get some good exercise in. On one of his last exams, we could feel those muscles in his legs, especially his front legs. He hasn’t been climbing too long, but as he gains confidence in the trees he will go higher and play more in the trees. We are always thinking up new ways to keep our bears active, and we always make sure that our young Yun Zi has something to keep him busy, and Mom always helps us with that!
Question #2
Is there such a thing as a baby panda concussion, and do you check him out thoroughly when you weigh him or after times you become aware that he may have hit his head rather hard?
Seeing cubs take a fall, and seeing how rough Mom can be with them, can be startling at first. This is the third cub I’ve watched grow up from birth, and I can assure you that this is normal. These guys are incredibly tough, but we do, of course, check our cub to make sure that everything is going well. Baby pandas can fall from great distances out of trees without getting hurt, and I’ve seen Bai Yun get very effective with her “correction.” Important things we listen for are vocalizations from the cub letting Mom know that something hurts or that she may be getting too rough. So far we haven’t gotten any vocalizations or body language that he is hurt or that something is wrong, and our vets are always on standby. When we have our exams, the vets look at responses from the cub to make sure that he’s responding quickly and accurately.
Question #3
I’ve seen Yun Zi scratching like a dog and wonder if fleas are a problem for pandas?
Yun Zi likes to roll around in the leaves, mud, dirt, and even mulch, so scratching isn’t too unexpected. All of our animals are checked for fleas, and we’ve really never had flea problems with the pandas. Great question, though!
Question #4
As I watch Mom and little Yun Zi roll around in the sawdust, I was wondering how they bathe and keep themselves clean. Do they groom themselves like a cat? Does mom groom Zi?
Giant pandas bathe themselves by dust bathing. We give them fresh piles of soil, even wood shavings, and they will roll around, completely covering themselves till sometimes they look like black bears. They get up, shake it all off, and go about their day. Females bathe their cubs by licking them, which is why our cub sometimes look pink. Bai Yun, our adult female, gets leafeater biscuits, which are a pink reddish color, at every meal, and she may clean the baby right after.
Question #5
The Full Moon is due the end of the month; do the pandas show any unusual behavior at this time like some humans do?
Honestly, we’ve never seen any difference in behavior. But when a female is close to her estrus…that’s a different story!
Question #6
I imagine that pandas don’t all sound alike and have many different tones to express themselves. Would that be true, or just speculation? If you were only able to rely on their voice, without reading their body language, would you be able to interpret when they’re feeling distressed vs. having fun, or when they’re mad?
Giant pandas have 11 different vocalizations that we have heard, recorded, and established meaning to, which helps our research and keeper team. When the cub plays, we really don’t hear anything unless Mom gets too rough, and when that happens we hear more of a whining sound. When he is unhappy about Mom correcting him, we hear what sounds like a bark or yelp. When Mom is talking to us, letting us know she’s ready for breakfast, she will bleat to us (sounds like a goat), and when she calls to the cub she will bleat as well, but it’s much deeper.
Question #7
I’m so curious about whether you all have insights into why it seems so satisfying to a panda to lay with his or her head hanging down over the platform or tree limb. I have been watching Bai Yun and Yun Zi daily since Yun Zi’s birth in August. Everything about them intrigues me, but this pose looks so intensely satisfying to them. Is it learned? An inherent physical need? It’s so “panda.”
I’ve been working at the Giant Panda Research Station for about five years now, and I think every one of them has a different form of it, but yes, they do tend to hang their head down. Bai Yun has always done it since I first saw her, and it might just be a way to lay her head as she sleeps. Gao Gao rarely hangs his head, from what I’ve seen.
Question #8
Where are the toys we panda fans bought our baby panda? I remember he had a blue ball and a bamboo toy when he was younger, and didn’t seem super interested, but what about now? What happened to them? He needs some toys!
All of the panda toys are still at the Giant Panda Research Station and are used on a daily basis. We try not to put the same thing in with the cub every day so that he doesn’t get bored with it or uninterested. Just like any child, though, there are days when he just wants something different from what we gave him, and, like a child, he does hide them in his exhibit sometimes and makes it difficult for us to get them back. But I promise we still have them and use them every day, especially when he has an exam–anything to keep him still, or at least in one place for our vets!
Question #9
We all know the noises that pandas make, like when Yunior was in his exams. But when he and mommy are playing, does he makes noises at her, and, better yet, does she at him? They look like they do, and I have always wondered if there are noises to go along with the playtimes.
We really haven’t heard a lot of vocalization from Yun Zi during playtime with Mom. With exams, though, he sort of whines at us to let us know he doesn’t want to do them, and we do our best to find a toy to keep him happy. Bai Yun really only calls to the cub when she’s trying to get him up in the morning, and she’ll call to him by making a bleat that’s deeper than her normal bleat.
Question #10
I do want to know if Su Lin redecorated again the other day. It certainly appeared that another tree had tipped over.
Su Lin redecorated the one tree that fell over, but since then there hasn’t really been any more remodeling. She is very good at it, though!
Anastasia Jonilionis is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo.
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February 1st, 2010 at 10:33 am
Thank you for all the info. one question, will bai yun have any more cubs? She sure takes care of them
Do you ever have the cameras on Gao Gao? And when at the park is he on display?
Thanks again
lu
Moderator’s note: Looks like 3 questions to me
#1 If Bai Yun shows normal behavioral and physiolgical signs of estrus in 2011, we will pair her with Gao Gao again. From our records of females in zoos, pandas over 18 are less likely to bear offspring. That said, Bai Yun has always shown exemplary reproductive behavior, so who knows what she has in store for us.
#2 The Cam focuses on Gao Gao from time to time.
#3 Gao is not on exhibit at this time.
February 1st, 2010 at 10:49 am
Dear SD Zoo staff,
Do you have plans to make a DVD with the cub exams footage, extra footage, hi-res photos?
Thanks,
Alex
February 1st, 2010 at 10:51 am
Thanks. Great questions and answers!!
I’m still curious as to a panda year how it relates to a human year.
Hmm…?
Panda Team responds: No one knows the answer to that question.
February 1st, 2010 at 10:54 am
As always YOU ALL ROCK!!! Great questions and answers from the team! I know we panda nuts tend to drive you all crazy with all our questions! We just love our bears! My son saw the news on TV about the pandas going home to China and and came running the room over the weekend to ask if it was one of “my bears and was I upset” I then got to explain to my son the difference in the zoos and the reason all the zoos send the pandas back home. He did understand at that point but thought it would of been “Cool if they had just moved the boy and girl pandas to another zoo here in America for more people to fall in love like his mommy” To bad we can’t ask for that! Then we could keep the pandas here and even get babies out of it!
February 1st, 2010 at 10:56 am
Thanks! I love that you are periodically answering the oh so many questions we panda lovers have. It’s very informative and helps us better understand the behaviors we are seeing. And we DO love to see these pandas and their behaviors as much as possible!
February 1st, 2010 at 11:06 am
Thanks for answering these questions. I have been wondering about some of these for a long time.
February 1st, 2010 at 11:08 am
Thank you Anastasia,
At this time you have certainly answered all of my questions remarkably well!
In my quest for Panda Lore I probably will be asking you many more over the year.
They don’t call me Curious George for nothing!
You are a fave Professor in Pandas #101 ! Right on!
February 1st, 2010 at 11:10 am
On Thursday Feb.4, 2010, Tai Shan from the National Zoo and Mei Lan from Zoo Atlanta are going to China for their participation in the breeding program. I know Su Lin is a month or so younger than Tai Shan. When will she be leaving for China?
Moderator’s note: No date for Su Lin’s move has been established.
February 1st, 2010 at 11:14 am
I think you are trying to spoil us with all these updates.
I know we all appreciate them very much, but I really thank you.
Between work, school and care-taking for my father, my panda cam time is very limited. These updates really help me de-stress.
February 1st, 2010 at 11:20 am
It’s wonderful to see what a good mother Bai Yun is, you can really tell how much she loves little Yun Zi.
She really loves to play with him, so much that sometimes he tries to get away to sleep.
February 1st, 2010 at 11:29 am
I love the “10 questions format”… Thank you Panda Keeper… So many times as I read the blogs I wonder about the same things… I especially like to read about how they’re trained. Thanks again!!
February 1st, 2010 at 11:31 am
thanks for the answers to all these questions that have all been asked numerous times in the past. I think that people tend the views of the chinese way as the only way to do things. but, as we all know, their babies are taken away from their mommies at a very early age so the females can breed again sooner.
I like the way sdz leaves the baby with mom for 18 months. it seems much kinder. but then, I guess their space is limited as to the amount of pandas there for breeding purposes. ( meaning the chinese )
our pandas which are here in the USA for a limited time only will be returned to china after 3 to 4 yrs. I guess you could say we are LEASING THEM FOR ALOT OF MONEY! the USA has a love affair with these wonderful giant pandas! thanks to you & your wonderful staff, cams & blogs, posts etc., our world has enlarged & taught us so much about the pandas & has let us view everything that is possible with their their great cams!! thanks alot for letting us in the animal world.
February 1st, 2010 at 11:55 am
To Lu Latimer (response #1),
When we were at San Diego two weeks ago to see Yun Zi & Bai Yun, Su Lin and Zhen Zhen, we were able to see Gao Gao through a little space in the fence as he was next door to where Yun Zi and Bai Yun were. Most people didn’t realize it, though, unless they were familiar with all the bears. He was sleeping and we got a few good shots of Gao.
February 1st, 2010 at 11:57 am
I traveled to China in Oct and spent a few days at the Panda reserve. I was able to see Hau Mei and her new cub and Mei Sheng. I have pictures that I would love to share with the keeper and the Narrators.
Moderator’s note: You can post them on the San Diego Zoo’s Facebook page under “Fan Photos” at http://www.facebook.com/SanDiegoZoo#/SanDiegoZoo?v=photos
February 1st, 2010 at 11:58 am
Interesting questions and thank you for the answers. I think that cubs playing together would be really cute…..but I appreciate it that you are trying to keep things as they would be in the wild and they would not play together in the wild. Being “solitary” animals has been stated by you all many times. I am assuming that the Zoo policy is to recreate things as they would be in the wild. I respect that. I would imagine when they reach adult size the “play” could become not so cute. Thank you for keeping things as close as you can to how they would be in a wild setting.
February 1st, 2010 at 12:03 pm
Thank you for answering all those questions Anastasia. It’s nice to know all the little things about pandas.
February 1st, 2010 at 12:09 pm
Thank you for answering my question! You made my day!
February 1st, 2010 at 12:27 pm
Thank you for all the great info/answers! Especially love hearing about their voices/noises and what they all mean!
/kw
February 1st, 2010 at 12:35 pm
I guess there’s no end to Pandholic curiosity. But it’s just because we love those guys -small and large. Thanks Anastasia for being so patient with us civilians!
February 1st, 2010 at 12:36 pm
#4 Tina in SC – You could use this opportunity to teach your son about inbreeding and genetics, Tai Shan and Mei Lan are cousins, they have a common maternal grandfather. It would be therefore a bad idea to pair them. As the genetic pool for giant pandas is already small, known inbreeding should be avoided.
February 1st, 2010 at 12:54 pm
In the previous blog, someone asked about update on Fu Long. I looked for news but didn’t find anything new, but I came across news about Fu Long’s parents’ mom Yang Yang and dad Long Hui http://pandanews.wordpress.com/2010/01/23/wien-gluckliche-pandas/#more-1972 Since Fu Long return to China, they have resumed their happy life together, eating, sleeping and playing together. The article is in German but it contains two videos and one picture that everybody can understand…
February 1st, 2010 at 12:57 pm
GREAT blog — thanks for answering so many of our questions — and INCREDIBLE photos of Yun Zi in the Photo Gallery. He is just too cute for words!
February 1st, 2010 at 1:10 pm
Thank you for all the great questions and answers. I am so excited because I will be down to the zoo on Feb 12, 13 and 14 and can’t hardly wait to see Yunior and Bai and Su and Zhen and Gao. The last time I was in Saand DIego I saw Su Lin the same age as Yun Zi is now. My friends think I’m nut….I am ….a panda nut and proud of it!
February 1st, 2010 at 1:11 pm
Thank you, so much, Anastasia. That was very informative. I love watching Mom and her baby, she really takes good care of him. And, as we knew, he is a PAW full.
February 1st, 2010 at 1:32 pm
why is Gao not on exhibit? any particular reason?
My husband and I will fly into SD to see the pandas for our 20th anniversary in May!
Moderator’s note: We can’t have all of the pandas on exhibit at the same time.
February 1st, 2010 at 1:42 pm
Yun Zi seems to enjoy rolling around in the garden room! (Maybe it’s all the plants that see can hide in?) I have a few questions….
1. Does Su Lin have to move this year?
2. How long are Bai and Gao staying?
3.Did the panda’s wading pools overflow during the rain?
Moderator’s note: 1. That’s up to China. 2. At least 4 more years. 3. Probably not.
February 1st, 2010 at 1:48 pm
Greetings from Adelaide
Thank you Anastasia – such a fabulous and comprehensive blog. All of the staff at SDZ just amaze me – you all seem to go that extra mile to keep us pandaholics informed.
Lots of panda hugs from Adelaide
February 1st, 2010 at 1:55 pm
Thanks for the answers to some of those questions, Anastasia! There are always learning sessions when you all write up your updates and articles. Keep them coming! SDZ pandacam is still on ZZ napping in her tree!
Gotta go and check on other panda updates!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
February 1st, 2010 at 1:57 pm
OOPS!!! Just caught pandacam again, and it is now on Yuni napping on the platform without his mom around! He is just too cute and adorable!!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
February 1st, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Looks like Mei Lan has also resorted to “prayer” position. Just caught her sitting on log leaning over rocks in front of her, head on folded paws as if she was “praying” “please can I stay, I promise to be a good panda.’ She must have given up and went over to the rocks, sat down and gave herself a great back scratch. This panda is so big, and moving so slowly that I am wondering if it is Mei Lan or Yang Yang. I think it is Mei Lan because my guess is that they are showing as much of her as possible before she leaves on Thursday.
February 1st, 2010 at 2:18 pm
I have learned a lot from all the answers to the questions. Thank you very much for taking time out of your busy day to answer all the questions we panda fans have.
As I was reading some of the answers, there was one that said Gao Gao was not on exhibit at this time. Do the Pandas take turns being on exhibit?
And thank you in advance.
Have a great day.
Moderator’s note: Yes, Gao Gao and Su Lin rotate every few weeks or months.
February 1st, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Thanks for answering so many of our questions
My question regards Tai & Lani returning to China – when Mei Sheng returned home the day of his departure was the world’s worst kept secret 
The SDZ said the time & date of his departure had to be kept secret because of security concerns. Not only do we know the date but also the time they’re leaving ( & I do hope the crowds are out as Tai passes by) Now we have not just one but two pandas traveling on the same plane – are they not as valuable as Mei Sheng ??
February 1st, 2010 at 3:21 pm
SDZ thank you so much for these blogs. I never had this obsession with pandas until Yunior was born, but boy is it crazy now. You have taught all of so much and we have learned to appreciate the animals. I hope one day to leave the east coast and visit San Diego.
Again, I hope the staff knows how much we appreciate them. Without you, we would have never have had this opportunity. I love these blogs and can’t wait til the next one. No hurry. lol
February 1st, 2010 at 3:49 pm
When the pandas let their head hang down, they may be doing their own form of yoga. It is probably relaxing to them.
Have all the cubs “barked” like Yun Zi?
February 1st, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Thanks, Anastasia, for another great article.
When I checked the cam a few minutes ago, Mom and Baby were having a nap on the shelf, and sure enough, Bai Yun had her head hanging over the edge of the shelf next to the log ramp. It really looks funny!
February 1st, 2010 at 4:25 pm
I also enjoy the panda cams. I was curious about their fur. What does it feel like.? It looks coarse. Or is is soft when you touch it? thanks
Moderator’s note: Their fur is coarse, instead of soft, to keep them clean and warm. The coarse fur allows rain, mud, and dirt to quickly rinse off.
February 1st, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Thank you Anastasia for the wonderful, informative update! These are wonderful questions, and I have been wondering about some of them myself. My curiosity is now satisfied!
February 1st, 2010 at 5:13 pm
Thanks for a great close-up of Su Lin at 4:50 PM. I tried to get a postcard photo, but she moved just as I took it and I got her eating instead. Next the camera moved to far away view, and then she disappeared. She was eating with gusto when I got my postcard shot, so my guess is that it was somewhere in the middle of refreshing her evening meal in the exhibit. Do Su Lin and Zhen Zhen spend much time indoors at night, or are the always outside. I know they have access to their bedrooms if they want to go indoors, and was wondering if they chose to go in unless it is raining. Since they enjoy cool weather, I doubt they go inside on cool evenings. Yun Zi on the other hand likes it nice and warm and dry. I am sure once he has been coaxed down from his perch in late afternoon he is glad to have uninterrupted sleep inside all night. He seems to stay on the perch for hours once he goes inside.
February 1st, 2010 at 5:16 pm
#14 Lizsl, did they say anything about whether Mei Sheng was the father of the cub born in 2009 after he and “Mrs. Robinson” bred? We are still waiting to hear what the DNA evidence said, but so far SDZ has not heard.
February 1st, 2010 at 5:34 pm
Looks like 5:30 is the quiet time after guests have left, no more bus tours, for bears to lounge peacefully on their backs. First it was the polar bear on the rocks who just turned completely on their back spread eagle with all four legs, stretched, repositioned themselves with front right leg straight up in the air. What a sketch! Then over to pandas, and Zhen Zhen is lying in the back resting position spread eagle on top of the cave. Makes me wonder what they are dreaming about because they both look like they are thoroughly enjoying their sleep time.
February 1st, 2010 at 6:01 pm
#32 MAUREEN—It has been a few years…economics have changed—and the conservation organization who’s Panda photo graces the jet-would say two together is better for world conservation as pertains to climate warming etc. However anybody sees that particular organization sees climate warming etc. from that point of view.
SOMEBODY ASKED ABOUT EARTHQUAKES—This link will get you as close as the United States Geological Society can do right now, for China. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Maps/10/105_30.php
By clicking on some of the other choices you can navigate to other areas with differnt information like exact longitude and latitude for each quake-strength, depth, etc. We had a little Rocker last evening just off Baja California and within 2 minutes I was able to to give all the informationl to my son when he asked. He does not stop to do it himself since he knows if I feel it I will be getting information a s a p. I hope the SDZ Pandas did not mind it.
http://quake.usgs.gov/recenteqs/latest.htm
This link is the one I keep in favorites to navigate from, at the upper left of the page it gives you the choice of Cal/Nev, the whole United States, or the world—-look below blue banner, then click on your choice. For Cal/Nev maps you click on the “quake” you want information from, in the world map you click as close as you can to the pertinate square (I use lower left corner to remember which direction to navigate) when the closer map comes up)….just keep going until you find the square on the closer to quake map. with practice you will be able to to check up on maps showing quakes anywhere close to Panda Facililties around the globe. Play with the maps a bit before you want to get news of a new quake so you will know what you want to do when you feel or hear about one. Some places you click on give you maps-others written information, your choice. Love Grammmie
February 1st, 2010 at 6:06 pm
Yun Zi is still nursing – right? Maybe I’ve missed it, but I’ve never seen Bai holding him in a nursing position. When is this happening?
Moderator’s note: He is still nursing.
February 1st, 2010 at 6:16 pm
Thank you for the wonderful update!!! Some folks seem to be able to recognize each Panda. Do they have individual characteristics such as more black on eyes, etc? I know Yunior has the spot on his tail. Is there a “family tree” chart somewhere for our Panda’s born in the US?
February 1st, 2010 at 6:55 pm
these are good questions and they have good responses
February 1st, 2010 at 7:08 pm
Thank you again for the information. The natural setting brought up another question: Are there any efforts to release zoo/reserve-bred pandas back to the wild?
Moderator’s note: Yes, one bear was released back to the wild, but that reintroduction was not successful and ended badly for the bear in question. Since then, the Chinese have revised their protocol and goals, and have been training up new candidates for release.
February 1st, 2010 at 7:10 pm
Zhen just finished her nap at 7 PM, but the polar bear is still stretched out on their side enjoying their nap. Guess ZZ’s ready to chow down on dinner.
February 1st, 2010 at 7:12 pm
I think I must be a panda, i am solitary too
February 1st, 2010 at 8:05 pm
Cool
!!!! :-!
February 1st, 2010 at 8:38 pm
Thank you, Anastasia!
February 1st, 2010 at 9:43 pm
# 21 DANIELLE gave us a great link for a lovely site for the Vienna Zoo. She said we could figure most things out even though it is in German. I got “pandamam”, “pandapapa’, and “mit junior” but I am unsure of “pandabub”. In case nobody responding knows I asked my daughter to e-mail the young woma from Germany she had as a foreign exchange student a few years ago. Do go to their Wallpaper link http://www.zoobesuche.net/wallpapers/ then on the right below the word Translation click on our flag to get English instructions. They may not be “our” pandas, but are lovely just the same and free……Love Grammmie
February 1st, 2010 at 9:54 pm
Dear Janan (No 43),
There is a website Pandas Live On that has family trees for the US Pandas.
Peace,
Lucilla
February 1st, 2010 at 11:55 pm
Margaret #38, you asked if Su Lin and Zhen Zhen spend much time outdoors at night. I put a post on the previous blog about Su Lin wandering round her enclosure around 1.15 in the morning, planning some more redecorating! And, as I’m writing this, our adorable ZZ is sitting, with her back to the camera, eating her supper! Before Yun Zi was born and we watched him all night(!) the cams were usually on one or other of the pandas and I always enjoyed watching to see who was out while I had my morning coffee.
Grammmie, thank you for the earthquake links. This looks very interesting and I shall save them for looking at later this evening (7.54am Tuesday here). My favourites list is so long I reckon it would stretch all the way to China. And guess what it’s full of…..!!
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:29 am
If anyone wonders why the cams should be on, on a dark night….on my way here I happened to glance at the somewhat dark screen and could tell enough to know ZZ’s head in the pale moonlight, I assume eating since she was sitting upright with her back to the viewing side of her enclosure. The closeness in the Garden room for Queen Bai and Prince Fluffy-Butt along with the white walls and open top means you can see them on the shelf if they are resting there, or on the grass if they go there to play and the moon is high. It is easier to see them than ZZ but over last Friday and Saturday we had the joy of having extra lighting for night viewing of Su Lin–Friday was the night we think she was singing to us…..Love Grammmie
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:06 am
What great questions and answers. Very informative. Thank you very much for taking the time to fill us in.
February 2nd, 2010 at 7:00 am
I recall hearing/reading somewhere on this site some very interesting training accomplishments. A couple of them intrigued my couriosity:
1) How did the Panda Team train Bi Yun to “pee” on command for a pregnacy test?
2) Bi Yun’s is the only Panda Bear to allow Panda Team to do ultra sound w/o being drugged? How?
My next question does not relate to the Panda Team “training” either Panda bear, but nevertheless it is quite unique in Pandas in captivity!
3) Bi Yun and Gao Gao are the only two Panda bears in captivity to mate “naturally?” If this is true,
A) Why?
B) Have other Zoo’s Panda Teams reached out to SD Zoo’s Panda Team for advice in this area?
4) If a “nut head” spectator climbed into a Panda’s bears exhibit (don’t panic this blogger not a “nut head”….but we’ve all read about dumb acts of “human behavior” in Zoos) or a human was to incounter a Panda in the wild, barring the human intruder disturbing the Panda’s precious bamboo, would the Panda become:
A) aggressive if unprovoked?
B) ignore them so long as no attempt was made to make their being “there” known?
C) scamper away in fear of this stranger?
Lastly:
Out of all the “stimulating” toys the Zoo’s Pandas have, which seems to be their favorite?
Thank you for considering my questions, not to mention the great deal of care you give the Pandas!
February 2nd, 2010 at 7:53 am
Thank you Anastasia for taking the time to answer these questions. I for one am very grateful for all the great information SDZ provides for us pandaholics.
February 2nd, 2010 at 8:01 am
About an hour ago, Tai Shan was busy self-annointing with his favorite rotten log in his yard, turning somersaults in the snow and saying goodbye to his mother, Mei Xiang, through the mesh in the fence. All very endearing!
There was also a very good close-up of his crate and the FedEx markings, his destination markings of Wolong Panda Reserve and the China Wildlife Association for Panda Research. (Like they are going to lose him or not know where he’s going????) 
LOL
February 2nd, 2010 at 8:04 am
At this early hour of the morning the overhead Black and white camera is showing the Queen busy with her bamboo. and at the beginning His Highness was doing his impression of a grown up panda with a bamboo stalk….but when he ended up on his back it was rear feet in the mouth like a baby. I went back again a few minutes ago to see him playing with the hanging ball that is on the climbing structure. I hope you all get to enjoy him while I sleep…I stayed up all night again…my Bad….Love Grammmie
February 2nd, 2010 at 8:33 am
I have been so disappointed that in the US pandas are not put together. I was just watching the video of the two pandas in Vienna and they seem so happy enjoying each other’s company. Why can’t we put them together?
Panda Team responds: Bai Yun would never tolerate having Gao Gao as a snacking buddy. Temperament is a very important factor in social pairings in captivity.
February 2nd, 2010 at 8:45 am
i thought i’d seen somewhere that other bloggers have trouble with the memphis cam. well i emailed them ,and just got a reply. they said they will talk to their IT team and hopefully correct it. if Yaa Yaa is pregnant, i’m sure we will all want to see her. i was watching zhennie late last night. thank you again doxiemom for the videos.
February 2nd, 2010 at 9:35 am
I liked the comment about Bai not tolerating Gao as a snacking buddy!! She definitely is Queen B!!
February 2nd, 2010 at 9:37 am
Thanks for all the wonderful info. We just can’t get enough!
I have found it very hard this week to watch Tai Shan. I knew it was coming…they gave us plenty of warning…but I am still taking it very hard that precious Tai – my first panda baby – will be gone by the end of the week. I can only imagine how sad the keepers feel. I am very thankful that my daughter gave me Tai’s DVD for my birthday a few years ago. That way, I will be able to watch him when I am up to it.
February 2nd, 2010 at 9:44 am
Do you know where the pandas will make their permanent home when they are born? I realize they are officially Chinese citizens, however, is there a chance that one of the San Diego born cubs will stay on as guests of the US to start families of their own?
Moderator’s note: There is always a chance, but again, it is up to China.
February 2nd, 2010 at 9:45 am
I am hoping that Bai Yun has another pregnancy! At what age do the male pandas stop siring cubs? Has this been documented in China?
February 2nd, 2010 at 9:55 am
When I first saw the name of this blog I was only able to see ” Ten panda”, I thought maybe we were going to be treated to “Ten Pandaments”! Anyone up to the challenge of making them?
February 2nd, 2010 at 10:35 am
Thanks Anastasia!
I must say that it amazes me every time I see a grown panda fast asleep on what looks like a small tree limb. I assume these structures are built to hold their weight, although I can’t see a 200 lb panda lying on a tree limb in the wild without breaking it. Do they ever fall off while they’re sleeping? Are there any real trees in the enclosures or are they specifically built ones?
Moderator’s note: We have real trees in the panda exhibits!
February 2nd, 2010 at 10:41 am
Thank you, I have learned so much from your website. I am enjoying Yun Zi every day. Does anyone know about conditions at Bifengxia? I’m so concerned about Tai Shan. I hope he won’t be living in a cage after leaving his beautiful habitat at NZ and his loving keepers. I know the Chinese will also love him, but will he have a comparable environment and enrichment?
Moderator’s note: You can read a bit about Bifengxia in Mei Sheng’s New Exhibit.
February 2nd, 2010 at 10:53 am
What is Bai Yun playing with?
February 2nd, 2010 at 10:55 am
I saw Cubby, and then Mama Bai, playing with a rolling bamboo toy. Does it have treats inside? Cubby seemed to be interested in the rolling feature of the toy, but Mama Bai appeared to look for a reward. Correct?
Did the request for 20 min viewing help the bandwidth issue? Hope so.
And yes, the 20-minute viewing sessions are indeed helping us.
Moderator’s note: If Bai Yun was interested in playing with it, then it surely had some treats inside
February 2nd, 2010 at 10:58 am
I know we are lucky and blessed to have this panda cam. But the last couple days so much of the time its been on that overhead view which is very difficult to see due to the light and shadows and how far away from the action it is. Could you perhaps go back to being on the ground, doing up close shots of the action? Thanks very much.
February 2nd, 2010 at 11:42 am
I love how Zhen Zhen regularly likes to relax on a branch on her right side.
She looks just like her dad. Soo cute.
February 2nd, 2010 at 11:46 am
SD Native #55–I’ll leave it up to the Panda Team to answer the questions about Bai Yun’s training. She is apparently a very trainable bear and responds to something like 33 commands?
Bai Yun and Gao Gao are the only pair who have successfully mated naturally in America–I’m pretty sure there are others in captivity who have mated naturally.
February 2nd, 2010 at 11:51 am
Well guess its really really official now (yes I’m in denial), Tai Shan made CNN
Glad that the 20 min panda view sessions are helping, see anything you wonderful people at the SDZ ask of us, we will comply..ha ha…
K, I’m going to watch chubbins and his Momma for a few minutes before lunch, need to get my happy face on…
February 2nd, 2010 at 2:16 pm
#55 great questions, we all know I hope that tiger would eat you, gorilla would play baseball with you and knock you out of the park, lion would make you deaf with roar, and elephant may stomp you, but would panda run away because they love quiet? or come toward you thinking you have a treat like a keeper?????? I have seen Bai rush to the door for her treat……
February 2nd, 2010 at 4:09 pm
A few evenings ago (about 6:30PM PST) my husband and I spent about 20 minutes watching two keepers trying to “lure” Yun Zi down off a climbing structure with a ball. Talk about patience! We were cracking up laughing. We had to log off before we ever saw whether they were successful in coaching the little guy down. We were remembering when Hua Mei was little and all the hoopla she caused the first time she decided to spend the night up in a tree. We were wondering if Yun Zi has spend the night outside yet?
Moderator’s note: Yun Zi has not spent the night in the classroom exhibit.
February 2nd, 2010 at 7:19 pm
#55 – One possible answer as to why Bai and Gao have been successful is because Gao was born in the wild (born to be wild?) and therefore he is able to and knows how to do what comes natural?
February 3rd, 2010 at 6:40 am
I love your blog and comments almost as much as I love watching the Panda Cam. I can’t wait to visit in person, but my visit here everyday makes me feel like I’m not too far away. Thanks to everyone who makes it possible, including those who comment and ask awesome questions.
February 3rd, 2010 at 7:31 am
great questions!
February 3rd, 2010 at 9:11 am
What does Yunior eat or drink? Is he still nursing? When does he nurse? I never see him nursing on camera.
Moderator’s note: He is still nursing.
February 3rd, 2010 at 6:54 pm
Grammmie Norma #50: The giant panda wallpapers show Pandamama=Mummy “Yang Yang”, Pandapapa=Daddy “Long Hui” and Pandabub=Junior=panda boy “Fu Long”.
@videos with Yang Yang & Long Hui playing and munching together: Just let me point out that Vienna’s pandas do know each other since they were in the kindergarden at Wolong. They are used to stay together! Even when Fu Long was only a few weeks old, they were aloud to spend some time together when the cub was sleeping. Yang Yang & Long Hui really love each other. He is such a cutie and she is the one who wears the pants in their relationship …
Lucilla #76: although Long Hui was not born in the wild he knows pretty well how it works. His son Fu Long is 30 months now
February 4th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Will a Panda female who already has a cub adopt an orphan cub?
February 4th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
Are there any more Pandas in the United states?
Moderator’s note: In addition to 5 pandas at the San Diego Zoo, there are pandas at the National Zoo, Zoo Atlanta, and Memphis Zoo.
February 4th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
I have a question. When Bai and Gao leave in about 4-6 years, will there be another pair to replace Bai and Gao? And when Bai and Gao leave will Yunior go with them?? Just wondering. Thanks!! And, my local groundhog (Tumbleweed at the Brookfield Zoo) didn’t see her shadow, but we all know here in Chicagoland winter lasts until some time in June or whatever.
Thanks for all the great updates, and let’s hope Bai gets pregnant before she leaves for Wolong!!
Moderator’s note: We don’t know if Bai and Gao will be leaving us after our current lease is up in 4 years.
February 5th, 2010 at 9:19 am
#81 Sharon
We don’t know if this has ever been tried.
February 5th, 2010 at 3:39 pm
Someone asked for updates on Fu Long. Well, there are good news! Fu Long’s doing pretty well at Bifengxia. He’s got a new friend, the cub is called Wu Jun, a male born in 2007 at Wolong. There’s a picture with Fu Long & Wu Jun munching bamboo together on my blog http://pandanews.wordpress.com/2010/02/05/bi-feng-xia-fu-long-und-wu-jun/
Fu Long and Wu Jun are cousins, Fu Long’s Daddy Long Hui and Wu Jun’s Mummy Ye Ye are brother and sister.
February 6th, 2010 at 8:13 am
I must say that when I saw the traveling crate in Tai Shan’s yard on Wednesday….it really hit home that he was really going away….then I saw him at the greeting fence between the yards as if to say Bye, Bye Mommy……it made me cry!!!! I will miss him so…..I’ve watched him since he was just a little stick of “butter”…..I do have one question that I’ve wanted to ask for ever so long and that is…..at what age of the pandas do the keepers and caretakers stop going into the cages with the pandas? Thanks so much for all the info…..
Moderator’s note: At the San Diego Zoo, by the time they are 12 months of age.
February 8th, 2010 at 12:18 am
I decided to go back a little bit to see if any more questions got answered or links posted etc. I found there were quite a few, and some things I would like to add on to or answer—if I know, think I know, or I can make a joke from it.
#52 SUSAN You will find the earthquake links your best friends when we start to shake-rattle-and-roll, or you hear about one on the news–updates on the earthquake sites are faster than the news channels.
#55 SD Out of need my daughter taught a dog to squat and go on the “Go Potty” command, with patience it is astounding how much we can get animals to do, as long as THEY want to.
They have been training Su Lin, and have started training ZZ too, for “awake” sonograms. They make it fun and food rewarding for them to cooperate, after a while some may do it without demanding a treat. Lucky Pandas don’t have to down a couple of extra quarts of water before the test either. I wonder if a “hooman” lady would be more coooperative if she were given a treat and didn’t have to drown in water????
SDZ had the only naturally mating pair outside of china…the last I read there were 10 pairs in the world to breed in captivity. Goa was born wild, but spent much of his years in captivity. Chemistry must have mixed in since had they known he could breed they probably would have kept him in China, since his wild genes are so valuable. As old as he is surely they have a store of his sperm, and since the “panic” for getting cubs is abating somewhat, I guess the most important thing is having a diverse gene pool. I understand China is trying to learn our way of having happy healthy pandas and cubs. I bet all zoos with panda programs are reaching out to each other. That is the only hope there is for a continuation.
I loved your number 4 question—I have lived in the greater San Diego area since I was 11 years old, in 1957, except for 2 years I was a Young Navy Wife. In order to not give anymore NutHeads ideas—-I will just say San Diego Zoo would cringe at the mention of anybody getting into an enclosure with any animal.
As for results if an idiot were so dumb to not put the word “BEAR” behind “Panda” I don’t know how the animal would react. I have noticed we keep noise levels down, and calmness around our Pandas, but I have noticed on videos that other places are quite noisy….but then I have no idea what barriers are between the Pandas and the people in other zoos. Obviously Chinese Keepers/Trainers raise their cubs with much more closeness than we do…..I keep hearing what a fine old gentleman Goa is—they had hoped to rerelease him to the wild, but he kept coming back, until the last time they set him free a keeper showed up to open the gate one morning to find Goa patiently waiting to get in. I think he liked the service and the food. He was with his mother for less than a year.
#63 LAURA Wouldn’t it be nice if after their “cub producing years” the older Pandas were allowed to retire where they spent their years having their babies and making local friends???? Bai and Goa are thought to be quite old now. They do get to stay for 4 more years.
#64 LINDA Bai is older than Goa, and they are considered advanced age for having cubs….but that was before they had Prince Fluffy-Butt. In most mammals the males have a longer fertile period than females…perhaps because males continue to make new sperm most of their lives, but females mammals are usually born with all of the eggs she is going to have for life…therefore they eggs age and eventually expire, sperm may just get somewhat less fertile, but usable.
#65 MICHELLE This is your lucky day….YOU get to write the 10 Pandaments because you were the one to think of it. Will a week be enough time????
#66 MARIE If there were not real trees in the exhibits how would Su Lin ever be able to redecorate????
#75 COLLEEN There is a video of Prince Fluffy-Butt and the two keepser trying to get him down to go inside….since the keepers did not bring their pillows and blankets to relax in until he was ready to come down on his own…..here is a link courtesy of DoxieMom…how could we do without her??? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OI5CstLluI
#76 LUCILLA He apparently is content to only act like a WILD Panda for a couple of days every two years. If he had had a junior bride maybe he would have been that way once every year. His early age when captured-ill, starving, and abondoned I bet he likes “Hoomans” more than being a Wild Panda most of the time. I understand that everybody who meets him loves him—but that only must have worked with one Panda—-Bia Yun, or I doubt he would have been loaned out by China.
#80 JOLA Thank you for getting back to me…I have not heard from my daughter even now….so yours was a great treat. Is Fu Long the result of natural breeding or artificial insemination??? I had thought that the only natural breeding pair outside China is Goa Goa and Bai Yun here at the San Diego Zoo…..but I only started reading the blogs and such the day Yunior (Yun Zi) was born. Can you imagine even with a computer at my fingertips I did not know about our 24 hour pandacam until the fifth cub was born, and there has been a cam since the first one—Hau Mei, who lives in China now and has given birth to 10 cubs. She was in the yearly breeding program, and raised 3 sets of twins. In China when the twins are young they switch them every 3 days to get the “Actual Mother” benefits, and then later the 3 of them share an enclosure. Mom must get super vitamins in her food to sustain 2 growing cubs…..love grammmie
#81 SHARON Since most wild Panda Moms will not try to raise twins, it might be unusual for her to take on one when she already has one…..but maybe if she found one at the same time she lost one….wonders never cease. There is a lion female in Africa who constantly tries to raise young antelopes, protecting then from her kind, even though she cannot feed them. I understand she has tried with 5. She does not knowingly harm them, cleans and cares for them. She might try with more if she could keep them alive.
#85 JOLA Not tonight (it is just after midnight San Diego time) but I plan to go to the link you provided and check things out. We may be old friends (I am already old) before these cubs are fully grown….love grammmie
I hope folks go back to check on older blogs, it was just by chance that I went here and found out more stuff. Thanks to everybody…..Love Grammmie
February 8th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
# Grammie: yes, Fu Long is the product of natural breeding. Yang Yang and Long Hui mated several times in 2006 without any results, then in 2007 again –> Fu Long was born (there was a stillborn twin too). This year we’re waiting for Yang Yang’s estrus. If this year nothing happens, no problem. Maybe she needs a year without any cub to get ready for another one, why not? Zoo Vienna would not do AI just to get the next cub asap. Zoo Vienna is a zoo and no breeding centre where females are nothing else than birthing machines.
@Panda team: There are some videos on youtube from Thailand where the pandas are having a bath by the keepers. At Zoo Vienna the keepers never wash the pandas. What about the pandas at San Diego?
Moderator’s note: We do not wash our pandas. See posts Ten Panda Questions and Of Pandas and Water.
February 9th, 2010 at 3:15 am
JOLA Thank you so much for the information and for getting back to me so fast. It is nice to hear that the Vienna bears are able to get along spending every day together and still have the right kind of relationship for natural breeding. The only time they had to use A I with Bai was her first-with first husband Shi Shi. The keepers and staff were pleasantly surprised when Gao Gao arrived that both of them were ready for natural breeding.
Queen Bai doesn’t wear the pants in their relationship….she doesn’t ALLOW pants in her Royal Research Station. Like the English Queens she does not give a crown to the male—he just gets to be a Prince Consort. Of course she thinks her Princes and Princesses cause the earth to spin and the moon and sun to rise. As far as Prince Fluffy-Butt is concerned she just may be right. It is almost 3 a.m. my time here in San Diego so I will watch the videos tomorrow…..Love Grammmie
February 10th, 2010 at 5:18 pm
JOLA–When arrangements were made for San Diego Zoo to recieve the Pandas it was for breeding research. The Zoo and Wild Animal Park have been instrumental in pioneering ways to bring back some species from the brink of extinction, including releasing some species to the wild again….that may be why we were one of the first to get pandas for breeding. After the first attempt with Shi Shi it was decided that he was too old for breeding, and Mr.Gao was sent to replace him. Being born in the wild his genes were very valuable since so many captive Pandas are related to PAN PAN-I think Queen Bia is related to him twice, if not more. What a joy it must have been for the Keepers, Staff, Vets, Researchers—anybody involved to find they had the chemestry to breed naturally. As in the wild they live separate lives except those one or two days every two years when they let the keepers know they are ready to do what comes naturally without hurting or rejecting each other. The sonograms for the last two pregnancies showed her to be carrying twins, but she only had single births—in all probability the extra cub was reabsorbed before birthing time. I do not know if I told you…Bai’s first daughter with Shi Shi is a great breeder….she has had 10 cubs-3 sets were twins. (Or she had 4 sets of twins and 2 single births.) In the wild they would have lost one of each pair but the three day swap out the Chinese devised so each cub spends time with mom being nurtured and nourished has worked out well. As a Mom I thought twins for the first birth sounded like fun to me, but I do not think that would have been as much fun later on. Instead I had 2 kids 1 year 3 weeks apart, and then got myself 9 stepchildren from teenage when I was 23 to older than me when I was older. What fun my life has been.
I think it is time to let the moderators off the hook, next time I address a note to you in a blog it will be the one titled “Gao Gao, Bai Yun, and Su Lin or a blog written later than that one……Love Grammmie
Moderator’s note: To clarify, Hua Mei has given birth to 3 sets of twin and a singleton cub for a total of 7 offspring.
February 12th, 2010 at 5:40 am
Jola—a great panda good morning to you. So nice that Panda Captive breeing is becomeing more natural. Having one pair outside china of the 160 in captivity is remarkable—having 2 is astounding—and I have never heard of having 2 like each other and share spaces most of the time. It makes me wonder what we are doing right, or how we got so lucky. I like that the Vienna Pandas proved us wrong all over again. Aparently they do not think Queen Bai would tolerater Gao Gao as a “snack buddy”—not my gem—it was someboy at the zoo who came up with that line. I hope the nasty weather on our east coast is not causing you to have bad weather too. I got a list started of Pandas o You Tubes started for myself for a rainy day—with the great San Diego area weather I might never get to see them all….but we live and hope. Do you get access to any You Tube, Flikr or other places you can pass along to us Panda Lovers here? If you don’t have any available to you I would be happy to send you links. Let me know and write to me in the blog from Feb. 10, 2010 so I will get it even if time does not let me check this far back…..Love Grammmie
February 23rd, 2010 at 12:03 pm
i lurve pandas!!! me and britt luv animals! my fave is pandas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 16th, 2010 at 4:52 am
I have a question about Giant Pandas, can you tell me who to E-Mail? Thank You.
Moderator’s note: You can send a question right here.