After much anticipation, river hippos Otis and Funani were finally reunited on October 15, and we couldn’t be happier with the results!

Otis came to the San Diego Zoo in January of this year, and after a brief quarantine period was introduced to Funani (see previous post, Enormous Changes for Hippos). Funani was less than thrilled about her new roommate and let him know it in no uncertain terms. After about three days together on exhibit, the decision was made to separate the pair.
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Vila has long been a favorite of visitors and staff at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park. She is one of the three oldest known gorillas living today, and we had a birthday party for her on Wednesday, October 28. We wrapped presents full of fruit, nuts, and seeds for the entire troop, and Vila enjoyed a peanut-butter frosted banana ice cake topped with carrot “candles.” The gorilla exhibit was decorated with flowers, ginger leaves, colorful streamers, and “Happy Birthday” signs stuck to rocks with peanut butter. See video
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I’m sorry, but the saying “a face only a mother can love” does not apply here. In my job I see many baby animals that make my heart melt. But, now that our 12-week-old panda cub has his eyes wide open, and he is able to lift and hold his head up, even if only for a brief moment, he seems to have a hypnotic power that holds you dead in your tracks when he looks at you. At least I want to believe that he’s looking at me. And his usually quiet nature…well, it makes him even more intriguing!
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Hello again, panda fans! I’m happy to report that Bai Yun’s newest cub is doing well. As always, Bai Yun is an excellent mother.

You may have noticed that the den floor looks a little different as of late. It’s a little less smooth, a little lower against the den walls, and Bai has been bringing in and rearranging fresh bamboo pieces. Now that the cub is a little big bigger and is starting to scoot around, the Panda Team has decided that it’s safe to clean out some of the older, dusty bamboo. (more…)

The Panda Team met this morning to mull over the choice names for our new panda cub. After narrowing the submitted names each day to 5, the short list before us today held about 50 selections for us to consider. We sought the assistance of a staff member who is a native Chinese speaker, in order to ensure we knew the correct pronunciation and meaning of the names.
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When keeper Heidi carried our now almost 11-week-old (76 days old) giant panda cub into the exam room, my initial reaction was, “Oh no, we’ve disturbed him!” From the very first minute he was softly protesting. It was truly a protest, a “Can I have just five more minutes?” kind of plea. Or maybe I’m just recalling what I thought when my alarm woke me this morning…
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As we watch our newest cub go through his first few steps of life, it’s fun to remember how he compares to other cubs. Our hearts were pounding as Bai Yun gave birth to her first cub, Hua Mei, and we wondered what kind of mother she would be. She immediately took charge of her cub, and many of you experienced a baby giant panda’s milestones for the first time along with us. I remember being incredibly excited finding out the DNA results on Mei Sheng and realizing we had accomplished a successful natural breeding. And, of course, I remember watching both of these cubs go to China to become part of the breeding program.
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Meet Kenai, the Arctic wolf. He is a member of the super animal stars that work in our new San Diego Zoo experience for guests called Backstage Pass. Kenai makes daily appearances to private audiences while they enjoy a gourmet lunch. But in his off time, he likes to take walks through the Zoo. One of his favorite resting places happens to be at the loading dock of our Food Service warehouse. Who knew?
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It seemed to be nap time for our little panda fellow during his seventh exam this morning, October 15. Now 71 days old (10 weeks), he made a few small squawks, but nothing loud enough to concern his mother, Bai Yun, who was busily munching on her bamboo on the other side of the exam room wall. Dr. Geoff Pye, the attending veterinarian, said the cub’s teeth seem to be on the verge of erupting through his gums.
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Good question! First, the construction is done. The new management yard has only the aesthetic details to be done: topsoil, planting, logs, etc. Most of this will be done over the next few weeks as time permits or if/when Chinook decides she no longer needs to venture anywhere but her den.
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