Time passes.
Trees grow. Bamboo grows. Pandas grow.
And every so often, the confluence of these events leads to an interesting day in the viewing area at the San Diego Zoo’s Giant Panda Research Station.
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These days, Bai Yun is weighing in at about 214 pounds (97 kilograms). This seems about where we might expect her to be at this time, more than half way through rearing her cub, Zhen Zhen. As an adult female panda, we have seen Bai Yun’s weight fluctuate from 205 to 231 pounds (93 to 105 kilograms) routinely, depending on where she is in her reproductive cycle.
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For 12 months, panda fans around the world have seen glimpses of our little panda cub Zhen Zhen on Panda Cam. Many fans ask us for more. You want to see what we see, get to know her as we do. Well, your chance is finally here, thanks to PBS Television! In cooperation with the San Diego Zoo, PBS has produced a TV program that follows our Precious cub from day one to her crazy antics on her first birthday. Panda Tales debuts in San Diego this Sunday, September 7, at 8 p.m. on the local PBS station: KPBS channel 15, cable 11.
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After a too-long absence, Gao Gao is back on exhibit at the San Diego Zoo. It’s been many months since he’s graced us with his presence and he’s looking awfully good! We’ve had some shifting along the way (Gao and Su Lin, back and forth) but it appears that he’ll be with us for a while.
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It is with a fair degree of regularity that narrators here at the San Diego Zoo’s Giant Panda Research Station are asked by guests why the giant pandas are so dirty; after all, the ones they see in magazines or books are so snowy white (and black), for the most part. This opens up a whole area for discussion. Since the pandas in residence here are part of a long-term research project, we try to keep them as close to a natural state as possible, both physically and environmentally.
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It was quite a morning Friday (August 15) at the Giant Panda Research Station. Su Lin, who’s been back on exhibit for the last few days (variety is the spice of life!), finished her meal and wound herself up to a rousing good frolic. Up the trees, down the trees, up the climbing structure and hang upside down, roll around and race around the exhibit, attack the cut bamboo and the shrubs, race around, then sit in the pool to catch her breath! She’d enter her bedroom for a few minutes, wander around, and then out again to perform a variation on the romp.
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On behalf of the Panda Team, I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone for all of the overwhelming cards, comments, and birthday wishes for Zhen Zhen and Su Lin. It’s very heartwarming to get such a great response for these unique and special animals. I hope everyone got a chance to check out the panda birthday antics in person or on Panda Cam.
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Our sibling pandas will be celebrating their birthdays this weekend. Zhen Zhen is turning one this Sunday, and Su Lin will be three on Saturday. What a treat it has been to watch each of these two pandas grow. Just think about how small they started out, only ounces in weight!
We will be celebrating this joyous occasion with extra-special treats for our birthday girls. The birthday treats will be put out both in the morning and again in the afternoon. Come stop by the Giant Panda Research Station to wish the girls a happy birthday or catch a glimpse of the fun on Panda Cam!
Michelle Thompson is a research technician at the San Diego Zoo.
On July 7, 2008, giant panda female Guo Guo gave birth to twins. Guo Guo is an earthquake survivor that was moved to Bifengxia from Wolong just shortly after the earthquake in China. The birth of her twins was the first post-earthquake birth this year.
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It seems that Zhen Zhen and Su Lin are eager to show off their acrobatic skills lately. After a morning observing Zhen Zhen, I counted three occurrences of her twirling around a tree branch, ending in a hang-dangle position before nimbly setting herself down to the ground below. This went on repeatedly for about 30 minutes as she acrobatically made her way down from the tree, grabbed a piece of bamboo, whizzed up the tree, and eventually made her way back down again. It seemed like she was stashing some bamboo up in one of her hammocks. Likewise, Su Lin has been on a roll with playful moves.
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