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panda conservation

308

Live-Tweeting Exam 17

By
Matt Steele
– December 13, 2012Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Bears, Pandas, Uncategorized

This morning was by far one of the coolest moments of my career here at San Diego Zoo Global. No wait, one of the coolest moments OF MY LIFE. After months of fawning over adorable photo after adorable video, I was finally able to meet our little celebrity panda cub in person! And let me tell you, Xiao Liwu lives up to all the hype. I didn’t think it was possible, but he’s even cuter in real life.

So why was I there? To tweet, of course! As the social media guy, that’s what I do best, and boy did I tweet. This morning was our first ever up-close live tweeting of a panda cub exam, and I’m proud to have been part of it. In case you missed my tweets, I’ll give you a play by play.

When I first arrived at the exam room, our brilliant photographer Ken Bohn and equally brilliant videographer Maria Bernal-Silva were all suited up and ready for the cub to arrive. I was hanging in one corner of the room along with panda staff, and there was a bit of an anxious vibe as we waited for the exam to begin.

When keepers brought Xiao Liwu in, a hush fell over the room, which was soon replaced by giggles and squeals as Liwu squirmed all around. He was a little wet and muddy from the rain, as was expected, but he was bigger and more vigorous than ever.

Some bamboo leaves and a little tree log were placed on the exam room floor for Liwu to play with, but he showed little interest. He kept trying to crawl to other areas of the exam room, but he did stop for a second to mouth some bamboo that was offered to him.

Believe it or not, in between all the swooning some real science actually occurs. The Panda Team performs all kinds of physical diagnostics to ensure our little man is thriving. During some measurements, Xiao decided to entertain us with a panda “headstand.”

The exam was over before I knew it. It ended so fast, and it was such an unreal experience, that it’s almost like it didn’t even happen—like I dreamed it. But it happened, and I’m incredibly honored to have experienced it.

It was not only a pleasure to be around Mr. Adorable himself but to experience the inner workings of our panda conservation program firsthand and to be a brief part of the incredible conservation work that our team does. I am forever in awe of our Panda Team’s passion and dedication to saving this endangered species.

Matt Steele is the social media planner for San Diego Zoo Global.

Note: Xiao Liwu weighed 14 pounds (6.4 kilograms) this morning and measured 27.5 inches (70 centimeters) long.

Click on image to enlarge.

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56

Su Lin: No Worries!

By
Megan Owen
– June 17, 2011Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Bears, Conservation, Conservation at the Zoo, Pandas, Projects in the Field, Uncategorized

Don't worry about Su Lin, be happy for her!

Recent news from China regarding Su Lin has sparked a number of questions, and some concern, from our blog readers. Reports in the news have stated that Su Lin is “pregnant” and that she has been moved to a “semi-natural” enclosure, implying that her offspring may be a candidate for reintroduction. I’d like to address these concerns.

Su Lin is now living in the large, semi-natural enclosure. Rest assured, the important word in that description is “semi”! Su Lin will be monitored in order to ensure she is thriving in her new environment, albeit in a less hands-on way, and she will have an abundance of food resources from which to choose. While her new enclosure is large and naturalistic, there will be no other bears in there with her, or any other “threats” to her survival. Bamboo will be plentiful, and we are very, very confident that she will thrive, both physically and psychologically, in her expansive new digs.

Regarding reports of Su Lin being pregnant: We know that Su Lin bred naturally this year, but we still don’t know for sure if she is pregnant. That said, the track record for successful pregnancy after natural mating is very good, and so there is a high likelihood that Su Lin is pregnant. To date, the only surefire way to determine if a panda is pregnant is through ultrasound. And in cases where ultrasound has been used to confirm the presence of a fetus, it is typically about 20 days before the birth at the earliest. Most pandas give birth between July and September, and we have no reason to suspect that Su Lin would be any different. So, until we hear that Su Lin has “given birth,” anytime you read that Su Lin is “pregnant,” interpret this news as “probably pregnant.” ☺

The potentially pregnant Su Lin has been chosen to participate in this important conservation program because of her health, both physical and behavioral, and her heredity. We will continue to update everyone regarding her life and milestones, and we here at the Giant Panda Research Station will continue to be proud that a San Diego Zoo-born panda was chosen to be a part of this program. To live in such a large enclosure, with a consistent food source and the sensory diversity and excitement of a natural bamboo forest, sounds like “panda heaven.”

Megan Owen is a conservation program specialist at the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research. Read her previous post, Panda Conservation: Our Priority.

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