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pandas

14

Yun Zi Surpasses Dad

By
Anastasia Horning
– April 25, 2012Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Bears, Pandas

Yun Zi explores December's snow.

I know many of our San Diego Zoo guests have missed seeing our youngest panda, Yun Zi. Rest assured that he is doing just fine and is still here at the Zoo! Yun Zi has access to our north exhibit during the day, and in the evenings he goes into a set of bedrooms that have sunrooms in case he feels the need to get some fresh air.

Believe it or not, the bears really don’t mind being off exhibit and in the back with keepers. Yun Zi enjoys watching the keepers work, make enrichment, and prep diets for the pandas. He definitely takes after his father, Gao Gao, in the respect: Gao Gao also enjoys the quiet environment, so being in the back with keepers is a nice change for him.

Yun Zi is growing very fast and has officially surpassed his father’s weight. On average, he is anywhere from 4 to 6 pounds (2 to 3 kilograms) larger than his dad, putting him around 174 to 176 pounds (78.9 to 79.8 kilograms). Our little Yun Zi is growing so fast and is becoming a very impressive-looking bear. Through different phases of his development he has taken after his siblings, and for right now he has long legs like his sister Zhen Zhen.

Keepers are training him to perform different behaviors, and for the most part he is eager to learn. Currently he has been working on extending his arm out for blood draws, which will help keepers and vets maintain his good health. There is no official word on moving him into the front viewing area or opening the north exhibit at this time, but check the blogs periodically for updates!

Anastasia Horning is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo. Read her previous post, Panda Pregnancy?

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21

Dependable Pandas

By
Suzanne Hall
– March 19, 2012Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Bears, Pandas

Open the door, please!

Neither snow, nor rain, nor gloom of night…

We’ve had some wild weather here in Southern California for the past few days. Saturday night, a blustery storm passed through. Blowing winds, downpours of rain, some hail, and snow in the mountain areas left everything sopping wet and cold. But Bai Yun woke up Sunday morning ready to breed. And as always, our trusty male Gao Gao was up to the job.

The exhibits were slick with mud and water, and Bai Yun seemed a little less cooperative than usual. Gao Gao had to convince her to drop her shoulders to the ground to allow him to get the best positioning. Bai Yun weighs 231 pounds (105 kilograms), and Gao Gao is a mere 163 pounds (74 kilos) by comparison, so “convincing” involved a lot of nibbling on her shoulders and pulling at her midsection to get her just right.

Fortunately, he succeeded in his endeavors, and at 8:04 Sunday morning, we had our first copulation of 2012. It’s possible that more of these will follow. Ideally, we would like to get one or two more breedings out of this pair today to make this season a success. Even if the weather remains a challenge, Gao Gao has proven that stormy conditions will not stay him from the swift completion of his appointed duties.

Suzanne Hall is a senior research technician for the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research. Read her previous post, Getting to Know You, Again.

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43

Who You Calling Old?

By
Suzanne Hall
– March 12, 2012Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Bears, Conservation, Conservation at the Zoo, Pandas, Uncategorized

Bai Yun was more interested in eating a few months ago.

Giant panda Bai Yun is getting along in years, now 20 years old and on the tail-end of the known breeding spectrum for giant pandas. We’ve been telling you for some time that we don’t know what effect her age might have on the ability for her to breed and produce a cub in 2012. Apparently, Bai Yun did not get the uncertainty memo, because she is now showing strong signs of estrus.

For a few weeks, she has been off her regular bamboo-feeding pattern. In the last few days, her bamboo consumption has dropped precipitously. In addition, she has kicked into high gear with scent marking and restless locomotion. When I observed her this morning, she was scent marking at a rate of once per minute when awake. Considering that a typical non-estrus day might have one or two scent marks in 24 hours, this is a pretty significant increase.

Our research on the typical behavioral expression of estrus has shown that a female panda begins by increasing her rate of scent marking and then decelerates marking before becoming vocal. That is to say: first she focuses on laying down scent along her wandering path to advertise her condition to males that might wander across her home range. Then, when she is ready to mate, she begins to call the male(s), which start tracking her closely once they read her chemical messages.

I didn’t hear any vocalizations from Bai Yun this morning, but that isn’t surprising. She’s still in the advertising stage. You can see her in relatively constant motion throughout the day as she traverses her exhibit laying down scent. One byproduct: with all her restless energy and decrease in feeding, we can expect to see a slight decrease in her weight over the next few weeks. Not to worry: after her hormones settle back down, she will focus on packing on the pounds she loses during estrus.

A note about timing: Bai Yun hasn’t had a breeding date in March since 2003. However, she is clearly on track to peak this month. We are still not certain we will accomplish a breeding with our older pair, but I can say that even Gao Gao seems ready to go, with increased scent marking and restlessness characteristic of a male in rut. All signs point to a likely pairing, and well before April.

So Bai Yun is pushing the boundaries. Although her behavior thus far doesn’t guarantee a breeding or a pregnancy or a live birth, the age factor hasn’t stopped her from having a strong, early estrus. Perhaps her long years of great nutritional and veterinary care are paying off. Is Bai Yun younger than her calendar years? Who can say? Cast your bets.

Just don’t call her old.

Suzanne Hall is a senior research technician for the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research. Read her previous post, Pandas Play Peek-a-boo.

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33

Gao Gao and the Tub

By
Alyssa Medeiros
– March 2, 2012Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Bears, Pandas

Gao Gao

Bai Yun and Gao Gao were enjoying themselves Thursday afternoon at the San Diego Zoo’s Giant Panda Research Station. Gao Gao had received a bin full of fresh pine shavings as his enrichment. He REALLY enjoyed himself! He was rolling around in the bin, rubbing the shavings all over his head. He even took a nap in there for a bit but then crawled out and moved to his favorite napping spot behind the tree. In the evening, he returned to the tub and sat in there, eating some bamboo. Gao Gao was also vocalizing quite a bit that day. Our guests were very excited to see him.

Bai Yun slept about half of the afternoon. Once the keeper replenished her food, she was up and about. On the hunt for her favorite snack, red apples, she vigorously climbed the tree stumps, which impressed all of our guests. After snacking on the apples and carrots for a bit, she placed herself atop her rock cave with very large pieces of bamboo to dine on.

By the end of the day, our giant pandas were still happily eating their bamboo, a perfect ending to a perfect day at the San Diego Zoo.

Alyssa Medeiros is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo. Read her previous post, Bai Yun Scent Marks.

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147

Panda Palooza 2012

By
admin
– February 2, 2012Posted in: Animals and Plants, Pandas, Uncategorized

Yun Zi's on the lookout for his fans!

Panda fans are gathering for this year’s PANDA PALOOZA, March 23 to 25! The event is put together by panda enthusiasts who participate in our panda blog. Below are the details from the Panda Palooza organizers. We hope all of you can come!

Details are finalized for PANDA PALOOZA 2012! It’s time to get your reservations made at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The deadline for our discounted rate is Feb. 22. The phone number, as well as an online link with the discount code, are included in the invitation. Just email pandaconvention@yahoo.com for your copy! There are a limited number of rooms available with the discount, so make sure to get your reservation in right away.

Friday evening, March 23, we’ll be getting together for an informal Meet n Greet in the bar/lounge area at the Crowne Plaza. It is always fun to greet old friends as well as meet new panda fans who are coming for their first time.

On Saturday, we go to the San Diego Zoo! Our Zoo Experience includes your Panda Palooza Pass, EARLY MORNING with our PANDAS before the Zoo opens to the public, a buffet breakfast in the Rondavel Room followed by a special talk with a panda keeper, and our private Zoo tour. Plan on joining us for a fun-filled Saturday with our beloved pandas at the Zoo alongside panda fans you’ve “met” on the blog. It is quite an experience to meet Bai, Gao, and Yun Zi for the first time “in the fur.” And just as delightful to come back and say “Hi” to them again with all the panda fans.

Saturday evening will be our Reception and Panda Celebration. We’ll have appetizers and a no-host bar and lots of panda fun. There will be awards presented, and all will have a chance to enter. We’ll have door prizes and quizzes to test your panda knowledge. The Best Black & White Attire is always fun; just dress in your best use of black & white for a chance at the award. We’ll have the Best Handmade Panda Project award again. Get your crafty side in gear and enter a personally handmade item. There are more awards we’ll share in future posts and some we’ll keep for the reception.

We’ll once again be venturing to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park on Sunday. What celebration is complete without seeing all the new baby ellies?! And, of course, the cheetahs, giraffes, rhinos, and all the other animals at the Safari Park. It is another great day to spend with new and old panda friends.
The T-shirt for this year is posted at the pandafandom site on facebook. It can be ordered in traditional mens’ and kids’ sizes and in a ladies style as well. Same tees, same price as last year!

All the monies paid to the Zoo for our Zoo Experience go directly to the Panda Research Station!

I am eagerly looking forward to seeing EVERYONE at PANDA PALOOZA! Make sure you get your spot reserved so you can join the panda fans!

Diana S.

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40

Not-So-Cold Winter for Pandas

By
Anastasia Horning
– January 3, 2012Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Bears, Pandas, Uncategorized

Yun Zi enjoyed snow day last month.

Many of our San Diego Zoo visitors have been surprised at how active our pandas have been. It doesn’t really get that cold here in San Diego; therefore, our bears don’t experience the winter season like cold-weather bears. Giant pandas do not hibernate in the wild, and here at the Zoo we don’t see that behavior, either. Typically, if the weather does get cold, we notice an increase in the pandas’ intake of bamboo, and we see their weight increase by up to 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms). This year, we are seeing a fairly slow increase of weight in Yun Zi, and our adults are staying relatively stable, weight-wise.

As for our pandas’ activity levels, everyone is a little different. Bai Yun has been taking this time away from cubs to sleep and relax, and it’s funny how many moms that come to the Zoo can entirely relate to her! She has been eating quite a bit, but then again she always did. This is the first winter that she has not had a cub with her since the winter of 2002. I know so many of you are wondering if we are going to breed Gao Gao and Bai Yun again, and we cannot answer that at this time.

Gao Gao has been up to his normal antics, eating whenever he gets the chance and taking a nice nap in the hay or shavings that our keepers have provided. He is eating his bamboo plus his regular extras: apples, carrots, yams, and leaf eater biscuits. He is also eating panda bread, which is made of ground-up bamboo, and our keepers sometimes put the leaf eater biscuits in the bread as well. Overall, Gao Gao is doing well.

Yun Zi has been on a roller coaster of active levels and naps. Since he is still young, and still growing, we will continue to see his activity levels fluctuate until he is full grown. This past Tuesday, he moved to the front viewing area and Gao Gao was moved into the back, and we had quite a bit of scent marking and interest in what and who was in there before. On Wednesday, Gao Gao went back into the main viewing exhibit, and he also went through the motions of re-scenting his territory.

Anastasia Horning is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo. Read her previous post, Talkin’ Takins.

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69

Changes for Gao Gao

By
Suzanne Hall
– November 22, 2011Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Bears, Pandas

It has been awhile since Gao Gao’s surgical procedure, and he has had a good recovery from it. The surgical scar on his belly healed up nicely, and he has returned to being a mobile, active bear. Thankfully, the results of the procedure allowed us to rule out many significant issues that might have been causing his intermittent gastrointestinal (GI) issues, so we can rest a little easier knowing our bear is not suffering from a serious medical condition.

We are, however, working to determine the ultimate source of those GI issues. From time to time, Gao Gao gets a little sluggish and skips a meal or two. After a day or so like this, he rebounds and returns to his normal self. We aren’t quite sure why. It doesn’t appear to be related to the production of mucous stools, something common to pandas living in a zoological setting. Nonetheless, while we are working to get to the bottom of his health issues, the keepers are providing him with extra-attentive care.

We are looking at a multitude of potential contributors to his condition, including dietary influences and the wear pattern on his teeth. Unfortunately, our old boy has a number of dental issues, and we are suspicious that some of the wear and tear in his mouth may be the cumulative result of a life of bamboo consumption. Though we provide him with excellent dental care, bamboo is a pretty tough, fibrous plant to process, and years of stripping and chewing the culm has left Gao Gao’s teeth pitted and worn down.  We saw a similar pattern with our old male, Shi Shi, whose teeth were also worn down in his later years. It’s possible this amount of wear is now making it harder for Gao Gao to properly process his bamboo, leading to his GI issues. As a result, our veterinary and nutritional staff have prescribed various treatments to improve his bamboo-feeding experience: limiting the size of culm strips he gets and feeding bamboo shoots and bamboo bread, for starters.

Though our boy is fully recovered from his procedure, work to help Gao Gao get his system back on track continues. However, you can come wish him well throughout the process, as he returned to the main viewing exhibit over the weekend.

Suzanne Hall is a senior research technician for the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research. Read her previous post, Gao Gao: Road to Recovery.

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27

Our Pandas are Fine

By
admin
– July 11, 2011Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Bears, Pandas, Uncategorized

The pandas at the San Diego Zoo got some unexpected visitors early Monday morning when their concerned keepers went in to check on them after a fire broke out at a nearby gift shop. The pandas were acting as they normally would and did not seem aware of the commotion, keepers said.

Keepers from around the Zoo said that the animals seemed to be doing fine in the wake of a fire that caused smoke in Panda Canyon and burned a gift shop shortly before 2 a.m. Monday, July 11. The Panda Canyon gift shop is in the heart of the Zoo. The small shop is not connected to any other buildings.

The problem was discovered when a San Diego Zoo security officer, doing a routine check of the canyon area, smelled smoke. As the officer checked for the source of the smell, he saw an open flame on the Panda gift shop. The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department was called and quickly extinguished the blaze.

The fire department is conducting a routine investigation into the cause of the fire. The Zoo will open and operate on schedule today. San Diego Zoo Global is very grateful to the firefighters whose hard work and expertise helped put the fire out so quickly.

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9

Panda Trek Construction

By
Chris Tratnyek
– June 9, 2011Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Bears, Pandas

Bai Yun is far from construction noise.

Yes, it’s been noisy and dusty in the San Diego Zoo’s Panda Canyon for weeks now. A lot of dirt had to be moved around. Holes were dug, refilled, and dug into again. Soil had to be compacted, and digging on Zoo grounds always brings surprises. Changes have been going on since 1916, and every excavation turns up construction from the past. At last, most of the digging is completed and some building has begun.

The red panda area is under construction, and this brings more digging to install water and drainage, but seeing walls going up and pipes going down is encouraging. Occasionally the noise next door startles the pandas, but most of the time things are pretty calm. Bai Yun was moved to the north exhibit area to put some distance between her and the noise.

The “boys” are in the main area exhibit, and both are doing well. Yun Zi is all over the place, up and down the climbing structures, eating like a champion, and finding some really weird sleeping positions. I tell guests, “He looks uncomfortable to me, too, but he can sleep any way he wants, and this is what he chooses.”

Gao Gao is mellow, eating and sleeping most of the time. Since Gao moved to the left-side enclosure, he is climbing all over the place. The climbing structures in the left enclosure aren’t steep and seem less daunting. Occasionally Gao climbs up to the flat rock and plops down in Bai Yun’s former sleeping pose.

Speaking of sleeping, Yun Zi is napping in the front left corner, right against the wall on top of the storm drain. Guests have to lean over the rail to get a little peek of the panda. Su Lin slept in that same spot, and so did Gao Gao. There must be something about that spot seems to appeal to pandas.

Chris Tratnyek is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo. Read her previous post, Gao Gao’s Special Day.

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39

Pandaland

By
Michelle Penick
– May 31, 2011Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Bears, Pandas, Uncategorized

Bai Yun

All is currently well with the pandas here at the San Diego Zoo. Our not-so-little Yun Zi (who is now considered a subadult) continues to channel his older siblings. Lately, he has been reminding me of Zhen Zhen and her silly antics. I always said that Zhen was our little acrobat. Yun Zi is channeling Zhen Zhen’s gymnastic abilities by turning somersaults, hanging upside down from great heights in his climbing structure, and wowing the crowds by sitting in his hammock and hamming it up while he eats his bamboo.

Bai Yun has been splashing around in her pool in the north exhibit; it is still too soon to confirm whether or not she is pregnant. Perhaps we will have some news later in July. Since the babies are only about the size of a stick of butter at birth, they can be challenging to find on an ultrasound until the cub is more developed.

Gao Gao is always seemingly content as long as he has bamboo and a nice sleeping spot. Keepers say he is an easy-going panda to work with. He has been enjoying all of the enrichment items the keepers have been providing him, like puzzle feeders, Boomer balls, and sawdust.

And how about our hummingbird in the elm tree where Gao Gao is housed? I am happy to report that Charlotte the hummingbird is doing just fine. It seems her first baby grew up and left the nest; she laid another egg, because we saw that the nest was not being used for a brief period of time. And then our mother hummingbird looked like she was turning an egg and sitting for a few weeks. Now we have been observing her feeding again. Go, Charlotte!

As you can see, all things are good in “Pandaland,” and we are looking forward to a summer of exciting changes! We have an Asian-themed Nighttime Zoo, which starts on June 25, and all of our fingers (and toes) are crossed, hoping for another panda cub.

Michelle Penick is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo. Read her previous post, Hummingbird Chicks at Pandas.

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