Merry Christmas Panda Fanatics

Bear wishing you a Merry Christmas!

Wei Lan Update:

Since the cub is growing and does not need Lun Lun to hold him constantly, she sometimes sleeps away from him. This could entail just turning away from the cub without leaving the nest box or leaving the nest box entirely to lie down on the other side of the den. Recently, she has also occasionally slept in the adjacent den. She is never too far away and does not spend long sleeping away from him. This change in behavior is completely normal for a mother panda with a cub this age. The cub usually rests quietly or does his exercises (i.e., pushing his chest up with his front legs) while Lun Lun is away. However, despite Lun Lun’s latest step towards independence, she still seems to prefer sleeping with her cub.

Our little cub is growing quickly, but so is his big brother, Xi Lan. Xi Lan’s current weight range is 55 to 59 kg. He is also noticeably longer and taller. After a leisurely summer he has hit a growth spurt. When the cool weather hits, panda appetites increase. The pandas come out of their sleepy summer lethargy and eat, and eat, and eat. Both Xi Lan and Yang Yang are tucking into their bamboo with vigor. This is reflected in their evening weights which are significantly higher than their morning weights. Xi Lan is 2-3 kg heavier in the evening and Yang Yang is 5-10 kg heavier. Lun Lun also has her full appetite back and is eating with her usual gusto.

Given the cub is doing so well and life is returning to normal for the giant pandas and keepers, we will revert to our previous schedule of providing updates on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday starting this week.

During the vet check on Thursday, I was able to see the cub up close for the first time. For the previous exams, I stayed with Lun Lun to make sure she was okay while her cub was away. It's always surprising to me how much bigger giant panda cubs appear in human hands compared to when they are with their mothers. He is still very small compared to Lun Lun, but when the vet is holding him he looks much bigger. His fur has become much thicker and looks fuzzy now. It will continue to grow longer and more wooly over the next several weeks. He was quiet and calm during the exam, but he did lunge forward on the table once. He will likely do more of this when he can see better. As he gets bigger, he might be more vocal and feisty during exams. His older siblings did. Lun Lun was very calm while he was away. I'm not even sure she realized he was gone. She used the time to have a big meal. She went right to him when we opened the door between the dens, picked him up, licked him, and then they had a nap.

Cubbie Update

        Lun Lun continues to spend more time away from the cub, not only to eat but also to rest. This evening Lun sat up without the cub, then rested against the nestbox.  The cub was cute. As soon as he realized that Lun wasn’t there, he started to vocalize and wiggle his way to his mother. I was mentally joking to myself that he was saying “mom, mom, come back, mom, mom, where are you I need you” as he edged ever closer to her.  He probably moved about two body lengths to get there, and may have slightly startled Lun. She seemed surprised that the cub was touching her on her rump, but willingly turned around to take care of his needs. After he was settled, Lun went off to get some bamboo.

Because it was so chilly this morning, I had the luxury of collecting data on Yang Yang from inside the building (he was in one of the dayrooms). As an added bonus, while I collected data, I also got to watch the cub for an hour. For the first few minutes Lun rested with the cub on her forearm, which gave me a great view of him. Soon, though, Lun went into the adjacent den to eat and left the cub to rest by himself in the nest box. He was quiet the entire time, but certainly wasn’t still. As the keepers have reported, he’s doing a lot of stretching and flexing, so when the time his right, he can begin scooting across the floor with purpose. I find that giant panda cubs are most entertaining once they begin to walk, but there’s something nice about this stage, too. It’s similar to the stage that human infants go through before they learn to crawl. Just like with human parents and infants, it’s easier now for Lun, because the cub can’t go too far too quickly. Once he becomes mobile, Lun will have more to keep track of as he begins to test his environment. 

There has been nothing too exciting to report in the last few days that I have seen.  I am sure it was mentioned in years past, but I often hope that either Lun or the cub does something to give me a good update.  Well, I have been waiting but neither wants to cooperate for my benefit.  Lun continues to eat well, as noted by her eating over 5.5 kg of bamboo last night.  This number will continue to increase as she spends more time away. She typically can be relied on to eat 7-8 kg, if not more, if she likes the bamboo.  The cub is still typically quiet, while Lun is eating. Unless he is on his back.  There are guaranteed to be some loud vocalizations if that occurs. Hopefully by my next update, Lun or the cub will give me a good idea to write about.

Lun Lun is starting to spend significantly more time away from her cub. She sometimes spends this time away eating as has been described in previous updates. But in the last few days she has also spent some of her time away resting. This is normal behavior. Lun Lun did this with her other cubs at around the same age. Wild giant pandas mothers have to spend time away from their cubs traveling to bamboo feeding sites and consuming bamboo. Lun Lun only has to travel a few feet to reach her bamboo, but she still spends time away. The cub doesn't need her to stay warm anymore and he is normally quiet while she is away. I think it is good for him to have this time alone, because it's normal for giant panda cubs to be alone for increasingly longer stretches of time. In the next couple of weeks, I expect Lun Lun to start to become a little restless about being confined to two dens. Then we know it's time to give her more space. We start by giving her access to another den farther away from the cub. Then we begin giving her access to one of the indoor exhibit rooms. Lun Lun will gradually increase the amount of time she spends away from her cub, but she will still check on him regularly and continue to keep him clean and well-fed.

 

"Today is the day of the next cub exam! Most panda cubs partially open their eyes at just over one month of age. Our little boy cub is now within this time frame, so eye opening is the next milestone to be excited about. After his eyes begin to open, they will likely be fully opened within two weeks. So far I haven't seen any sign of him attempting to spread those lids, but it could be any day now. It seems that he is growing so fast every time I see him. I'm ready for him to open those eyes and see the world for the first time!

Since Lun Lun and the cub are doing so well and there is nothing new to report today, I hope no one minds if I use this update to talk about the cub’s big brother, Xi Lan.  I have previously mentioned that I am training Xi Lan for voluntary blood draws. Last week, one of the Zoo’s vet techs, Sharon, and I worked with Xi Lan by actually inserting a needle into his forearm. He was not thrilled by this and gave Sharon the evil eye when she did it, but he held his arm still, at least initially. We quickly found out that Xi Lan takes after Yang Yang – his blood flows slowly. Xi Lan did not want to hold as long as we needed him to for his blood to reach the syringe connected to the butterfly needle. We tried a few more times because Xi Lan was eager to continue training, but were not successful in collecting blood.  He presented his arm and held the position nicely, but just not quite long enough yet. This training is done through a barrier using positive reinforcement. Xi Lan is able to choose whether he wants to participate or not. He can walk away at any point in the session. The only consequence is that he does not receive the food treats used for reinforcement at that time. But he does receive that food later in the day. We will continue to work with him, so stay tuned for further updates on Xi Lan’s training!

  The cub has been on the move, well at least somewhat.Last night, I was able to see him wiggle his way around, trying to get his feet beneath him. Twice while Lun was away he was like a little worm. He moved at least one body length the first time, and then over two body lengths a second time. He may have been on the hunt for his mother. Another time, when Lun had rolled away from him, he squirmed towards her until he was able to touch her. Lun seemed unaffected by this.The cub was quiet, and so there was no need for her to be alarmed. He is just working those muscles, so that they get big and strong to pester his mother in a few months."

Cubbie Update

"In the last two days, Lun has had some very long feeding sessions.  Up until then, a good session consisted of about only 10 minutes, and then she would head back to the cub.  She always seemed a little anxious while eating, so this probably hampered her eating for longer periods of time.  The last two days, though, she has had multiple sessions over 25 minutes, and a few were close to 45 minutes.  Her appetite must be coming back full force now.  Luckily the cub has been quiet while she is away the majority of the time.  If he happens to vocalize, Lun seems basically unconcerned, though she will take some glances at him from time to time.  These sessions were probably also longer due to the fact that she must eat bamboo before she gets any of her biscuits, and then they get tossed into the den where she must find them.  This is all good to see, as the more that she eats, the more milk that she can produce."

     

      "Lun Lun has always had a strong appetite. She is notorious for going all day eating instead of napping like the boys. Tonight is proof that that hunger is back. While the baby boy is sleeping away, Lun has felt free to leave him for 30 to 40 minutes to sit in the adjacent den to eat. The little cub is comfortable resting quietly in the hay, occasionally wiggling around. This time apart is important for both cub and Lun because it’s when he can learn to be more independent (exercising those little legs!). And she gets some much needed meal time!"

Our Cubby just got more active.....

"While looking through the pictures that have been taken of the cub, Heather and I noticed how much he is already starting to resemble Yang Yang. People always ask how we are able to tell the pandas apart. Well, the truth is to us they all have very different features. Mei Lan looked just like a miniature Lun Lun, whereas Xi Lan has his mother’s fluffy cheeks and his father’s big ears. The new baby cub has a wide bridge of his nose just like Yang Yang, and as he gets older, I’m sure other similarities will become more pronounced. They all make up the cutest fuzzy family I have ever seen!

        The cub has his latest exam this morning; keep checking back to see how much our little man has grown!"

 "The cub is becoming more active each day. When Lun Lun leaves him alone, he wiggles and stretches and exercises his muscles. He works one back leg as if to scratch himself or he manages to turn himself around on the floor.  Most importantly, he can right himself when he ends up on his back.  Just last week, if he accidentally rolled onto his back while Lun Lun was away, he was very unhappy – flailing his legs in the air and squawking loudly until Lun Lun rushed back and picked him up. He was like a stranded tortoise! But now he has developed enough muscle strength to roll himself over onto his stomach fairly quickly when he is supine. I am actually surprised he can roll over at all since his belly is so fat, but I have seen him do it several times in recent days. This is a big step for the little guy!"

Cubbie Update

"Since Lun Lun has been reliably leaving the cub to eat, I decided to try to weigh her on Saturday morning. The last time Lun Lun stepped on the scale for us was on October 30; at that time, she weighed 97.2 kg. Lun Lun usually weighs in around 100-106 kg, depending on how full her digestive tract is at the time of weighing. As we have mentioned previously, giant panda mothers will seclude themselves in a den and stop eating prior to giving birth and for a few days to three weeks after. So, a decrease in weight is typical and expected. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how much weight Lun Lun has put on in just three weeks after giving birth. She is now up to 101 kg, which is within the range of her normal weight."

 

Zoo Alanta panda cubbie- it's a boy!

"Lun Lun and the cub got plenty of sleep last night, which is good because they had a big morning ahead of them. CBS’s Early Morning show taped a live cub exam this morning and announced the sex – it’s a boy!
While the vet staff tended to the cub during the exam, the keepers tended to Lun, making sure that she was stress-free and eating while the cub was away. I’m so excited to have watched the sex of the cub be announced, because it’s been such a hard secret to keep!"

"The cub continues to grow every day. When I returned from my weekend on Tuesday, I could not believe how big the cub had gotten in just two days! The dark areas of the cub’s body have gotten even darker and the fine white fur has gotten even fuzzier. The cub’s belly is rounder than ever! My favorite part of all mammal babies is their healthy, round, full bellies. Every time the cub is visible I look at its tummy and I know it is getting plenty of milk and care from Lun Lun, which is why it is growing so quickly. "

15th Bamboo

I got this bamboo Friday, my panda has been sneaking in my bamboo pictures ever since I bought him.
My goal is to own 160 bamboos.

Panda Fanatics Club on Facebook!

Panda Fantics Club is on Facebook too! You can join, then you can: live chat with other panda fanatics, post, and share your love for pandas!

Link: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/home.php?sk=group_137135913002302&ap=1

Panda Reserves In China

Here is the link: http://www.pandasinternational.org/reserves/reserves.html

I found this when I was looking for panda research on http://www.pandasinternational.org/

My New bamboo!

My 6 month old kitten, Bear, stareing in shock at the height of my newest bamboo plant!

My bamboo Plant!

How I made this arrangement:

At a store, I can get tall stalks for $1.99 each,  I got 3 stalks, put them in the middle tied them with green "twisty ties" and put smaller bamboo stalks around it.  And put it in a glass container I got, filled with "river rocks" then fill the glass pot with water to the rim of the pot (I keep my bamboo very well watered)

Giant Panda Conservation Websites

Share your panda pictures with me on Flickr!
Panda Fanatics Club on Flickr
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http://www.pandasliveon.com/

http://www.wwf.org/

http://www.giantpanda.org.au/

www.sandiegozoo.org/donate

http://www.conservation.org/

http://www.4panda.com/

Shopping for Panda Items!

    







































  

World Wildlife Fund - Wildlife Conservation, Endangered Species Conservation

World Wildlife Fund - Wildlife Conservation, Endangered Species Conservation

My Bamboo Collection

     Bai Yun & Gao Gao Bamboo!

Good Panda Sites to Check out!!

Panda Conservation Club is also on Flickr!!
Panda Conservation Club Flickr Group

My Flickr Photostream

Rita Petita's Flickr Photostream

PandaGirl25's Flickr Photostream

Bob2cleo's Flickr Photostream

DoxieMom's Flickr Photostream

Apandalover's Flickr Photostream

Pandaholic's Flickr Photostream

Samoyeddawn's Flickr Photostream

Panda.monia's Flickr Photostream

Smithsonian National Zoo's Flickr Photostream

Jen's Mom's Flickr Photostream

Raeluvstai's Flickr Photostream

Nhpanda's Flickr Photostream

Panda Conservation Efforts

I recently watched a program on PBS, called 'Panda Nursery'. It mentioned the panda population, and breeding problems, care of pandas.  Here is a short clip from 'Panda Nursery' I thought I was great. 



Also, I have seen another panda program called 'Panda Tales'

For Full Clip Of  'Panda Nursery'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkVjqLtVm4Y

For Full Clip of 'Panda Tales'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIEWo_xJ5nU

'Panda Nursery'

Theres currently an estimated one thousand giant pandas left in China, and unless crucial steps are taken, the iconic bears could soon be wiped out forever. At Chinas Wolong Nature Reserve in the mountains in Sichuan Province, forty giant pandas and a dedicated team of staff play a crucial role in ensuring the survival of the species.

As part of the Reserves panda breeding program, a revolutionary new method of rearing twin cubs called swap-raising has been developed. Each cub is raised by both its natural mother and one of the Reserves veterinarians, Wei Rongping, to increase the chances of both cubs surviving.

Panda Nursery witnesses this special partnership between Rongping and an eleven-year-old female panda called Ershihao, who, three months after being artificially inseminated, gives birth to two tiny furless cubs. The program follows the first six months of the lives of the twin cubs as they are swapped between Ershihao and their surrogate mum, Rongping.

Panda Nursery follows the highs and lows of Lin Hes and Lin Hais eventful first six months and explores the challenges facing giant pandas in the wild. In three years it could be these two cuddly cubs turn to produce young of their own as Wolong Nature Reserves breeding program attempts to haul the giant bears back from the brink of extinction.

'Panda Tales'

Help PBS continue to offer all Americans - from every walk of life - the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. To donate, please visit http://www.pbs.org/support Go behind the scenes at the San Diego Zoo and get a rare look at the first year of life of the baby giant panda Zhen Zhen in PANDA TALES, airing November 29-December 7, 2008 (check local listings) on PBS.

Since making her entrance into this world, giant panda cub Zhen Zhen has captivated San Diego Zoo and "panda cam" visitors with her antics and charm. This program, airing as part of the December 2008 pledge drive (check local listings) on PBS, covers the first year of her life; it also takes a serious look at the plight of the giant panda and how the zoo's program has affected the resurgence of this endearing species. Help PBS continue to offer all Americans - from every walk of life - the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. To donate, please visit http://www.pbs.org/support