< month 8
Friday April, 6
ALMOST 30 POUNDS!!! Mei Lan weighed in this morning at 13.4 kilograms, which calculates to just over 29.5 pounds. So we can round up and say 30.
So there's a LOT more baby for the visitors to see. And let me tell you, there are visitors everywhere. Timed ticketing is selling out before noon (read: get 'em online or get here early); however, viewing without a timed-ticket is available from 3:15 pm to close. Several thousand visitors are enjoying the wonderful weather this spring break, and enjoying super-cute Mei Lan. And we're happy to have you here at Zoo Atlanta!
Mei Lan has been spending more time outside in the mornings with Lun Lun, and exploring all over. This morning she investigated the climbing structure, and played king-of-the-mountain on the nearby rock. Since she is seven months old (TODAY! Geez, time flies...), she's still a baby and wears out quickly, so then ambles inside to her favourite sleeping space in the dayroom. As she gets older and braver, her time outside will hopefully overlap longer into Pandacam viewing time.
Oh, and I'll try and be better about making sure Pandacam isn't looking at an empty room. Ooops.
Have a HAPPY EASTER!!!
Jay Pratte
Giant Panda Keeper III
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Both girls enjoy their snack time |
Thursday April, 5
Although Mei Lan occasionally nibbles on her mom’s leafeater biscuits or plays in her bamboo, she still relies completely on her mother’s milk for her nutrition. In the first month, Mei Lan nursed 4-7 times a day and each nursing bout usually ranged from 2-10 minutes. Now she usually nurses 3-4 times per day and each bout usually ranges from 10-20 minutes. Lun Lun frequently nurses Mei Lan in the hammock in one of the dayrooms. They usually have a nursing bout in the morning while they are on exhibit and sometimes again in the afternoon while on exhibit. Sometimes, Mei Lan initiates nursing, but often it is Lun Lun. This morning while I was collecting data Lun Lun woke Mei Lan up and pulled her into the hammock to nurse her. That’s a common occurrence. If you haven’t seen it, yet, keep watching and you probably will.
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Giant Panda Research and Management
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Mei Lan taking a play-break |
Wednesday April, 4
Yesterday, I again watched Lun Lun initiate a play bout with Mei Lan. Lun Lun often approaches Mei Lan while she is resting on the climbing structure and initiates a play bout by pulling her down, and then biting and manipulating her. All giant panda mothers in our study have exhibited similar behavior. I have written before about giant panda mothers initiating play, because it’s different from other species. In most other species that have been studied so far, mothers will respond to play invitations from their young, but mothers rarely initiate play. Play initiation is very common for giant panda mothers.
In a study we conducted comparing behavioral development of giant panda cubs with different rearing experience. We found that cubs that were mother reared for at least 12 months were significantly more active than cubs that were mother reared for four to five months and then housed with other cubs their own age. We think that one of the reasons for this difference is that mothers initiate and stimulate more play behavior.
This is an important finding, because it influences how giant pandas are managed in captivity. In most institutions that house giant pandas, the traditional practice is to remove cubs from their mothers before six months of age. This increases the birth rate by causing females to cycle every year, which results in more cubs being born. However, there is some concern that removing cubs from their mothers earlier than they would leave their mothers in the wild may negatively influence behavioral development. To address this question, we started a study 10 years ago in collaboration with the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and the Chengdu Zoo to compare behavioral development of cubs that stay with their mothers for at least 12 months with cubs that are removed from their mothers at 4-5 months of age and then reared with peers (i.e., cubs of similar age). We have found some differences between the two groups. One of which was the difference in activity levels. The big question in this study is how rearing experience affects reproductive behavior. We don’t have the answer to that, yet, because only about half of the subjects (20 in total) have reached adulthood. We are continuing to collect behavioral data on these subjects and hope to complete this study in a few more years.
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Giant Panda Research and Management
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Taking time to stop and smell the bamboo |
Tuesday April, 3
I was struck by a visitor’s comment yesterday that Mei Lan seemed almost double the size she was in January when that person had last seen her. I realized that she was right. Mei Lan weighed about 7 kg (15.4 lbs) in early January and this morning she weighed 13 kg (28.7 lbs). She has nearly doubled in size in the last three months. Because I am extremely lucky to be able to see her almost everyday, I sometimes don’t realize how much she has grown. Fortunately, she still has a long way to go to catch up to her mom, because I don’t think any of us are ready for her to be grown up, yet.
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Giant Panda Research and Management
Monday April, 2
No long trips were in the plans this week. Just decided to stay in town and walk around some. My main destination this week was to go to see Du Fu's Cottage. I surprised myself by telling the taxi driver where to go in Chinese and he actually understood me the first time. Normally, the driver just looks at me confused until I repeat it a couple times, and eventually he understands. The area around Du Fu's Cottage is basically a park that was founded in honor of the Tang-dynasty poet Du Fu, hence the name. Within it, you can see the original location of the thatched cottage that he lived in for around five years where he wrote more than 240 of his surviving poems. There is also a full scale replica of the cottage at the park, along with many trails, ponds, pagodas, and statues to honor him, just to name a few things. Afterwards, I was planning to visit a Shu Brocade Factory that was supposed to be located on the same road. After two hours of walking around, I gave up, and still am not sure where it is. Shu Brocade is a form of weaving done with silk, for which Chendgu is famous. All was not lost, because I knew about an antique market that was nearby, and walked around there instead. By the time that I got home, all I could do was sit on the couch and watch some Chinese television.
By the end of last week the temperature was higher then normal, in the upper 80'so F. As many of you might know, giant pandas do not tolerate heat well. When the temperature starts to rise above 70o F, they are vulnerable to overheating. So, the pandas got the treat of being inside with some air-conditioning and lots of bamboo shoots to eat. Even though it was still warm inside, because the main doors are left open to allow the public to see the pandas, they really enjoyed being inside. They all just sprawled out on the cool concrete floor to cool off. And of course I also enjoyed collecting data indoors out of the heat. It was still nothing compared to the hot and humid Georgia summers we have, that I am sure we all can't wait to arrive.
Joseph T. Svoke
Giant Panda Keeper II
Sunday April, 1
Over the past couple of days, play bouts between Mei Lan and Lun Lun have gotten a lot more animated and seem to last longer. Lun Lun will pick up Mei Lan and roll around on her back repeatedly until Mei Lan wiggles free. This leads into a chase between mom and cub. It is quite a sight to see since Mei Lan has developed more coordination, she is now able to easily chase Lun Lun, as well as, be chased. Once the chaser catches up, the wrestling continues again. During their tussles, they will bite on any body part that they may find. From my observations, ears seem to be a favorite body part to reach and nibble on. Mei Lan seems to wear out first and will climb to her favorite high resting spot and curl up. Lun Lun will either take up the play bout with an enrichment toy or give up in the search for more food.
Kate Roca
Giant Panda Keeper II
Saturday, March 31
One thing I can say about Mei Lan is that she doesn’t scare easily, and I should know. One would think she would be very cautious and hesitant about being in a new, larger environment. Mei Lan, however, is just the opposite. She has thrown caution to the wind upon entering her new outdoor world and started investigating every inch of the exhibit. She has been completely under and on top of the climbing structure. She has been on and through the wall of logs. She has been trying to climb every wall or tree she can find. This is what drew her to her first experience with the hot wire. When she hit it, though, one couldn’t tell. She simply climbed down and went on her merry way. The only panda really showing any concern about the new environment is Lun Lun who keeps a close eye on Mei Lan between chomps on bamboo culm. The one place that Mei Lan hasn’t been yet though is the moat. This is the first place we thought she would end up and I’m sure she will sooner or later, and when she does, I’m sure she won’t be rattled. She’ll just climb out utilizing our new baby proofing equipment in order to do everything over once more.
Kenn Harwood
Large Mammal Keeper III
Friday, March 30
This is definitely one of the most rewarding, yet periodically frustrating, times of year to be a panda keeper. The pandas are under hormonal control, and their actions correlate accordingly. Normally, Lun Lun would be going into breeding season, and as her estrogen levels would climb, she would become increasingly active, almost constantly on the move, and apparently restless and uncomfortable even at rest. This year, the presence of our cub, Mei Lan, will prevent Lun Lun's normal cycle from occurring. So I guess we're really just talking about the big guy.
Yang Yang is super playful in the mornings when we arrive, ready to interact (safely on the OTHER side of the mesh) with his keepers. He charges around and somersaults, and performs any other number of entertaining behaviours. It's fun for us to watch and play with him, as it is enrichment for everyone and a fun part of the day. Conversely, all of this extra energy makes him restless and ready to move, so our training sessions become difficult, and often need to be cancelled to accommodate his breeding behaviours. Yang Yang will spend a lot of the day walking through the outdoor habitats, stopping often to scent mark. This is perfectly natural, as in the wild a male panda would travel through several female territories to try and maximize breeding success. Yang Yang is eating a little less right now, but is still in perfect health. Often all of his traveling wears him out, so often you can see him sleeping in his cool cave, or even sitting in the pool, splashing away in the cold water.
Soon enough the hormones will abate, and his behaviour will gradually return to a less wonky schedule, towards what staff and visitors alike know as more "normal" for Atlanta's favourite dad.
Jay Pratte
Giant Panda Keeper III
Thursday, March 29
Mei Lan and Lun Lun had access to one of the outdoor habitats again today. Lun Lun went outside first thing this morning and after a few minutes Mei Lan followed her out. Mei Lan stuck close to the door of the building for a few minutes, but soon she started climbing and exploring the outdoor space. She covered quite a bit of the area, including splashing her paws in the shallow pool, sniffing the plants, and lots of climbing. She stayed outside for about 40 minutes and then went into the dayroom for a nap on her favorite climbing structure. She followed her mom outside again briefly later in the morning. Mei Lan is harder to see in the outdoor habitat because it’s larger than the dayrooms and there are more obstacles blocking the camera views, but look closely and you will probably see her exploring the new space in the days to come.
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Giant Panda Research and Management
Wednesday, March 28
This morning we gave Mei Lan and Lun Lun access to one of the outdoor habitats. Lun Lun slept in a little this morning and chose to go into the dayroom when she woke up. Mei Lan poked her head outside a couple of times, but decided to join her mom in the dayroom. They will have access to the outdoor habitat for the rest of the morning and might venture out sometime today. We will be giving them access to the outdoor habitat and indoor dayrooms most mornings from now on.
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Giant Panda Research and Management
Tuesday, March 27
We have finished preparing one of the outdoor habitats for Mei Lan. It’s now ready for her and Lun Lun to use. Mei Lan’s climbing skills are now also good enough for her to safely negotiate the outdoor space. We plan to give them access to the outdoor space as well as the indoor dayrooms beginning tomorrow. Lun Lun and Mei Lan will be able to choose where they want to spend their time and Mei Lan will be able to gradually become accustomed to spending time outside. There are more things to climb outside. So, you should expect to see Mei Lan fall. Even though she’s a good climber, she will still fall sometimes. You should also expect to see Lun Lun pull Mei Lan down from the climbing structures and possibly try to move Mei Lan inside. These are normal behaviors for a protective giant panda mother. Eventually, Lun Lun will get used to Mei Lan being outside and climbing new things. Be sure to check on Mei Lan’s outdoor adventures on Panda Cam or come to the zoo to visit her.
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Giant Panda Research and Management
Monday, March 26
I took my first big tourist trip this weekend. On Sunday, I rented a car and driver and headed down to LeShan, home of the Great Buddha. Sometimes referred to as Da Fo, it was built between 713 and 803 A.D. into the side of the mountain in hopes to calm the river that it overlooks. The drive down, about two hours south of the city of Chengdu, gave me a chance to view some different scenery then that of the metropolis of Chengdu. I saw small farming villages hidden amongst trees and hills. It was nice to see something other than large buildings for a change. When we first arrived in town, we headed to an area that was across the river which the Buddha overlooks. We were told by a friend that the mountain range in which the Great Buddha is carved looks like the Buddha lying on his back from a distance. It was hard to see all of it because the day was overcast when we first got there. After about 15 minutes there, we headed towards the entrance gate. Once inside, there were a lot of stairs upwards that seemed to go on forever. Let’s just say that it was a great leg workout. The stairs lead to the very top of the head of the Great Buddha, where we had our first glimpse of how big it is. There is really nothing that I can compare it to. After stopping to take a few pictures, it was time to head down to the foot of the Buddha via a steep winding staircase to get the full perspective. Then the reality sunk in. Now, we have to climb all the way back up. After walking around the grounds and seeing other Buddha's and deities, the car ride home was a welcome rest.
One thing that struck me this week at the Research Base was that bamboo shoot season is really going strong. I have seen the pandas receive shoots periodically since I have been here, but now they are getting bucket loads at a time. Anybody that knows pandas or has had the chance to work with them knows how much giant pandas love shoots. It seems to be a little piece of heaven to them that they never get enough of. Luckily for the pandas in China, the bamboo shoot season is a little longer than it is in Georgia, and there is an overwhelming supply of shoots in China.
By the end of the week the breeding introduction area of the Research Base had finally quieted down after several weeks of females heading into estrus. There are still a number of females left to cycle, but none are showing signs at this moment which means less animals moves for us, the researchers, to find out about. The last female to cycle this week was Cheng Gong, who I mentioned last week. She has already been reunited with her sister and they are living together again.
Joseph T. Svoke
Giant Panda Keeper II
Sunday, March 25
Lately, Yang Yang has had the pleasure to spend most of his days eating, sleeping and roaming about the outdoor habitats. But as the hot Atlanta summers approach, he will be spending more time inside the air-conditioned areas of the panda building (we give the pandas access when the temperature reaches 75-80° F). The panda building has two indoor public viewing areas that have allowed us to keep both Yang Yang and Lun Lun cool (at about 65° F) all summer long and still solitary before Mei Lan’s birth. But, now that we use both the day rooms for Mei Lan and Lun Lun, as the temperature rises Yang Yang will have access to off exhibit areas through out the day. This will allow us to care for and manage Lun Lun and Mei Lan so that all of their fans that visit them during the hot summers will get a chance to see them. Check out the Cub FAQs page to see a diagram of the panda habitats at Zoo Atlanta.
Kate Roca
Giant Panda Keeper II
Saturday, March 24
Well, to our trained human eye, the outdoor habitat is fairly baby-safe (*note: baby BEAR safe...). We have finished all of the projects we could think of to keep Mei Lan comfortable and from hurting herself, but as any parent or pet owner knows they WILL find something you missed. Adult humans do not see the world like a baby panda does, so we'll be watching her very closely when she makes her outside debut this week. Rest assured, with all of the zoo staff and volunteers watching, the panda keepers, and her protective super-mom, our little Atlanta Beauty will be fine.
And speaking of watching Mei Lan closely, we know that all of her faithful online fans will be observing also. The panda area as a whole boasts a total of sixteen cameras. We were able to share Mei Lan's birth and growth inside through the den cameras (there is one camera in each of the four major dens). Daily now the world observes her cuteness through the two Dayroom cameras. We also have numerous cameras outside in the yards that we use every day to monitor the adults' behaviour. We can access different areas in each outdoor habitat by switching to various cameras on our control board, and any of these can be linked to Pandacam for your viewing pleasure. So as Mei Lan experiences her first days in the great outdoors, you will be there right along with her.
I will provide one keeper note ahead of time though. The cameras cannot see everywhere, and there are a few spaces (very few thankfully) where even a big 300 pound daddy bear can remain out of view for a while. I suspect Mei Lan will be investigating a lot, and so won't remain in any potentially hard-to-spot areas long. The outdoor habitats are more complex and dynamic, and so it'll take some work to see her sometimes, but I'm pretty sure it will all be worth it. Mei Lan and Lun Lun will also still have access indoors to the Dayrooms. These are climate controlled, and Mei Lan now recognizes these as "safe zones." So she might also be in the short hall between the outside habitats and the indoor playspace periodically. But keep looking, and she'll show up. Tune in next week and experience Mei Lan and Lun Lun's big outdoor adventure!
Jay Pratte
Giant Panda Keeper III
Friday, March 23
Mei Lan continues to grow and thrive. She weighed 12.2 kg (26.9 lbs) this morning. Her parents are thriving as well. Their current favorite species of bamboo is bissetii (Phyllostachys bissetii). They are now eating the culm or central stalk of these plants. It’s common for wild and captive giant pandas to selectively eat bamboo culm in the spring. Another favorite springtime food for giant pandas is bamboo shoots. Spring is when bamboo plants send out new shoots and giant pandas seek out these shoots and consume large quantities of them. The famous naturalist George Schaller watched a wild giant panda eat 65 shoots in an hour and a half. That’s one shoot almost every 88 seconds! Shoots and bamboo culm probably give giant pandas the energy they need for the spring breeding season. Shooting season is just beginning in Atlanta. In the next few weeks, our bamboo harvesting team will start cutting bamboo shoots for Lun Lun and Yang Yang to enjoy. It will be fun to see if Mei Lan tries to sample any of these.
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Giant Panda Research and Management
Thursday, March 22
Well, today Kenn was scheduled to write the update, but he's currently hard at work, baby-proofing the outdoor habitat. I figured I'd help him out more by taking some of his work load off, as opposed to mishandling powertools and accidentally drilling myself to the climbing structure...
For those who have not seen our outdoor habitats, we have sloped areas of natural substrate (soil, and actual grass where sedentary panda bottoms haven't rubbed it all away), a pool in each yard, some natural trees for shade, and rocks and gunite (faux rock) structures. Visitors can see the pandas at eye level, as there is a glass barrier along the front of the habitats to view through, and moats in front of the glass to preclude panda escapes. There are also climbing structures that have been built for the pandas to play and rest on. We have obtained a hotwire unit with a lower voltage to use in the yards to accomodate Mei Lan's smaller stature and body mass, as some areas the bears just cannot have access to (i.e.: the very tall trees, the exhibit perimeter). We are bolting and securing logs together, so that play piles or barriers that wouldn't faze the adults cannot collapse on or roll on the baby. The whole yard has been scrutinized for any sharp edges or potential hazards, though we stay on top of that for the adults also.
And lastly, we have padded out the moat. Our Horticulture Curator obtained some coconut-husk "objects" that are panda-safe, environmentally-friendly, and also soft. Some are long and cylinder-shaped, and a couple are puffy rectangular "pillows". These have been strategically placed in the moat, along with a generous layer of fresh pine straw, to cushion Mei Lan when she falls in. Yes, when. She is adventurous, and is going to explore the new area a lot, and is going to take a tumble (or three) into the moat. The drop is not far, she has a lot of padding, and there are always numerous staff members and volunteers (and Lun Lun) watching out for her well-being. And, as we keep saying, she's pretty durable.Watch for Mei Lan's outside debut some time in the next week or so.
Jay Pratte (sitting in for Kenn Harwood)
Giant Panda Keeper III
Wednesday, March 21
The giant panda maternal behavior study we have been conducting for the last several years is not only important for answering research questions about how experience or the sex of the cub affects a mother’s behavior, it also helps us to gauge Lun Lun’s maternal behavior with that of other females that have successfully raised cubs. So far, we have found that Lun Lun’s behavior is remarkably similar to that of other successful mothers. It’s useful to compare Lun Lun’s behavior to that of Mei Xiang the female from National Zoological Park, because they are both first time mothers.
In month six of their cubs’ lives, Mei Xiang spent 12.9% of her time in contact with her cub, Tai Shan, and Lun Lun spent 12.4% of her time in contact with Mei Lan. Mei Xiang was out of reach of Tai Shan 80.8% of the time. Lun Lun was out of reach of Mei Lan 82.7% of the time. Mei Xiang was inactive 24.2% of the time. Lun Lun was inactive 27.2% of the time. Both mothers spent very little time licking their cubs by month six; Mei Xiang licked Tai Shan 1% of the time and Lun Lun licked Mei Lan 0.5% of the time. Mei Xiang spent 1.9% of her time play fighting with Tai Shan and Lun Lun spent 4.5% of her time play fighting with Mei Lan.
As Mei Lan gets older, it will be interesting to continue to compare Lun Lun’s behavior with that of Mei Xiang. We may see some differences over time, because Lun Lun is raising a female cub and Mei Xiang raised a male cub or we may find that the cub’s sex does not affect the mother’s behavior. Lun Lun and Mei Xiang are only two subjects in the study. We also currently have data from five mothers in Chengdu and we plan to add three more females from Chengdu to this study in the next year. That should give us a large enough sample size to statistically test our questions of interest. Read more about the maternal behavior.
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Giant Panda Research and Management
Tuesday, March 20
Sometimes it is hard to believe that Mei Lan is over 6 months old now. She’s growing up fast. It’s very interesting to think about how Lun Lun’s maternal behavior has changed from the first month when she held Mei Lan almost constantly to now when she spends most of her time out of reach of Mei Lan. Their social contact has changed from Lun Lun holding and licking Mei Lan to the two of them playing together.
The following data from our study of Lun Lun’s maternal behavior will give you an idea of how big these changes are. In the first month, Lun Lun was in contact with Mei Lan 97.6% of the time. In month six, this reduced to 12.4%. In month one, Lun Lun spent 2.2% of her time out of reach of Mei Lan. In month six, it was 82.7%. In month one, Lun Lun licked Mei Lan 6.6% of the time, whereas in month 6 this reduced to 0.5%. Lun Lun only spent 1.7% of her time feeding in month one. In month six, she returned to a normal adult giant panda schedule of spending about half her time eating (51.9% of her time to be exact). Lun Lun started play fighting with Mei Lan during month four. In month six, they spent 4.5% of their time play fighting.
I hope you are enjoying watching Mei Lan grow and seeing the changes in her and Lun Lun’s behavior as much as we are. Before we know it, Mei Lan will be a year old. So, we have to treasure every moment. If you haven’t had a chance to see her in person, please come to Zoo Atlanta to visit her and her parents. They are well worth the trip.
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Giant Panda Research and Management
Monday, March 19
Happy belated St. Patty's Day to everyone. It is not a big day here in China, but there were still celebrations going on. You had to find them but many were taking place, mainly at bars where most of the foreigners living in Chengdu congregate. Once there, they are just like a typical St. Patty's Day party with everyone wearing green, listening to Irish music and having lots to drink. Other then that, it was another quiet week here in Chengdu. Luckily, the weather has started to get warmer again. So, it is a lot more comfortable when I have to get groceries or walk home from the bus stop in the evening. This Sunday, for me, was a hunt to find a Mahjong set to bring back to the U.S. to teach everyone to play, which in the end was a success. The National Zoo Intern and I went to an area called He Hua Ci, which is basically a wholesale market where you can find almost anything. There are cloths, shoes, bedding, home decor, hair products, toys of all shapes and sizes, and tons of other items. You name it, you probably can find it there, if you don't get lost in the process within the maze of stalls. I have been told that this is where people go to buy items in bulk for their shops which are later sold at even higher prices. I guess that you can say that we were cutting out the middle man by shopping there.
Events at the Research Base this week just consisted of a few females going into estrus, which again required lots of enclosure transfers for the pandas. One female that went into estrus this week was Cheng Ji, who is a subject in one of Zoo Atlanta’s studies to investigate how duration of mother rearing affects reproductive behavior. She has a twin sister, Cheng Gong, that we are also currently watching as she too is approaching peak estrus, which should probably occur in about a week. Normally these two are housed together because they can tolerate each other most of the year. But as both of their hormone (estrogen) levels started to increase we saw signs that they did not want to be together. Although adult giant pandas are solitary, females are sometimes housed together at the Research Base because there are not enough enclosures for every panda to be housed alone. After mating and having two artificial insemination procedures, Cheng Ji has been moved away from the area in which breeding introductions take place. Her sister still remains there. They will most likely be housed together again after their estrogen levels return to normal. In the summer, they will be separated again for the birth season. Then it just becomes a wait for them to possibly give birth.
Joseph T. Svoke
Giant Panda Keeper II
Sunday, March 18
This morning, Mei Lan and Lun Lun had a long play bout. Lun Lun initiated the bout by walking up to Mei Lan, who was peacefully sleeping in the tree, and removing her. Lun Lun then walked off, but Mei Lan decided to follow and bite at her mom’s heels. The bout continued with summersaults in the bamboo by Lun Lun and biting of paws, tails, ears, and any thing else by both bears. The play session ended with Mei Lan nursing in the hammock.
Kate Roca
Giant Panda Keeper II
Saturday, Saint Patrick's Day
anthropomorphize (an-thruh-puh-mawr-fahyz)
v. To ascribe human characteristics to.
v. To ascribe human characteristics to things not human.
I mention this word because it is something that I constantly need to be on guard against in my career as an animal keeper. Every person engages in this at some point in their life. "My cat looks so sad," or even "now THAT is a perky looking lampshade" are just a couple of simple examples, but it means to ascribe human emotions, feelings or characteristics to something that is distinctly not human. When one observes an animal's behaviour, while we can surmise that they are doing something for a particular reason, often we cannot know for certain. Researchers develop "ethograms", or species-specific lists of defined behaviours that address a research question. It allows objectivity, so that any person can observe an animal and look at an ethogram and say, "okay, the panda is engaged in a play behaviour" as opposed to "the bear looks happy right now." While the second one may be true, another person might disagree, or attribute another "emotion" to it. Thus do humans often hold conflicting viewpoints, as each person's experience and perception is different.
I know from unfortunate personal experience how many times I have looked at another person (usually someone I care about) and thought, "gee, he/she looks like they are feeling ________ right now." And you can guess how often I end up being wrong. I speak (usually) the same language, I am of the same species, and I experience the same range of emotions as other humans, but I can still be wrong in what I believe another person is thinking. So imagine the issues that arise in applying this perspective to animals; they experience/sense the world in physiologically different ways, and we do not know for certain what is happening in their heads.
Then, multiply this anthropomorphic effect by several thousand, or in our case, the massive number of people that love to visit the zoo, watch Pandacam, and feel a strong emotional attachment to the animals, giant pandas, and especially our super-cute Mei Lan. Think of how many different points of view there are, and ways of looking at what Lun Lun and the cub are doing, or what people might ascribe the "motives" to be. Innumerable people email and call every day about the zoo, and especially about the pandas. That so many people care is amazing and encouraging in our technology-driven society, but so many of these messages are fraught with emotional associations based on human expectations and ideals. Very strong words like "ecstatic" or "mean" do not apply well to animal behaviour. Nor does assigning human associations to animal actions, such as "Lun Lun is asking for..." We as observers can and should enjoy the pandas' antics, and learn from their behaviours and interactions. But we neeed to remember that they are not people. We do the animals and ourselves a disservice, and impair true learning, by treating them like they are just furry people.
So I thank everyone for their dedication, and for taking the time to write to us. I particularly appreciate many of the letters of support forwarded to me that you have sent in. I love my job, and since the pandas can't say "thank you", it is nice to hear it from those readers/watchers who enjoy the pandas as much as I do.
Jay Pratte
Giant Panda Keeper III
Friday, March 16
Mei Lan continues to grow. It seems like she gets bigger and learns something new everyday. She now weighs 11.8 kg (26 lbs). Today, she figured out how to climb onto and into the automatic water bowl in one of the dayrooms. The keepers put a hay bale by the water bowl in one of the dayrooms to help her get a drink. She was able to use the door ledge to boost herself onto the water bowl in the other dayroom today. She seemed more interested in playing in the water than drinking though.
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Giant Panda Research and Management
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The "girls" goof-off in the hammock |
Thursday, March 15
Yang Yang had his annual physical exam today. He is anesthetized for this procedure. Blood samples were collected, body measurements were recorded, and semen was collected. The semen will be cryopreserved in case we need it for artificial insemination next year or in the years to come. Specialists in animal reproduction from the Chengdu Research Base and University of Georgia assisted with semen collection and cryopreservation. These are the same specialists who helped us last year with semen collection and the artificial insemination procedure that produced Mei Lan. Yang Yang is in excellent health and the procedure went very smoothly. Lun Lun will not have a physical exam this year, because we do not want to anesthetize her while she is caring for Mei Lan.
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Giant Panda Research and Management
Wednesday, March 14
We have noticed that Lun Lun bleats more frequently than she did before she had a cub. Bleating is an affiliative or friendly sound that giant pandas produce. In the past, Lun Lun made this sound during the breeding season and sometimes when she expected to be fed. Now she often bleats before she approaches Mei Lan or when she is looking for Mei Lan. For example, this morning Lun Lun bleated before climbing onto the wooden structure where Mei Lan was resting. Later Mei Lan fell off this structure, while Lun Lun was feeding nearby. Lun Lun immediately bleated, approached Mei Lan, and sniffed her as if checking to make sure she was okay. We have not heard Mei Lan bleat, yet. Cubs sometimes produce this sound by the time they are 6-8 months old, but it is rarely heard from cubs. So, it might be some time before Mei Lan makes her first bleat.
Hear Lun Lun's bleat
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Giant Panda Research and Management
Tuesday, March 13
Mei Lan has started to show interest in solid food other than bamboo. Yesterday, she absconded with one of Lun Lun’s leaf eater biscuits. Mei Lan nibbled on it for several minutes and was able to ingest some of it. She continues to manipulate bamboo and chew on it. Eventually, she will be able to ingest small pieces of that too. However, she won’t really feed on bamboo, like an adult, until she is over one year old. Even then, she will gradually transition from drinking less of her mother’s milk to eating more bamboo over a period of months. By the time a giant panda cub is 18 months old, it can be fully weaned and live on a bamboo only diet.
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Giant Panda Research and Management
Monday, March 12
The biggest news around town is the cold weather that we have been having. The first few weeks that I was here were warmer then normal for the winter time. People here say that it is because of global warming and that is probably a true statement. Before I came, everyone was telling me to pack heavy winter cloths and be prepared to wear lots of layers. I didn't believe them, until this last week. When it is 7:00 a.m. and I am standing outside in the damp weather because it rained the night before and is only 4° Celsius, I am thankful that I brought so much stuff to keep warm. What makes it worse is there's no place to warm up all day, because to conserve energy most people do not use heat in the winter and doors and windows are often kept open for fresh air. I know that the Chinese are used to it, growing up here, but for us spoiled foreigners it takes some adjustments. But you learn how to deal with it.
At the Research Base this week there were numerous giant pandas moved to new enclosures. Many of the moves are because so many females are heading into estrus. There are two enclosures up at the nursery house, where the breeding introductions and artificial insemination procedures take place, and at this time of year pandas come and go from these areas fairly frequently. When I head up to the nursery house to collect data on a giant panda that is in the study, sometimes it becomes a game of three card monty. You think you know the correct card, but you're wrong and then have to search to find the correct one. This is when learning the individual characteristics of each panda comes in handy, because sometimes I never know what I am going to get. Even with a language barrier, the staff at the Research Base are also very helpful in making sure that I have the correct animal. I just say the name of the panda, and I either get a nod or a gesture to follow a staff person somewhere else. It is all about adapting to the environment.
Joseph T. Svoke
Giant Panda Keeper II
Sunday, March 11
Unaware of today's time change brought on by daylight savings time, Yang Yang, Lun Lun and Mei Lan lost an hour of beauty sleep. Normally, when the keepers arrive at 7 am to start their day, the pandas are up and ready to go. But today, since the keeper arrived at what was 6 am to the pandas, all 3 were still asleep. They woke up slowly and were not as eager to head out onto exhibit. But as the lights were turned on and their favorite treats were given out they seemed to be ready to start their day and eat more fresh bamboo.
Kate Roca
Giant Panda Keeper II
Saturday, March 10
Now that Mei Lan’s ability to climb is getting better every day, she doesn’t want to be on the ground much, where she has spent her entire life up until now. With this increased desire to climb to new heights, unfortunately comes the greater propensity of her to fall from said heights. While Lun Lun is getting used to the idea Mei Lan being off of the ground, she is not completely comfortable with it. You can see Lun Lun from time to time trying to “rescue” Mei Lan just as Dr. Snyder talked about in her February 28 th update. With Mei Lan now nearly 25 pounds, Lun Lun cannot hold her like she used to be able to and invariably ends up dropping her to “safety” on the ground, periodically onto her head. While this may look like Lun Lun is being a bad mom, she is probably, in her mind, protecting her child. Mei Lan also falls out of the tree during play bouts with mom, or simply falls out on her own. Mei Lan is not hurt after these falls. I know that we have repeatedly said that baby pandas are tough little critters, but let me put some of your minds at ease. The climbing structures main frame is about 4 feet off of the floor. Also, the floors of the dayrooms are made up of approximately 18 inches of non-compacted wood mulch. While having a pleasant appearance, it also has the ability to cushion a fall. While it is not like landing on an air mattress, it is not hard ground, and Mei Lan resiliently gets up and runs to the limbs to climb back up again only to end up on the floor once more. We can assure you that we have checked every inch of her after these falls and she has shown absolutely no ill effects whatsoever.
Kenn Harwood
Large Mammal Keeper III
Friday, March 9
As Mei Lan gets older, stronger, and more adventurous, keepers are able to gradually shift the adults back to a more normal routine. Prior to Mei Lan's birth, the adult pandas were on exhibit from essentially 9 am until 5 pm each day. When Lun Lun was off exhibit during her pregnancy, Yang Yang was the only panda the public could see. So he would be shifted from one area to another, always having fresh food and no wait. Lun Lun grew used to being able to go into her dens anytime she chose with the cub. Normally, the routine is to shift an animal to a different area, where they wait with a small amount of food while keepers clean and replace the bamboo. Then the panda can be shifted back and the process repeated (re: Requiem for a Panda Keeper...). So the bears were trained that a short wait was no big deal. This theory was lost in translation when Mei Lan was added to the mix. So now that the cub is on exhibit often, and we are back to juggling bears to keep everyone fed, cleaned, and happy (and in view for Zoo guests). What's the point? Well, the pandas grew used to being where THEY wanted to be at any given time. Now we have to re-acclimate them to the original process, so there are sometimes bears waiting at doors, appearing frustrated, or banging to be let in to where they THINK they need to be.
Remember, the pandas ALWAYS have access to food, water, and toys. We provide them with options, and sometimes they choose not to avail themselves of those options. And they are also going to demand to be let through doors that are closed. They are NOT stressed, or neglected. And there is usually a good husbandry reason that they cannot go through a door (like a keeper on the other side). The analogy I use to describe it to people involves "teaching". We are always training and teaching the animals, just like our pets and children at home. So, like a panda banging on the door, if let's say your child is demanding a cookie from the cookie jar, and you give them what they want, you are GUARANTEEING that the undesirable behavior will occur again. So we try to manage the bears by not reinforcing poor behaviors, and rewarding the ones we do. Everything we do teaches the adults, and now Mei Lan, SOMETHING. So we are always careful and think our daily routines through to maximize happiness, minimize stress, and keep animals and staff safe.
Jay Pratte
Giant Panda Keeper III
Thursday, March 8
OK, I'll admit even we, the keepers, gasped and jumped a little yesterday. We were watching Panda Cam, Kate collecting data for research, and were zoomed in on Mei Lan. She was contentedly sleeping on the top horizontal logs of the climbing structure, when she rolled over in her sleep, and dropped right off the edge! Both Kate and I startled, and checked quickly on the cub. Mei Lan sat up, shook her head, and looked around. Lun Lun came over to her and checked her out, and both of them went off doing panda things again. Mei Lan truly is a sturdy little bear!
Jay Pratte
Giant Panda Keeper III
Wednesday, March 7
Mei Lan spent her 6 month birthday yesterday in typical panda style: by sleeping most of the day. Looking back over the last 6 months we have seen this little cub go from about 4 ounces to 10.9 kg (24 pounds). She has learned to walk, run, and even climb. She has gone from always being held by Lun Lun to sleeping in trees by herself. We have all shared in many of her milestones, but still have many more to look forward to. Including her first time in the outdoor exhibits and her first taste of bamboo and other panda treats, just to name a few.
Kate Roca
Giant Panda Keeper II
< month 8
