Past Panda Cub Updates (June-April 2009)
Monday, June 30
Well, Xi Lan is still growing. Today, he finally went over the 20 kg mark. Over the last few days he has been very active and playful with Lun in the morning, so it is good to see that he still is putting on the pounds. He still nurses at least once during the daytime, but he is also enjoying his allocated amount of biscuits and banana, and sometimes Lun's if he can grab some. There is still a long way from him to go if he wants to catch up with his father, though, who started off the day at over 131 kg.
Joseph T. Svoke
Carnivore Keeper III
Wednesday, June 24
Summer has arrived here in Atlanta. By mid-morning, the temperatures are reaching the top of the heat thresholds for the mainly cold-climate giant pandas. To ensure that they are comfortable, the pandas get shifted into the climate-controlled building when temperatures rise. Due to the cub’s popularity, he and Lun Lun always get first dibs to be in a dayroom so our guests can see them. Because we only have one other dayroom that can be viewed by our guests, Yang Yang and Mei Lan rotate between the dayroom and the back night dens (where Lun Lun was when she first has her cubs). We think that Yang Yang almost prefers being in the back, because he manages to get a little extra attention out of the keepers as we pass by.
Also, this week we have seen a shift in bamboo preferences. The pandas seem less pleased with the Arrow bamboo, so we are trying leafier species (Henon and Yellow Groove) to see which one they will choose to eat next.
Kate Roca
Carnivore Keeper II
Monday, June 22
As an addition to Heather’s June 12 update about scent enrichment, last week JT gave Lun Lun and Xi Lan a small amount of Tabasco in the dayroom. This is Yang Yang’s favorite scent, and Lun Lun has always reacted to it as well. I have seen Yang Yang taste it once, at which point he started to drool a lot, probably to get the taste out of his mouth. When Xi Lan first encountered the Tabasco, he decided he would taste it first. He did not show any strong reaction to the taste, but then decided to turn around and scent mark the area. Well, some of the Tabasco must have gotten on him, because when he walked over to Lun Lun she decided that he smelled good, picked him up, and anointed herself with Xi Lan!
Kate Roca
Carnivore Keeper II
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| Playtime! |
Friday, June 19
In a previous update, Heather reported that Xi Lan peeled and consumed a small piece of bamboo, and also that he had started eating some fruit and biscuits. Recently Xi Lan has shown so much interest in fruit and biscuits that he now receives his own daily allotment. Currently Xi Lan receives a few biscuits and some banana every day. Even though Lun Lun also gets biscuits and banana, she is not all that interested in sharing with Xi Lan; if she gets to it first, it’s hers to eat. By giving Xi Lan his own biscuits and banana, and some time to eat them, he doesn’t have to compete with his mom. Xi Lan has also shown some interest in sweet potato, so this may be the next item added to his diet. As Xi Lan grows, the amount of biscuits and fruit that he receives will be increased. Currently Xi Lan weighs 19.3 kg.
Megan Wilson, Ph.D.
Assistant Curator of Carnivores
Wednesday, June 17
Our ten year loan for giant pandas ends in November of 2009. Today we launched a campaign to keep the giant pandas in Atlanta. If the campaign is successful, Yang Yang and Lun Lun will be able to remain in Atlanta for at least another five years. To be successful, we need your help. Please visit the campaign website http://www.givesotheystay.org to find out how you can help.
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Carnivores
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| Kung fu panda? |
Monday, June 15
Saturday was an eventful morning for Xi Lan! It was the first time that he was allowed to venture out into the yard furthest from the building, which we call Habitat 2. Both Lun Lun and Xi Lan had been going out into the yard closest to the building (Habitat 1), for some time now, but it is easier to shift an animal into that yard. Now that Xi Lan is more reliable about shifting between areas, it was the time to try an area that is further away.
He was slow to move out, because I used the back tunnel to get them onto exhibit and it was also the first time Xi Lan had been in there. But, about 20 minutes later he was out with Lun, exploring. Every time that I checked on him he seemed to be in a different area of the exhibit. He explored the pool area, the far end of the exhibit where Yang Yang normally scent marks, as well as the tree retaining wall. In the end he decided to climb up onto the very top of the tallest climbing structure and take a long nap.
Joseph T. Svoke
Carnivore Keeper III
Wednesday, June 3
After much wrestling and wriggling, we were able to procure the following measurements from Xi Lan.
Total length = 72cm
Neck girth = 44cm
Chest girth = 59cm
Belly girth = 59cm
Nose pad width = 5cm
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| Hello down there... |
Monday, May 25
Over the last week, the pandas’ picky bamboo preference changed again.They are now eating arrow bamboo (Pseudosasa japonica), which looks much different than the regular leafy bamboo that they have been getting. It is tall and skinny with most of its leaves at the top of the stalk. The giant pandas eating the culm, or stalk of the bamboo and ignoring the leaves. This gives some other animals a treat, because the bamboo team cuts the top leafy sections off and gives them to the elephant keepers for Kelly and Tara to enjoy. Even Xi Lan is getting into the arrow bamboo, as he has spent more time chewing on the stalks like his mom does. Though he not yet ingesting the bamboo, this is an important time for him the develop skills and techniques needed later in life.
Kate Roca
Carnivore Keeper II
Wednesday, May 20
I only have a couple more weeks left here in Chengdu, and I can’t believe where the time has gone. Compared to last time I was here, it feels like it went by much quicker. I am sure that a month ago I was saying that time was creeping by so slowly, though. But that is how time is, I guess.
This last week at the Research Base has been a little crazy. On the 12th, it was the one-year anniversary of the Sichuan earthquake, and people were able to get into the Base for free. I was told that over 50,000 people visited that day. I knew that there were a lot of people, as the pathways were packed everywhere I went, but I did not think there were so many people. Luckily for me, the pandas that I watched were either inside or in an area that is currently off limits to the public. I think that I would have gone crazy otherwise. By the end of the week I had the last female that I watch go into estrus. That was a bit of a surprise as she never showed strong behavioral signs, but I guess that is one thing that we are looking for in this study. About the only thing that did change was her vocalizations. That was the first time that I had ever heard her vocalize in the entire eight months, over two different years, that I have watched her.
During my time here I have also been trying to get at least one panda trained for ultrasound, like we do with Lun Lun. It has been a slight rush to get things done, and I am working at a much greater pace then I normally would, but there is only a limited time. I have been working with a female named Su Qing, who has been a handful. We have finally gotten to a stage to actually desensitize her to allow a person to touch her abdominal area. To get to this point I had to start the training from the very beginning, from doing the simplest of behaviors like target, then teaching her down, and lastly teaching an over command. After completing all this, I had to transfer the behaviors to a keeper, so that I could work on the desensitization part. It was a little worrying to start this for two reasons. First there is a communication barrier, and secondly I was working with a panda that doesn’t like to be touched. I did not know how she would react when I started to reach through the bars, or if the keepers would respond properly if she started to move. To my and everyone else’s surprise she did nothing when I first touched her belly. It was probably not the smartest thing, but I decided to start to apply pressure also as the session progressed -- once again no reaction. I don’t know if she trusts me, or if there is another reason for this change in her typical behavior, but I was happy to see it. Hopefully, her training will continue to progress, so that she is almost ready for an ultrasound by the time I leave.
JT Svoke
Keeper III Carnivores
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| Getting comfortable |
Monday, May 18
Last week we gave Lun Lun and Xi Lan a small amount of water in the pool in their outdoor habitat for the first time. Before now we left the pool empty to make sure that it was safe for Xi Lan. But since he has mastered the outdoor areas and is bigger, we are filling the pool with about 6-8 inches of water (also known as tummy level on Xi Lan). Well, Xi Lan being Xi Lan, he had to explore the pool the first day he saw it. He was doing his best to approach it slowly and with caution, but he lost his balance and his right front paw slid into the water. Both the back paws were still on dry land, and he was holding his front left paw up so it would not touch the water. He stood in this position for about two minutes trying to figure out his next move. I think he wanted to back out to keep the other three paws dry, but was unable to maneuver backwards up the pool slope. His back feet apparently made the decision for him, and he slipped further into the water. But don’t worry, he continued to hold that front left paw up to keep it dry. Now with three paws in the water, he stood there for another two minutes trying to make a new plan. Finally, I think he gave up hope and placed the last dry paw in the water, and then trotted to the other side and headed out to other adventures.
Kate Roca
Carnivore Keeper II
Wednesday, May 13
Xi Lan really enjoys the outdoor habitat. Every time he is out there he seems to find something new to explore or play with. This morning he spent a long time playing at the top of the climbing structure. The way he was flinging himself around on those top branches, I thought he would surely fall, but he did not. He flipped and flopped and dangled by his back legs, but never lost his balance! Shortly after he climbed down from the structure, we gave Lun Lun and him access to the dayroom. They both came in, but Xi Lan did not stay long. He ventured back outside and made his way down into the moat to nap in his favorite spot – the top of the grate. We do not know why Xi Lan prefers to sleep on the grate in the moat. The grate covers an area where the exhibit pool drains. So, it seems as if it would be a cool spot or at the very least cool air from underground would waft upwards. However, we have checked it out ourselves and have not found it to be cooler than the rest of the moat or the exhibit. He obviously feels safe sleeping there, but any other reason for his preference remains a mystery.
Heather Baker Roberts
Carnivore Keeper II
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| Dr. Charlton at Mt. Everest |
Monday, May 11
The playback work for this year is now completed and overall I have to say I am happy with the way things have gone. Consequently, this past week I have been trying to make some headway with writing things up. At the moment I am working on a paper investigating acoustic cues to female estrous stage and social context in female chirp vocalizations. Briefly, we found that female chirp vocalizations given during the female’s most fertile time, just prior to ovulation, differed acoustically from those given a few days earlier in the female’s estrous cycle. This is potentially important because it means that males would be able to use female chirps to determine the exact timing of the female’s fertile phase. In addition, females appear to alter chirps according to whether they are interacting with males or not and even according to which male they are interacting with. These are interesting findings and I hope to have it all written up before I leave Chengdu next Sunday.
Finally, the week before last, I took my long awaited trip up to Tibet and out to Everest Base Camp. I have wanted to go there for as long as I can remember. For me, seeing the light playing on the north face of Mount Everest as the sun set and rose again the next morning really was the experience of a lifetime.
Dr. Benjamin D. Charlton
Postdoctoral Research Biologist
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| Xi takes in a stretch up in the tree |
Friday, May 8
I have recently returned from maternity leave, and Xi Lan has grown and changed a lot during my absence. When I left, he was just starting to try to climb. Now, he has mastered this skill and often climbs to the very top of all of the climbing structures. He is also starting to sample some of his mom’s food as others have reported. He is right on course developmentally. It’s nice to be back to see him, the rest of his panda family, and the human family that cares for them. My baby has already come to the Zoo to see the pandas four times, but by the time we reached the exhibit she was asleep every time!If you are an avid reader of these updates, you might remember our writing about changing the mulch substrate in the dayrooms last year. This year instead of removing and replacing all of the mulch, we are turning over the substrate and mixing in lime every three months. The lime controls mold, mildew and parasites that might like to make a home in the mulch. So, adding lime regularly increases the life of the mulch substrate, and thus saves the Zoo the cost of replacing the substrate. We will do a complete removal and replacement of substrate again next year. We performed a substrate turn over and lime application this week, which is why the hammock was removed from one of the dayrooms.
Dr. Rebecca Snyder
Curator of Carnivores
Wednesday, May 6
What else was in the box? Well, it also included an enrichment toy for the pandas at the Chengdu Zoo. Specifically, the toy was a large plastic ball (that has a variety of names). It's a common enrichment item used throughout most zoos in North America. Unfortunately, that type of ball is not available in China. Luckily there are a lot of great panda fans out there in the world that helped me out (with the assistance of my fellow panda keepers back in Atlanta) by securing two for the pandas at the Chengdu Zoo. Over a month ago, a keeper at the Chengdu Zoo was asking me about items that we use to enrich our pandas and where we get the items. We ended up talking for three hours that day about different simple items that can be used and different ways of presenting the objects. A few days later I was able to present him with a CD that contained the full list of items that we use in Atlanta, as well as some pictures. Luckily, I had brought that CD with me just in case the keepers here were interested in enrichment. Specifically he asked about large balls that we might use, and I just mentioned that there are a number of different companies in the US that make and distribute them. He had been looking online in China and here locally in Chengdu but had not been able to procure any that were suitable for the pandas. He did joke that he should start up his own company making similar things for the zoo market in China, which could be a good idea. So, I thought that it would be a nice surprise to get some for him, and I guess more specifically the pandas.
When I took both balls into the zoo and he saw them for the first time, he was extremely happy. He was also surprised that people would be willing to donate money just to get them, but I assured him that there are many people willing when it goes to a good cause. The pandas have yet to see them, though, as he wants to add holes to one of them to be able to put food inside. Also, I want to be there the first time that the panda receive them, so that I can capture it on video or in photos. Then I can share the moment with all of you that helped out. Nevertheless, I am sure that the pandas will enjoy them.
Lastly, I just wanted to say a big thank you to all of you out there that helped in enriching the lives of some of the pandas here in Chengdu.
Joseph T. Svoke
Carnivore Keeper III
Monday, May 4
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| The sweet smell of snacks... |
With spring upon us, we have found ourselves in the beginning of the pandas’ favorite season. Bamboo shoot season, that is. The pandas really like bamboo, bananas, apples, pears, sweet potatoes, leafeater biscuits, and especially sugarcane. The one thing that trumps those, though, is a nice juicy bamboo shoot. A few days ago, Xi Lan was introduced to his first shoot. Of course, mom took it away from him and ate it for herself. She did, however, leave the husks behind, as is typically the case. Xi Lan soon came across this leftover piece and immediately fell upon it. He carried it back to the climbing structure and must have chewed on it for nearly 30 minutes. With Lun Lun distracted, we were able to get him an actual shoot a little while later. We thought he liked the husk, but that paled in comparison to how he reacted to the actual good stuff. He sat there with it high in the climbing structure and completely chewed up the entire thing. This took him nearly and hour. We don’t believe that he actually swallowed any large pieces, as he is still dependent on mom’s milk, but he didn’t leave much for us or Lun Lun to find. He is chewing on bamboo, biscuits, and fruit more than ever. He will not actually eat any bamboo until he is about 13 months, but it is great practice for now to start with the nice soft stuff.
Kenn Harwood
Lead Keeper of Carnivores
Friday, May 1
Xi Lan turned 8 months old on April 30! He celebrated his birthday by tromping through Lun Lun’s bamboo in the outside habitat. Then when it was feeding time, Xi Lan came up to the keeper window with his mother, hoping to snag one of her biscuits. Although it’s impolite to play with one’s food, as always, Xi Lan is the very cute exception to the rule. He’ll steal Lun’s leafeater biscuits and pieces of apple, and just fiddle with them in his paws. However, I have seen him lick small pieces of banana. Giant panda cubs don’t start eating bamboo until they are 13-14 months old, but captive cubs will start to sample other solid foods, like fruit and biscuits.
Caroline Jones
Seasonal Keeper
Wednesday, April 29
Lun Lun and Xi Lan have spent a lot of time playing recently in the mornings. In addition to wrestling and play-fighting, Xi Lan likes to chase and be chased by his mother. Yesterday morning, Kate and I were cleaning one of the outdoor habitats when I happened to look over into the adjacent dayroom and started watching Xi Lan and Lun Lun; we had to stop cleaning because what we saw made us laugh hysterically. Xi Lan was running around and around the climbing structure. Lun Lun was initially running after him, but then she just sat underneath the hammock and watched him running. After he ran by her a couple of times, Lun Lun tackled Xi Lan and they rolled around wrestling. Xi Lan managed to get away and started running again with Lun Lun hot on his heels. This scenario continued a few more times before both Xi Lan and Lun Lun tired of the game. Kate and I found it highly entertaining and I hope some of you caught the action on PandaCam.
This morning, Xi Lan weighed 15.2 kilograms (33.44 pounds).
Heather Baker Roberts
Carnivore Keeper II
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| Hey! What's going on in China? |
Friday, April 24
Since arriving back in Chengdu last Thursday, the hot weather has prevented me from making much headway with the playback work. This is because the giant pandas at the Research Base are given access to their indoor enclosures when it is warm and they mostly stay inside given the opportunity. Consequently, I focused on behavioral analysis of video data last week and added some of the experimental work I completed at Bi Feng Xi to a paper I had partially written up last year. So, this work is now ready for submission to an international journal. I am also currently writing up some of the other experiments that have been completed this year. Writing papers for submission to top journals is time consuming and will take up a large chunk of my time from now to the end of the year.
Nevertheless, for the rest of my time here I will be trying to conduct playback experiments whenever I have the opportunity. Last Friday Jen (Keating) flew back to the States after 6 weeks at Bi Feng Xi recording male giant pandas for our study of male vocal characteristics versus testosterone levels. Jen did a great job and we saw her off with a few beers. The collaborative effort between Zoo Atlanta and San Diego Zoo has been a real success so far and this is mostly because of Jen’s fantastic efforts to get quality recordings of giant panda vocalizations, which believe me, is no simple task. Well done Jen!
Dr. Benjamin D. Charlton
Postdoctoral Research Biologist
Wednesday, April 22
Currently, I am still collecting data on just two female giant pandas for the reproductive behavior study. One of those females, Cheng Gong, finally decided to go into estrus on the 10th of this month. I have been waiting a long time for her to officially enter her estrus period. A couple of weeks after I arrived, I thought that she was close to cycling, because she was doing lots of scent marking, urinating, and a behavior that we call "water play." But, for some unknown reason, she returned to her typical behavior soon after I observed these behaviors. Although the behavioral changes did coincide with a drop in temperature, as well as a change in housing, it is hard to pinpoint exactly what caused them. From what I know of Cheng Gong's previous cycles, this is fairly late in the season for her to enter estrus. Most of the females here seem to be cycling late this year, though; only a few have begun to cycle so far. I have speculated with people here in Chengdu about why this is the case, but we never did come to a consensus about why this is occurring.
The weekend after Cheng Gong cycled I had plans to head to another panda base in Bi Feng Xia to see the giant pandas there, as well as the scenery. After the earthquake last year, the facility in Wolong suffered a lot of damage, so most of their pandas were relocated to Bi Feng Xia. So, I made it my goal this time to see my third panda base here in China (I saw Wolong back in 2007). Originally, I had planned to travel down to Bi Feng Xia when Ben was doing his work down there, but our schedules never seemed to coincide. It turned out to be an interesting adventure, as I was armed only with information that I found online, which was very limited. As a result, I have many interesting stories to tell friends back in Atlanta now. Overall, I was happy that I went, but I would not do the trip again, at least by myself. At least I can say now that I have used the long distance bus system in Chengdu, which was both easy and cheap to use.
On a side note I would like to thank the panda fans out there for the selection of candy that I received in a box today. It was an unexpected surprise, and greatly appreciated. Now I will have to use all my will power not to eat it all in one week. That was not the only thing in the box, but I will cover that in my next update, so stay tuned to find out more.
Joseph T. Svoke
Carnivore Keeper III
Monday, April 20
The one thing that we have seen this weekend is that Xi Lan and Lun Lun simply cannot get on the same schedule. While Lun Lun is up and active, it seems that Xi Lan is sacked out in one of his many sleeping spots. Conversely, when Lun Lun is either sleeping or intent on eating, Xi Lan is up and active, climbing all over mom trying to convince her to play with him. She usually just pushes him away and continues eating. This, however, doesn't normally deter him. He simply tries harder. All that effort takes its toll after a little while, and he goes off to find his napping spot again. This usually happens right when mom finishes eating and is ready to play. Hopefully they can coordinate things a little better in the future and both get on the same page.
Xi Lan's weight is 15.0 kg. In comparison, Mei Lan weighed 14.3 kg on April 20th, 2007 when she was his age.
Kenn Harwood
Lead Keeper of Carnivores
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| A panda's persuasion... |
Friday, April 17
This past Tuesday, Xi Lan took a big step forward by spending the whole day outside. We had hoped for a repeat of that today, but his favorite place for an afternoon nap is still on the top of the structure in the air-conditioned dayroom. Not even his arch-nemesis, the springy bush that I mentioned in my last update, kept his attention for very long. Mei Lan, on the other hand, basked in the sunshine (and adoration of Zoo Atlanta visitors) today rather than retreating to the shade or air-conditioning. I was tempted to tell Xi Lan the classic, guilt-trip quote my mother always used on me: “It’s a beautiful day outside. Why are you wasting it by staying inside?” But Xi Lan just yawned at me, sticking that out little pink tongue. Even his acts of defiance are cute!
Caroline Jones
Seasonal Carnivore Keeper
Wednesday, April 15
Since my last update I have been very busy indeed. Firstly, I have finished off an experiment at Chengdu Research Base looking at male and female responses to modified bleats simulating large and small males with differing motivational levels. I then came back to Bi Fengxia last Wednesday to finish off an experiment testing female discrimination of different male callers. I have now shown that females discriminate between different male callers and that they do not rely on the pitch of the male call to do so. Moreover, I have been playing back modified male bleats to investigate the importance of the distinctive amplitude (volume) modulation of these vocalizations for signaling male identity.
Preliminary results reveal that this is in fact the most important acoustic feature that females are using to discriminate between different males.I am also continuing to play back chirps from females at different reproductive stages (fertile versus non-fertile) to males at Bi Fengxia. I am working on getting access to more male giant pandas for this experiment and so far I have managed to get another male called Xi Meng, who was previously inaccessible to playback, moved up to the breeding centre.
Finally, because I have a strong feeling that caller familiarity may be an important in reproductive contexts, I am playing back familiar versus unfamiliar males to investigate female responses. At the moment this is only a pilot experiment; however, it may reveal something that will lead us to some exciting future playback studies.
Dr. Benjamin D. Charlton
Postdoctoral Research Biologist
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| Nature is tasty! |
Monday, April 13
It’s been a month of firsts for me. I’m getting acquainted with the pandas and the routine that we do in the other section of the department – the non-meat eating side, that is. I was able to witness Xi Lan’s first foray into his new habitat and his first attempt at tackling a bush. Now, I’m writing the first of many updates. The firsts will probably keep coming for a while, and I look forward to them all. In related news, Yang Yang received his annual physical last week. He was examined, measured and given a clean bill of health. His recorded measurements were as follows:
Length from tip to tail: 163cm (64.2 inches)
Neck girth: 85cm (33.5 inches)
Chest girth: 107cm (42.1 inches)
Belly girth: 115cm (45.3 inches)
See you next update!
Layla Dampier
Carnivore Keeper II
Friday, April 10
I feel like I have been playing a never-ending game of "Marco Polo" with the pandas that I observe. The problem, however, is that the pandas are not playing fairly. two of the bears at the Base have been moved multiple times, both between locations and within exhibits. In my last update I mentioned that pandas were being moved around and that I needed to pay attention, and that is exactly what I have had to do. When I show up to the exhibit space and I say to myself, "that is not the correct bear," I'm happy that I can easily identify the animals. The problem is that after I realize I haven't found the right bear, I then have to figure out where the bear has been moved to. Eventually I find them by going off what I have typically seen happen with moves in the past. These moves are all in reference to breeding potential so the moves are not needless and they do make sense. Still, it would be nice if the pandas played by the rules.
Not much to report otherwise, as the last week has been basically non- existent. All of last week I was basically laid up in bed, sick. I never figured out exactly what it was that I had, but it initially presented itself as a nasty cold, but then reverted to something more like food poisoning. The odd thing was that two other people that I know here experienced the same thing, but we all got it on different days. Of course the coworkers at the panda base were all worried and wanted to take me to the hospital, because they said I did not look good and were concerned. It is nice to have people so concerned, but because I'm so bull-headed sometimes (right mom!), I didn't take their advice and I just waited it out. So, I just lay in bed for about a week, until I was able to eat and get around again. Hopefully my next update will have something more interesting to report.
Joseph T. Svoke
Carnivore Keeper III
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| Xi lan, training to be a dapper dude |
Wednesday, April 8
As many of you know, we spend a lot of time training the giant pandas. We recently started working with Xi Lan on some basic behaviors. He quickly learned his name and he is now responding to the "shift" and "come" commands. Since training is still new for Xi Lan, he does not always reliably respond to the commands. Often times, the doorway is much more interesting than following his mother or listening to a keeper's voice. At this age, the reward for performing a behavior is verbal praise or the excitement of going out into the exhibits; to train the adults, we use the leafeater biscuits and pieces of fruit. Because Xi Lan is not eating solid foods yet, we have to get creative about how to reward him. Overall, Xi Lan is doing very well with training and learning quickly.
Heather Baker Roberts
Carnivore Keeper II
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| Take that...silly tree! |
Monday, April 6
You know it’s springtime in Atlanta when the dogwoods are in bloom, Grant Park is full of people enjoying the sunshine, and panda cubs are attacking shrubs. Since Xi Lan has been outside, he has found two new toys in the form of bushes. He likes to climb the larger of the two, working on his balance as it sways slightly in the wind. The smaller one is a bit more springy and right in front of the public glass window. Saturday, Xi Lan took a running start at it, pouncing at it with little cub ferocity. But the shrub retaliated by sending Xi Lan backwards onto his cub behind. Never fear, for Xi Lan came back at it with a right paw hook, and then took a bite out of its leaves. The battle was won, and Xi Lan celebrated his victory by heading into the dayroom for some nice air conditioning and a well-deserved nap. First he’s battling drain grates, and now shrubs? What’s next?
Caroline Jones
Seasonal Carnivore Keeper
Wednesday, April 1
I just wanted to give a quick update for everyone who didn't see Xi Lan on PandaCam yesterday morning. Even after only one day outside, Xi Lan has become comfortable enough to completely explore the entire outdoor yard. He seems to be having himself a good ole time. Instead of just looking at things and noting their positions, he is actually interacting with the things he comes across. We noted him climbing the tree limbs bolted to the climbing structure that extend upward to the upper deck. He climbed higher than the deck on the tree limb, but did not get off at that floor. Instead, he simply went back down after a short while to continue exploring. He was then seen rolling in the large pile of straw in the center of the exhibit that was left over from baby-proofing. While he was rolling, we saw him self- anointing himself. This is a behavior done by pandas when they come across a smell they enjoy or that is new to them. They do this by rolling in the scent and rubbing their arms and paws over the top of their head and body, thus covering themselves in this new incredible scent. Yang Yang is often seen doing this with his favorite scent item, Tabasco.
After Xi Lan was all scented up, he continued his adventure in the moat, climbing down with apparent ease. While down there, he decided to attack the drain grate at the bottom of the moat. I don't know if he actually won the battle, but the grate didn't seem phased. After the long, heated battle, he returned topside just as we were giving him access to the dayroom. It didn't take long for him to wander in and in pure young panda fashion, quickly dozed off for a nice long nap.
Kenn Harwood
Lead Keeper of Carnivores
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