Another panda

Media release from Zoo Atlanta

ATLANTA – November 3, 2010 – Lun Lun, a 13-year-old female giant panda at Zoo Atlanta, gave birth to her third cub on November 3, 2010. The cub, born at 5:39 a.m. in a specially-prepared birthing den in the Zoo’s giant panda building, is the only giant panda to be born in the U.S. in 2010.

Lun Lun appears to be providing appropriate care for her cub, which is roughly the size of a cell phone. The Animal Management and Veterinary Teams will continue round-the-clock monitoring of mother and cub, and a preliminary veterinary checkup will be performed as soon as staff is able to remove the cub without disrupting maternal care.

“We are extremely excited about welcoming Lun Lun’s and Yang Yang’s third cub, and proud of the success of Zoo Atlanta’s giant panda program,” said Dwight Lawson, PhD, Deputy Director. “This is a joy we share with the City of Atlanta, our colleagues in China, and our counterparts at our fellow zoological organizations housing giant pandas in the U.S.”

Zoo Atlanta Members and guests can expect to meet the cub in spring 2011. The cub’s father, 13-year-old Yang Yang, and older brother, Xi Lan, remain on exhibit and will not be introduced to their new family member. This separation is normal for giant pandas, which are solitary in the wild.

The newborn is the third offspring for the Zoo’s famous panda pair. Born September 6, 2006, their firstborn, Mei Lan, has lived at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding since February 2010. Born August 30, 2008, the pair’s second cub, 2-year-old male Xi Lan, remains one of the Zoo’s most popular and precocious animal stars. As is the case with Lun Lun’s tiny newest arrival, both Mei Lan and Xi Lan were the only giant pandas born in the U.S. in their respective birth years. All three births have been the products of artificial insemination.

And an update on 18 November

The giant panda cub born to Lun Lun on November 3, 2010, has been determined to be male. The cub’s sex was determined during an exam by the Zoo Atlanta Veterinary Team and a colleague from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

See other media releases from Zoo Atlanta.

(photo from Zoo Atlanta)

You can also see the birth captured by videocam, released by AP.


2010 is shaping to be a good year for panda live births. There are so few of them left that every single birth is important.

Seeking a pambassador

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding has announced the winners of its search for six Chengdu Pambassadors (or Panda Ambassadors), chosen from 12 finalists

1. 王郁文（台湾） 决赛总得分：176分 (No.1 Name: Wangyuwen (Taiwan) Votes: 176)
2. David Alqranti （法国）决赛总得分：171分(No.2 Name: David Alqranti (French) Votes: 171)
3. Ali Shakorian（瑞典）决赛总得分：169分 (No.3 Name: Ali Shakorian (Sweden) Votes: 169)
4. 黄西（中国） 决赛总得分：166分 (No.4 Name: Huang (China) Votes: 166)
5. Ashley Robertson （美国） 决赛总得分：164分 (No.5 Name: Ashley Robertson (American) Votes: 164)
6. Yumiko Kajiwara （日本）决赛总得分：162分 (No.6 Name: Yumiko Kajiwara (Japan) Votes: 162)

61,000 entries from 52 countries were received. The Six winners will spend a month in China at the Chengdu facility.

See SkyNews in the lead up to the selection.


ABC News (US)


What a dream job.

Another set of twin pandas

Last month, I wrote about twin pandas being born in Japan. Zoo Aquarium Madrid in Spain recently announced the birth of twin panda cubs. They were born to Hua Zui Ba on 7 September 2010 and were conceived through artificial insemination.

Madrid Zoo also filmed the births, which is amazing to see.


See also news report by ITN



(photo Parques Reunidos)

Twin pandas

Adventure World, located at Katata Shirahama-cho Nishimuro-gun Wakayama in Japan, announced that nine-year-old Rauhin gave birth twin cubs, a male and female, on 11 August 2010, as a result of natural mating (not artificial insemination).

Rauhin herself was born at Adventure World on 6 September 2000.

This birth is her second, her first set of twins were born on 13 September 2008 (Meihin and Eihin), also from natural mating.





Given their very low numbers, every birth of a panda is news and celebrated world-wide. Besides, they're cute too!

See reporting by AFP.

the pandas are here

It has been a long wait since the announcement in September 2007, but the pandas have finally arrived in Adelaide. From ABC, 28 November 2009, 5pm

Giant pandas arrive in Adelaide

Adelaide's giant pandas are settling into their new home at the local zoo.

The pandas are in their specially built $8 million enclosure at the Adelaide Zoo, where they will spend the next 30 days in quarantine.

Earlier this morning a crowd of about 100 people greeted them at Adelaide Airport and broke into cheers and even tears when their plane touched down.

Wang Wang and Funi's keepers say the animals coped very well with the 12-hour plus trip from Chengdu in southern China.

The CEO of Adelaide Zoo says it is a relief the city's new giant pandas have landed safely on Australian soil.

Chris West says the pandas will be closely monitored.

"We've got sleeping accommodation in the facility, and I'm quite sure we've got two or three staff who'll be there overnight making sure they're fine," he said.

"We've also got lots of cameras, so we'll be watching them to make sure everything is fine."

The public will get its first chance to see the pandas on December 14.

It is expected the pandas will be released into the outdoor part of their enclosure early in the new year.

See also
- Adelaide Zoo
- The Advertiser (Adelaide newspaper) panda supersite


Wang Wang at his new home (Picture: Bryan Charlton)

I will definitely visit Adelaide to see them, in the next ten years.

Meanwhile in other panda news, San Diego zoo's panda cub was named Yun Zi on 17 November.

There are so few pandas left that anything related to them is a big deal. I suspect that less than one per cent of Australians have ever seen a live panda in person. The last (and only time) that pandas were in Australia was for three months in 1988, when two 'visited' Sydney and Melbourne. Other than that, one would have to visit a zoo, which has them, in another country and even then, there are not that many foreign zoos with pandas. Or panda locations in China.

San Diego zoo's panda naming

San Diego Zoo's male giant panda cub, born on 5 August 2009, is to be named and the public's vote is now being sought amongst the following five options

福圣 Fú Shèng (fu sheng): blissful San Diego
小龙 Xiǎo Lóng (siao long): little dragon
熊伟 Xióng Wěi (syong wei): extraordinary bear
永祥 Yǒng Xiǎng (yong siang): eternally blessed
云子 Yún Zǐ (yun zih): son of cloud

Pronunciation of names in this YouTube video


See - San Diego Zoo: Name the Panda (note vote ends at midnight, Tuesday 4 November - their time)

Seriously, why should every single Panda cub born outside of China be given a Mandarin Chinese name?

What is wrong with names like Percival or George? Personally, I think Patrick would be a cool name for a panda.

Panda watch

San Diego Zoo's panda Bai Yun (only on loan from China) gave birth to a cub on 5 August 2009.

Footage of the birth taken from the zoo's panda cam and distributed by Associated Press


More from San Diego Zoo. See also San Diego Union-Tribute.

I'm looking forward to the arrival of two pandas on loan to Adelaide Zoo, later this year.

Panda population increases by one

Reported in Bangkok Post

BABY PANDA BORN

Zoo staff grin and bear it

By: CHEEWIN SATTHA

Published: 28/05/2009 at 12:00 AM

Newspaper section: News

Seven-year-old panda Lin Hui has delighted staff at Chiang Mai Zoo by giving birth to a cub following artificial insemination.

Veterinarians at Chiang Mai Zoo examine the latest addition to the zoo family, a panda cub. The cub's mother Lin Hui gave birth on Wednesday, three months after receiving artificial insemination. Photo courtesy of ASTV MANAGER

Zoological Park Organisation director-general Sophon Damnui said the zoo's veterinary staff were delighted at the birth of the cub on Wednesday. "We are thrilled at the success," he said.

It is the first successful artificial insemination of a panda by a Thai veterinarian team.

Mr Sophon said the gender of the newborn was being confirmed. The cub weighed 200 grammes.

He said veterinary staff were concerned if Lin Hui could raise the cub as it was her first.

A team of Chinese panda experts will arrive in Thailand today and give advice to staff about raising the cub.

"We have to let her take care of the cub. Then we will find a way to separate the cub and raise it in a nursery," Mr Sophon said.

Lin Hui produced her first cub at 10.39am Wednesday - three months after being artificially inseminated - under close observation of the zoo's veterinary staff.

It was the second artificial insemination attempt on the panda who is on a 10-year loan from China along with her male mate Xuang Xuang.

Lin Hui was first artificially inseminated in April 2007 but failed to become pregnant.

The artificial insemination came after other methods - including showing the animals films of other pandas mating to get them in the mood - failed.

Under the loan programme, Lin Hui and Xuang Xuang will be returned to China in 2013.

Some vision from Associated Press



There are only some 1600 pandas believed to be in the wild - last counted in 2004, but population growth isn't high in the species. 180 are raised in captivity.

The birth of a panda is a big deal.

I can't wait for Adelaide Zoo to get their pair later in September this year. The last time pandas lived in Australia was in 1988 when two were on loan for three months in Melbourne and Sydney. Millions of Australians visited them at the time.

the pandas are coming

I am quite excited that Australia will receive two pandas from China on a ten year loan. From Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

Chinese pandas 'a symbol of friendship' with Australia

Posted Thu Sep 6, 2007 3:47pm AEST
Updated Thu Sep 6, 2007 4:13pm AEST

Chinese President Hu Jintao says two giant pandas bound for Australia are a symbol of friendship between the two countries.

China has agreed to send the endangered animals to the Adelaide Zoo after talks were held today between Mr Hu and Prime Minister John Howard.

The Chinese leader says they will be part of a joint research program.

"I would like to stress that this is the first time that a pair of Chinese giant pandas have ever settled in Australia and to be more specific in the Southern Hemisphere," he said.

"I believe that this will certainly become a new symbol of our friendship."

Prime Minister John Howard says Australia welcomes the gesture from China very much.

"It's important when you're talking about billions of dollars of resource contracts and you're talking about tens of thousands of students, it's also important to find in the relationship, the warmth and exhilaration that can come from the temporary residence of such lovely creatures," Mr Howard said.

The Adelaide Zoo is hoping the arrival of the pandas from China will provide a major tourism boost for South Australia.

The male and female pandas are expected to arrive in 2009 and will be on loan to the Zoo for 10 years as part of the joint research program.

Adelaide will be one of only a handful of zoos in the world to house the endangered species.

The Zoo's director of conservation programs, Kevin Evans, says they will be a huge drawcard.

"We feel that people will come from New Zealand and interstate to see pandas as they do internationally," she said.

"People will travel vast distances to see giant pandas because they are so interesting and have been the flagship for conservation for over 30 years ... so we think we'll certainly have a huge spike in visitation when they arrive."

Wangwang (a two year old male)


Funi (one year old female)

I will definitely go and visit them in Adelaide.

The last and only time I have seen a panda was in Washington DC at the (Smithsonian) National Zoo some ten years ago - the panda was Hsing Hsing who was a gift (along with Ling Ling) from China in 1972 to the American people. Ling Ling had died and I am glad to have seen Hsing Hsing before he died not long after my visit.

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Today was rather busy at work.