Communiqués des zoos > Washington (USA)
Giant panda cub weaning FAQ
Date : 15 mars 2017 | Auteur : National zoological park | Source : Zoo de Washington
The Smithsonian's National Zoo has received good questions about the giant panda weaning process and recent behaviors exhibited by Bei Bei and Mei Xiang. The giant panda science and animal care team put together this FAQ, which includes further context on maternal/cub and pre-estrus behaviors and the history of the giant pandas in the Zoo's care.
When do you wean panda cubs from their mothers at the Smithsonian's National Zoo?
At the Zoo, we wean panda cubs around 18 months of age which has proven successful for the three zoos in the United States who have raised multiple panda cubs.
Why can’t mothers and cubs live together permanently?
Pandas are solitary animals, they do not live in groups. Mothers and cubs do not stay together in the wild. If we were to keep them together much beyond the point when a cub is self-sufficient, that would eventually cause aggression.
What behaviors indicate it is time for a cub to wean from its mother?
The biggest indicator for the cub to separate from its mother is when the cub becomes less dependent on its mother. At that point, the cub is meeting his/her nutritional needs through the consumption of bamboo and other solid foods. Additionally, a cub and mother will spend longer periods of time apart in separate areas of the enclosure.
What are the lessons learned in weaning Bao Bao and Tai Shan that impacted Bei Bei’s weaning process?
We learned that the ambiguity of a drawn-out separation can actually make things more stressful. Once a cub is comfortable and confident in a new yard, it is best to give them independence. There is a period of adjustment, but a clean quick separation is the easiest way for both mother and cub to adjust.
When Mei Xiang and her cub(s) begin living independently, is it stressful for them?
In the wild a cub would move further away from its mother, where it is unable to hear or see her. At the Zoo, we cannot completely mimic the exact conditions. As a result, the first week of weaning may be stressful as the cub and mother adjust to being near to each other, but separated. During the first week of Mei Xiang and Bei Bei living apart, we heard them vocalizing to each other which sometimes agitated them. We also witnessed some restless pacing and climbing which has since abated. During this time, we tried to ease the stress by giving them extra keeper attention.
What do you do for Mei Xiang and her cub(s) to ease the weaning process? How do you respond when you see or hear a behavior that is in response to the separation?
If we see that either panda is agitated, keepers try to calm them either by giving them favorite enrichment items—such as honey on crates and fruitsicles—or engaging in an interaction, like a short training session.
In fact, keepers interact with Bei Bei at least three additional times per day. He is comforted just by seeing his keepers, or by keepers talking to him.
Mei Xiang is more likely to ignore keepers’ efforts to engage her as she is starting to experience hormonal changes as the breeding season gets closer. Additionally, Tian Tian, who lives in the enclosure directly next to hers is in rut and is often vocalizing to her, which can sometimes elicit animated responses from her—all perfectly normal.
What happens to a female after a cub weans?
The female will start cycling again and will go into estrus 40 to 60 days after weaning. Mei Xiang is already showing signs of pre estrus (restlessness, water play, scent-anointing). For pandas, reproduction ends around 20 years old. Mei Xiang is near the end of her reproductive life cycle. However, it is important for the global population of giant pandas that her genes are represented and she has the opportunity to breed again this year.
What’s the difference between a pre-estrus behavior directed towards Tian Tian and a response to Bei Bei?
Mei Xiang’s location and vocalizations are good indicators of whether she is exhibiting a pre-estrus behavior or a response to Bei Bei. A response to Bei Bei would focus on the back wall closest to his enclosures. Her vocalizations are usually high-pitched short chirps. When she responds to Tian Tian, she makes a moaning vocalization at him usually through one of the ‘howdy’ windows between their yards. If she is responding to rut behaviors from Tian Tian, she paces inside her indoor enclosure and outside throughout her yard.
It seems like Bei Bei is less active since weaning and living independently from Mei Xiang. Is that normal?
We witness many of the same behaviors and activity patterns with Bei Bei as we saw before the separation. The one exception is social play, as he does not have access to another panda. He is eating, exploring his yard, and playing and interacting with enrichment. He found a tree that he likes to sleep in and he naps in it regularly both in the morning and afternoon, much like he did while he was still with Mei Xiang.
Why is Bei Bei sometimes climbing a tree near Mei Xiang’s enclosure?
Bei Bei identified a new favorite “napping” tree in his yard that will hold his weight and is close to Mei Xiang’s enclosure. He can see the keepers as well as other parts of the panda habitat when he is in that tree and often climbs it when he hears the keepers in the area.
Bei Bei is spending a lot of time at the fence. Why?
Since the fence is solid, he is not able to see/interact with the keepers like he did when he was in Mei Xiang’s yard. In her yard there is mesh at the back that permits visual access to keepers while they are working. The back corner of Bei Bei’s yard is the closest area to the keepers when they are working near the bamboo shed. Bao Bao also spent time in that corner, especially when she wanted more food or to interact with keepers.
Is the Zoo or the panda team giving Mei Xiang or Bei Bei any type of medication or supplement(s) to control behavior or to impact the breeding process?
Outside of routine vaccinations and deworming drugs (to keep them healthy), the giant pandas do not receive any other medications.
Communiqués des zoos > Washington (USA)
Bao Bao is settling into her new home
Date : 9 mars 2017 | Auteur : National zoological park | Source : Zoo de Washington
This update was written by keeper Marty Dearie.
Bao Bao is settling in China at the Dujiangyan panda base. Our 16-hour direct flight aboard the FedEx Panda Express was smooth and Bao Bao did really well. She ate and slept the entire way to Chengdu, just as we expected. All the weeks of acclimating her to her travel crate paid off.
Upon arrival at the Dujiangyan panda base, Bao Bao walked into her new enclosure within one minute of when her new keeper opened her travel crate door. She immediately starting exploring and was very relaxed. I stayed at Dujiangyan for three days, in case there were any questions about her, or if it seemed like she needed a familiar keeper. True to her character, Bao Bao was very independent and began taking food from her new keeper immediately. Her diet in China will be similar to what she ate at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. She has more variety of bamboo to eat, and she started eating it right away. She surprised me when she ate a carrot offered by her keeper—carrots were always one of the diet items she was less enthusiastic about when she lived at our Zoo. She didn’t choose to eat the specially-made panda bread, but she will likely acquire a taste for it with time. It’s more important that she eat bamboo than the panda bread.
Bao Bao also participated in training sessions and performed behaviors that we taught her over the last few years without missing a beat. Our Chinese colleagues use very similar, or the same body gestures, to communicate to pandas what we need them to do. Bao Bao picked up on all the hand signals and body gestures paired with verbal cues in Chinese very quickly. By the time I left, Bao Bao preferred to interact with her new keeper, which is what I was hoping would happen. She quickly realized that he would be feeding her and began responding to him. At the time of my departure, Bao Bao seemed very comfortable. Hopefully, in a few years our colleagues in China will share happy news with us that Bao Bao has become a mom.
Several of our scientists from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and our chief veterinarian were in China shortly after I left Dujiangyan. They happened to see Bao Bao while they were there and took some photos of her enjoying bamboo shoots in her new yard.
Back at the Zoo, we are in the early stages of Bei Bei’s life as an independent bear. Just as we observed with previous cubs after the first week of living apart, Mei Xiang and Bei Bei have begun to settle into their new independent routines. They both spend less time wandering and vocalizing to each other, which is not unusual behavior for a mother and cub during the transition. Bei Bei has acclimated to his new yard and indoor enclosure. He is spending the same amount of time eating, sleeping and engaging with enrichment as he did before living separately. We’ll continue to monitor both bears and provide support and individual attention as necessary through this transition. Mei Xiang has been displaying some pre-estrus behaviors over the last several days, including wandering, water play and she was caught on the panda cams scent-anointing herself yesterday.
Communiqués des zoos > Washington (USA)
Bei Bei is weaning
Date : 4 mars 2017 | Auteur : National zoological park | Source : Zoo de Washington
People who have been watching the panda cams have seen some big changes over the last few weeks. Bei Bei is weaning from Mei Xiang. We have heard from many worried panda fans as Mei Xiang and Bei Bei go through their weaning process. This is the third panda cub we have weaned at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. We are monitoring Mei Xiang and Bei Bei’s behaviors closely. Pandas are solitary animals, and cubs generally separate from their mothers around 18 months old. This is a natural process. Bei Bei is a resilient bear who is learning to be independent, and the animal care team is supporting his efforts. This is a process, but there is professional and dedicated staff monitoring our pandas and attending to their needs. The animal keepers provide all our pandas with lots of attention, including training sessions and enrichment, timed throughout the day.
Just like with any new big adjustment, there have been some stressful moments, but Bei Bei and Mei Xiang are adjusting. The timeline for Bei Bei’s weaning mirrored Bao Bao’s, which is the same model other institutions have successfully used with their cubs. The ambiguity of drawn-out separation can actually make things more stressful for moms and cubs. A clean, quick separation has proven to be the easiest way for both individuals to adjust. Prolonging the process (repeatedly letting them spend time together, then separating them) doesn’t eliminate any anxious behaviors; it just draws them out.
Even though Bei Bei is living separately from Mei Xiang, and has always lived separately from Tian Tian, he is still very aware of both of them. Yard 3 (the yard he lives in now) offers some good viewing opportunities to yard 2 (Mei Xiang’s yard), and just like his older siblings before him, Bei Bei is making use of them. All of our pandas are aware of what the others are doing—they live in close proximity, and can see, hear and smell each other. Bei Bei is likely sometimes trying to climb to see Mei Xiang. It is ok, because we know from our own experiences with his older siblings, as well as from the other zoos that have weaned pandas, that this disruption is short-lived, and that all will be fine soon. Bei Bei is already adjusting, and has been exploring and making use of the features of his new enclosures, such as napping in his indoor hammock.
We are already seeing behaviors in Tian Tian and Mei Xiang that show they are preparing for the upcoming breeding season. Mei Xiang has been pacing, which may be related to weaning Bei Bei, but it is also a common pre-estrus behavior. In conjunction with the pacing, we heard her vocalizing to Tian Tian on Friday. Again, we can’t speculate what her motive is, but it seems she is reacting to Tian Tian at least as much as she is to Bei Bei recently. These are same behaviors we saw with her previous two cubs, and past experiences have shown us that the disruption is short lived.
For 45 years, our passionate and professional animal care staff and scientists have worked to care for, study and help save this charismatic species. Our work would not be possible without your support. Thank you for reaching out with your questions on Mei Xiang and Bei Bei!
Communiqués des zoos > Washington (USA)
Bao Bao arrives in China
Date : 22 février 2017 | Auteur : National zoological park | Source : Zoo de Washington
Bao Bao, her keeper Marty Dearie and Dr. Katharine Hope landed at China’s Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport around 6:59 p.m. CST after a 16-hour direct flight aboard the “FedEx Panda Express,” a custom-decaled 777F aircraft. Bao Bao ate, drank and slept normally during the smooth flight.
“Bao Bao was a real champion during the flight. All the weeks of training and preparation served her really well,” said Marty. “She’s in excellent hands now and I’m glad I get to transition with our Chinese partners and have my ‘goodbye’ in a couple days.”
Upon arrival in Chengdu, Bao Bao’s new keepers from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda drove her to Dujiangyan Panda Base where she will stay in quarantine for approximately 30 days. Marty will remain with Bao Bao for three days while she acclimates to her new home. It is not confirmed if Bao Bao will remain at Dujiangyan after the quarantine period has ended. She will enter the giant panda breeding program when she reaches sexual maturity between 5 and 6 years old.
Back in Washington, D.C. at the Zoo, the panda team is looking to the future. Bei Bei is already a year-and-a-half old! Giant panda cubs usually separate from their mothers around 18 months old, and Bei Bei is becoming more independent and confident every day. He is fully recovered from his emergency surgery this winter and is growing like a weed. Several months ago, we started seeing the first signs that Mei Xiang was preparing to wean him. She is much less accommodating for nursing sessions, which is normal because Bei Bei has not been nutritionally dependent on Mei Xiang for several months. Any nursing sessions he has are for comfort rather than food. He is 131 pounds now (much larger than Bao Bao was when she weaned from Mei Xiang) and eats nearly 90 pounds of bamboo (along with Mei Xiang) per day, 1/3 pound of apples, 1 pound of biscuits, and a little more than half of a pound of sweet potatoes every day.
Earlier today, keepers gave Mei Xiang and Bei Bei their first opportunity to spend time together in Yard 3, Bao Bao’s old yard. If Bei Bei becomes familiar with this yard while he is still living with Mei Xiang, then his transition to living on his own will be much smoother. Everything went well this morning.
Tian Tian also got a change of scenery today! He has access to both his regular yard and Mei Xiang’s yard which made him a very happy panda. He investigated all of Mei Xiang’s scent marks and did lots of scent-anointing (rubbing her scent all over his head). He appeared to be in a very playful mood acting more like a cub than a 19-year-old bear. He tumbled around the yard and even climbed a few trees!
Communiqués des zoos > Washington (USA)
Giant panda Bao Bao arrives safely in China
Date : 22 février 2017 | Auteur : National zoological park | Source : Zoo de Washington
Giant panda Bao Bao and Zoo staff landed at China’s Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport around 6:59 p.m. CST. Aboard the “FedEx Panda Express,” a custom-decaled 777F aircraft, Bao Bao’s non-stop 16-hour flight departed Feb. 21, at 1:55 p.m. EST from Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia.
“Bao Bao was a real champion during the flight. All the weeks of training and preparation served her really well,” said Marty Dearie, “She’s in excellent hands now and I’m glad I get to transition with our Chinese partners and have my ‘goodbye’ in a couple days.”
Upon arrival in Chengdu, Bao Bao’s new keepers from China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda drove her to Dujiangyan Panda Base where she will stay in quarantine for approximately 30 days. Keeper Marty Dearie will remain with Bao Bao for three days while she acclimates to her new home. It is not confirmed if Bao Bao will remain at Dujiangyan after the quarantine period has ended. Bao Bao will enter the giant panda breeding program when she reaches sexual maturity between 5 and 6 years old.
Communiqués des zoos > Washington (USA)
Giant panda Bao Bao departs Smithsonian’s National Zoo for China
Date : 21 février 2017 | Auteur : National zoological park | Source : Zoo de Washington
Bao Bao (BOW-BOW), the 3 ½ year-old giant panda, began her journey to China this morning. She departed the Smithsonian’s National Zoo at 10:35 a.m. for Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia where she will board a FedEx 777F plane bound for Chengdu, China. The non-stop flight will take about 16 hours. Bao Bao’s departure from the Zoo was broadcast via Facebook Live.
This morning, the panda team arrived at 6:30 a.m. to finalize preparations for Bao Bao’s departure. Bao Bao received her morning diet of 17 pounds (8 kilograms) of bamboo and 5.4 (150 grams) leafeater biscuits and spent time in her outdoor habitat. Already acclimated from daily training, keepers Marty Dearie and Laurie Thompson called Bao Bao back indoors and then into the custom travel crate at approximately 9:40 a.m. Zoo staff moved the crate onto a specially decorated forklift that traveled carefully out of the David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat through the Zoo and was loaded on a FedEx truck. Dennis Kelly, the director of the Zoo, was joined by Ambassador Cui Tiankai from the People’s Republic of China and animal care staff to say goodbye.
“Today is bittersweet,” said Kelly. “We’ve watched Bao Bao grow up during the past three years, and she has charmed people all over the world with her independent and playful personality. We’re so proud of our team who have prepared Bao Bao for the next chapter of her life as she enters the breeding program in China. This is another milestone in our 45-year history of working to study, care for and help save the giant panda and its native habitat.”
The “FedEx Panda Express,” a custom-decaled 777F aircraft, is expected to depart at 1:30 p.m. today from Dulles International Airport. The Zoo will broadcast the departure of the plane on Facebook. The specialized travel crate is made of steel and weighs approximately 800 pounds. Marty Dearie, one of the keepers who has cared for Bao Bao since her birth, and Katharine Hope, veterinarian at the Zoo, will make the 8,508-mile trip with her. They will continuously monitor Bao Bao during the trip and are traveling with a supply of her favorite treats, including 55 pounds of bamboo, 2 pounds apples, two bags of leafeater biscuits, cooked sweet potatoes and water.
Upon arrival in Chengdu, Bao Bao’s new keepers from China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda will drive her to Dujiangyan Panda Base where she will stay in quarantine for approximately 30 days. The American team will follow, and Dearie will remain with Bao Bao for three days while she acclimates to her new home. It is not confirmed if Bao Bao will remain at Dujiangyan after the quarantine period has ended. Bao Bao will enter the giant panda breeding program when she reaches sexual maturity between 5 and 6 years old.
The panda team prepared Bao Bao for the move to make sure she is comfortable and safe during her journey. To slowly acclimate her to the travel crate, keepers asked Bao Bao to walk through it every day. After she became comfortable doing that, they got her used to spending short periods of time in it with the doors closed.
Bao Bao was born at 5:32 p.m. Aug. 23, 2013, at the Zoo’s David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat. Her name translates to “precious” or “treasure” in Chinese. Both Mrs. Michelle Obama, former First Lady of the United States, and Madame Peng Liyuan, First Lady of China, sent congratulatory messages for her naming ceremony when she was 100 days old. At her first birthday zhuazhou (dra-JO) ceremony, she selected a banner depicting peaches, representing longevity. She is the second surviving cub of her parents Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) and Tian Tian (tee-YEN tee-YEN).
Giant pandas are listed as “vulnerable” in the wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. There are an estimated 1,800 in the wild. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute is a leader in giant panda conservation. Ever since these charismatic bears arrived at the Zoo in 1972, animal care staff and scientists have studied giant panda biology, behavior, breeding, reproduction and disease. These experts are also leading ecology studies in the giant pandas' native habitat. The Zoo’s giant panda team works closely with colleagues in China to advance conservation efforts around the world. Chinese scientists are working to reintroduce giant pandas to the wild.
Communiqués des zoos > Washington (USA)
Saving the iconic giant panda
Date : 16 février 2017 | Auteur : National zoological park | Source : Zoo de Washington
Visitors to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo could spend hours watching the giant pandas, and nothing elicits quite the degree of ‘oohs’ and ‘awws’ as a panda cub. Whether munching contentedly on bamboo, playing with an enrichment toy or taking a snooze in a nearby tree, giant pandas seem to provide an endless supply of adorable. What many visitors don’t see, however, is the science that goes into saving the species from the brink of extinction—studies on reproduction, habitat ecology and disease. If not for the important work of these passionate and dedicated conservationists, the world may have been devoid of pandas.
The Zoo and Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) have been part of that conservation effort for more than four decades. This collaboration with Chinese scientists from the China Wildlife Conservation Association continues to give the species a fighting chance today.
SCBI’s ecologists are exploring ways to expand panda habitat by creating corridors to connect panda reserves—large areas of fragmented land, home to panda populations. These connecting corridors would not only allow more pandas to potentially interact and mate with each other, but would also give scientists an opportunity to learn more about other wildlife that live in these areas.
But, increased interaction could bring about the increased risk of infectious diseases for giant pandas and for other species that share their habitats. To better understand panda health, Zoo and SCBI veterinarians are working with Chinese colleagues at the Wildlife Disease Control Center in Sichuan Province. Together, they study parasitic and other infections as well as disease in aging pandas—all of which will help inform future biomedical studies on the species.
Although there has been major success in Chinese breeding centers, some pandas still experience reproductive challenges. The Zoo’s adult giant pandas, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, have been studied extensively by SCBI scientists with the goal of understanding why some pandas don’t reproduce well. In the process, they are exploring effective methods that go beyond ultrasounds to determine pregnancy in females.
Even as scientists invest in wild populations, they’re painstakingly documenting what it takes to maintain a successful population in human care. SCBI scientist Jonathan Ballou developed the formula used to make breeding recommendations for the entire giant panda population in human care, ensuring that it is genetically healthy. Scientists are working to preserve 90 percent of the genetic diversity of the giant panda population in human care for the next 200 years. That requires a population of 500 pandas in human care.
To achieve that goal, scientists must routinely analyze the population’s genes to determine which individuals should breed, with whom, and how often. That would not only result in a population that’s genetically healthy, but would also enable scientists to reintroduce more individuals into the wild and ultimately help create a self-sustaining wild population of these charismatic bears.
Communiqués des zoos > Washington (USA)
Keepers' favorite memories of Bao Bao
Date : 16 février 2017 | Auteur : National zoological park | Source : Zoo de Washington
On Aug. 23, 2013, a pink, squiggly giant panda cub named Bao Bao arrived at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. She announced her presence with a hearty squeal to the delight of Panda Cam viewers around the world. Among those sharing the joy of the Zoo’s conservation success were the animal care staff who had helped make Bao Bao’s birth possible. As keepers prepare to say bye-bye to Bao Bao, they are sharing some of their favorite memories of the playful and inquisitive cub who made history.
“Bao Bao was the first giant panda cub I worked with, and I’ve learned so much watching her grow from the size of a butter stick to the 200-pound bear she is today. Weighing and measuring a squirmy—and noisy—panda cub is an experience like no other. She’s much easier to weigh now!” – Jenny Spotten, Asia Trail keeper
“At the public reopening of the Panda House following Bao Bao’s birth, she was amazing—as always. But, I especially enjoyed watching the visitors react to her. The looks on their faces made all of our hard work and long hours seem easier. I saw firsthand how much our pandas touch people’s lives and how much happiness they bring to everyone.” – Nicole MacCorkle, giant panda keeper
“My favorite Bao Bao moment was the first time she experienced a snow storm. Watching her roll down the hill holding a log had me laughing out loud!” – Marty Dearie, giant panda keeper
“Bao Bao often climbs the trees in her yard and peeks over the fence to see what keepers are doing. She seems to want to know what’s going on!” – Laurie Thompson, assistant curator of giant pandas
“On Christmas Eve in 2014, Bao Bao climbed a tree and did not come down when called, so I stayed late. I expected that I would have to stay well into the next day, but just before midnight Bao Bao made her way down the tree and into the Panda House. It was our own Christmas miracle.” – Shellie Pick, Asia Trail keeper
“Bao Bao is so active and silly when no one is watching. In the middle of the night, she plays wildly—jumping up and down, running around, throwing her toys and dragging bamboo around her enclosure. It’s a whole other side of her that she seems to keep to herself.” – Stacey Tabellario, Asia Trail keeper
Communiqués des zoos > Washington (USA)
Giant panda Bao Bao moving to China Feb. 21
Date : 6 février 2017 | Auteur : National zoological park | Source : Zoo de Washington
Giant panda Bao Bao will depart the Smithsonian’s National Zoo for China Feb. 21. FedEx, the Zoo’s official transport sponsor, will fly Bao Bao from Washington, D.C., to Chengdu, China. One keeper and one veterinarian will fly with Bao Bao to China. The panda team will continuously monitor Bao Bao during the trip and will travel with a supply of her favorite treats, including bamboo, apples, pears, cooked sweet potatoes and water.
The Zoo will have special opportunities for the public to say goodbye and celebrate Bao Bao Feb. 16 to Feb. 20. A full schedule of events at the Zoo and on its social media channels is available online. Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ) will host a special event for its members Feb. 11.
Bao Bao was born at 5:32 p.m. Aug. 23, 2013, at the Zoo’s David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat. She has been living separately from her mother Mei Xiang since March 2015. Giant pandas are solitary in the wild, and cubs separate from their mothers to establish their own territories between 18 months and 2 years old. Bao Bao will enter the breeding program in China between the ages of 5 and 6 years old.
Communiqués des zoos > Washington (USA)
Bei Bei's recovery updates
Date : 10 janvier 2017 | Auteur : National zoological park | Source : Zoo de Washington
Giant panda cub Bei Bei is recovering nicely following emergency surgery to remove an intestinal blockage—a lemon-sized mass of chewed up bamboo. Following the successful procedure, Zoo staff returned Bei Bei to the David M. Rubenstein Family giant panda habitat. Keepers were encouraged to see that he moved well and was bright, alert and engaged during their interactions. To kick-start his digestive system, keepers served Bei Bei small portions of his favorite soft foods throughout the day: apple slices, leave-eater biscuits soaked in water and bites of sweet potato that contained antibiotic and antacid medications. He heartily ate what he was given, and urinated and defecated normally. To minimize his movement, Bei Bei was separated from Mei Xiang, initially. The pair has been reunited, but animal care staff are taking extra precautions to ensure Bei Bei is eating only his modified diet. Bamboo would be too difficult for his digestive system to process at this time, so keepers separate Mei Xiang and Bei Bei while they are eating.
Stay up-to-date on the latest news from the Giant Panda House as Bei Bei recovers from successful bowel surgery.
Bei Bei
Jan. 10
This update was written by giant panda keeper Nicole MacCorkle.
Bei Bei is continuing to recover well from his major surgery, and he started eating small amounts of bamboo again a few weeks ago. He now gets several meals of leaf eater biscuits, sweet potatoes and apples, and several bamboo feedings every day. He eagerly consumes all his food—much as he has since he was born. As part of his recovery process, we are still closely monitoring all of his food consumption, not just bamboo. And as a result, he is staying inside where we can more closely control and regulate what he eats. He will start going outside again soon, but we need to be sure that he doesn’t nibble on too much grass, leaves or other vegetation when he does.
Until Bei Bei is cleared to go outside by our veterinarians and nutritionists, he will spend his time inside the panda house—a place he is very familiar and comfortable with and has been spending time in since he was born. In addition to his feedings, he also is given several enrichment (play) items every day. He is a very flexible animal, and has adjusted remarkably well to all of the changes in his routine.
One of the ways we monitor Bei Bei is by his fecal production; it helps us determine how his gastrointestinal tract is recovering. So far, his stools have been normal and look like miniature versions of Mei Xiang’s. His weight is also a good indicator of how he’s feeling. He now weighs 109 pounds; he’s gained more than 10 pounds since his surgery—all good signs for a growing bear.
Now that Bei Bei is 16 months old and weighs more than 100 pounds, Mei Xiang is weaning him, which is completely normal. She does not always allow him to nurse as much as he might like, but he does not depend on her for his nutrition any longer. We noticed in the first few days following surgery that Mei Xiang seemed to be gentler with Bei Bei and even allowed him to nurse more than normal, but their relationship has returned to what it was before his surgery.
When Bei Bei is ready to go outside again, we’ll be sure to let everyone know. In the meantime, you can visit him inside the panda house.
Dec. 16
As Bei Bei recovers from surgery, his diet is slowly returning to normal but he still needs to wait until he can eat bamboo. However, he continues to gain weight, and has crossed the 100-pound (45 kilos) mark. While Bei Bei continues his recovery, we have adjusted Mei Xiang’s schedule to ensure that she still gets an adequate amount of bamboo each day. During the day, Bei Bei happily eats and rests inside while Mei Xiang is fed outside in the yard.
Prior to Bei Bei's surgery, our normal panda routine was to do a large bamboo feeding at the end of the day to see them through the night. Now, with Bei Bei’s diet restrictions we can’t put any bamboo in the indoor enclosures, and overnight is too long to leave Mei Xiang without bamboo. The solution is to feed Mei Xiang her bamboo outdoors only, and to lengthen her day, so she is only without access to bamboo for a few hours.
Originally, keepers were staying round the clock, both to monitor Bei Bei and to provide bamboo feedings for Mei Xiang. As the days passed and Bei Bei no longer required round the clock care, we realized that Mei Xiang really wasn’t interested in eating much bamboo overnight anyway. So, we gradually began increasing the time between the last feeding of the evening and the first of the morning until we arrived at the current schedule, which seems to be working well for everyone. We provide Mei Xiang at least five outdoor bamboo feedings each day while Bei Bei rests indoors.
This is the time in Bei Bei’s development where he continues to spend more and more time apart from his mom, so both are unfazed by this schedule. This is also the time of year where the temperatures drop, but the pandas are loving it! This is panda weather, and they are well equipped to deal with the cooler temperatures.
Both Bao Bao and Tian Tian are paying little attention to the schedule changes going on around them. They continue to be on their own eating, sleeping and playing schedules.