2012 Panda Updates

March 13

Tian Tian has not been feeling his best for a while. Keepers noted that he was having some soft stool and a decreased appetite. Tian Tian is trained to hold still at the mesh for exams and blood samples, so veterinarians were able to perform a preliminary exam and tests. The results suggested Tian Tian had a urinary tract infection and possible gastrointestinal upset. Tian Tian responded well when given antibiotics and stomach protectants, but his appetite and activity level still weren’t quite back to normal. After consulting with Chinese veterinary colleagues, Zoo curators and veterinarians decided to perform a complete medical workup under anesthesia which included checking his cardiovascular health, bloodwork, radiographs and ultrasounds, and his urinary tract and digestive systems to look for other reasons that Tian Tian might not be feeling 100 percent.

Tian Tian’s checkup went very well. The zoo veterinarians, along with a veterinary cardiologist and a veterinary radiologist, examined Tian Tian thoroughly for any signs of disease. They noticed that Tian has some decreased muscle mass but there was nothing out-of-the-ordinary in the exam or initial lab tests. The vets and pathologists are running more tests on samples they collected. Since Tian Tian’s exam he has gained some weight back and is acting very playful.

In the meantime, Mei Xiang’s hormones remain at baseline. We continue to check her urine for her hormones to rise, which should happen in the next few months. Panda breeding season is typically in the spring and, as the weather attests, we are well on our way.

February 3

Pili and Damini, now sub-adult red pandas, are settled into their enclosure in the giant panda house. They, as well as their parents, Shama and Tate, adjusted well to their move. This is the time that they would have gone their separate ways in the wild. The next big milestones for the red pandas revolve around breeding. For Shama and Tate, breeding will occur in the next month or so. For Pili and Damini, springtime will mean moving to other zoos where they can be paired with suitable male red pandas for breeding in the future.

Meanwhile, for the giant pandas, not much has changed behaviorally since the last update. The behavior watch is now in full swing, but there really hasn’t been a noticeable change in either Tian Tian’s or Mei Xiang’s behavior. Both are continuing to scent-mark and to investigate each other’s scent marks. Keepers are rotating them through different yards on a regular basis to give them maximum opportunities for scent communication.

Keepers are also incorporating some special training into the giant pandas’ daily routine. Tian Tian participates in daily leg-strengthening exercises, which we started to train last breeding season. The purpose of the exercises is to make sure that his hind legs are strong enough to hold a breeding position for an extended period of time. Mei Xiang is called into the training area each morning, so that keepers can look for physical signs (changes in her genital region) that indicate estrus is near. So far, no changes have been noted. In recent years, she’s exhibited early estrus cycles in January. We continue to keep our fingers crossed that she’ll wait until spring this year, which would put her back on a more normal cycle. The norm for the species is for females to go into estrus between March and May.

We are making sure that things are just right in the giant pandas’ environment to set them up for success this breeding season. For example, the lights in the building now go out promptly at 5 p.m. each evening, and remain off until 7 a.m. the next morning, and there is no human activity in or above the panda house during those hours. This way, we can be sure that the bears’ circadian rhythms are not disrupted.

January 13

As the winter progresses, we are becoming more and more optimistic that Mei Xiang is returning to a more species-typical estrus cycle. Giant panda females typically become fertile sometime between March and May, although Mei Xiang came into estrus in January for the past three breeding seasons. We are just now seeing her beginning to scent mark in her exhibit, and we will be watching closely for other tell-tale signs that she’s ready to breed, including bleating, restlessness, and water play.

Tian Tian is showing signs that he’s coming into rut, including patrolling his exhibit and scent marking. As Mei Xiang gets closer to peak estrus, these behaviors will escalate exponentially, and Tian Tian will be exploring every inch of his exhibit and scent marking everything in his path!

A new behavior study will start the week of January 15, and many behavior watch volunteers will be on hand to capture behavioral data about both Mei Xiang and Tian Tian on the web cameras. Web cam watchers may start to notice that the cameras will primarily follow one individual closely each day, alternating daily from one bear to the other – this is for data collection purposes.

The red panda sub-adults (they’re not cubs anymore!) Pili and Damini have stopped nursing and will soon be separated from their parents. Soon they will be moving back into their former indoor exhibit in the giant panda house. This will give their parents Shama and Tate some one-on-one time during red panda breeding season, and will once again give us two red panda exhibits—one outdoors and one indoors. Shama and Tate are most likely to be observed breeding in February, and building up to that visitors are likely to see an increase in playful chasing behavior.

We hope we will soon be hearing the pitter-patter of both giant panda and red panda cub paws in the summertime!

most recent updates

previous updates