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Tai Shan's Milestones
A Photo Essay

Tai Shan
Tai Shan, the Zoo's giant panda cub. (Jessie Cohen/NZP)

The Chinese zodiac calls 2005 the year of the rooster, but it is undoubtedly the year of the giant panda cub at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. The July 9 birth of Mei Xiang's and Tian Tian's first baby was an epic event for the Zoo and for panda aficionados everywhere, and a triumph for National Zoo science. Most important, the cub's birth gives a little boost to the worldwide population of giant pandas, a species endangered in its native China by habitat destruction and poaching.

We'd like to share with you a scrapbook of milestones in the first months of the cub's life. We've included a few of the hundreds of emails we received from people around the world expressing the hope and joy that the cub, named Tai Shan by his fans, has inspired.

Emails may be edited for length and clarity.

March 10 and 11—A Panda in the Making
Tian Tian made several attempts to mate with Mei Xiang, whose fertile period lasts only two or three days each spring. He was not successful, but Zoo reproduction scientists and veterinarians gave the pandas a second shot at parenthood on March 11, when they inseminated Mei with Tian's sperm. It was nearly four months before anyone knew whether the procedure worked.

Mei Xiang and Tian Tian playing
Although Mei Xiang and Tian Tian get along well, they did not conceive a cub naturally in 2005. (Jessie Cohen/NZP)

Panda facts: Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) are endangered. Only about 1,600 live in the wild, and about 160 live in zoos and breeding centers around the world, mostly in China. • Female giant pandas give birth in the fall and typically bear one cub every two or three years. • Because giant pandas' reproduction and development are relatively slow, they do not produce offspring quickly enough to replace individuals killed by poachers.

July 9—A Cub at Last
At 3:41 a.m., a giant panda keeper and a FONZ volunteer behavior watcher heard the squeals of a newborn cub coming from the birthing den inside the Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat. Staff and volunteers gathered in a nearby room to watch Mei on video monitors, anxious to see how she reacted to her squirming pink baby, which was only 1/900th her size. To their relief, Mei picked it up and gently cradled it in her arms.

News of the cub spread far and wide as the day grew older. TV crews interviewed elated panda fans in Washington, D.C., and journalists filed stories for publications around the world. The cub debuted on the Zoo website's panda cam on July 10 and instantly became an international star.

To allow Mei time to bond with her infant without distractions, the Zoo adopted a hands-off approach. Staff did not immediately examine the cub or determine its sex, but FONZ volunteers began a 24-hour behavior watch to monitor Mei as she learned how to take care of her demanding little cub. Their recorded observations contributed to a growing body of knowledge about giant pandas.

Meanwhile, Tian Tian was the only giant panda on exhibit at the Zoo. He didn't seem to mind being the center of attention, and lolled in his air-conditioned grotto while Zoo visitors streamed by and offered their congratulations.

Panda cub, nine days old
At nine days old, the cub's all-white fur was sparse and short. (NZP)

Panda facts: In the wild, giant pandas give birth in hollow trees or caves to shelter cubs from rain, cold weather, and predators. • Giant panda fathers do not participate in raising cubs, and are solitary except during mating season. • The Zoo's cub is one of only four giant panda cubs born in the United States that have survived more than a few days.

Email from Cathy in Balad, Iraq:
We are living and working about 50 miles north of Baghdad and halfway between Baghdad and Tikrit. We work a minimum of 12 hours per day for seven days a week with very little in the way of distraction (other than the occasional "incoming" from insurgents and sandstorms). To say that Mei Xiang and her cub have brightened our days tremendously would be such an understatement.

Every morning, we eagerly wait for your web page to come up so we can check on Mei and her cub. People stop by the office all day asking for a Mei report.

The first day we watched, our hearts went out to Mei. We could see she was just so tired. Every time she tried to lie down, those little squeals started and up she sat. We were right there with her. But when we were finally able to get a small glimpse of the cub, you could have heard the squeals from Iraq if you had not been listening for those coming from Mei's den.

I will never be able to put it into words how much Mei has changed our lives here and what she has come to mean to us. We are all so crazy in love with Mei, her cub, and Tian. What a wonderful job you are doing and what a difference you are making—much, much more than you can imagine.


July 15 to August 1—Baby Puts on a Coat, and Mei Takes a Break
What a difference three weeks of nursing and growing made in the cub's appearance. Although it was a long, lean baby at birth, the cub was starting to develop a little pot belly, thanks to Mei Xiang's high-fat milk. The cub's coat of sparse white hairs had grown thicker and now bore black markings around the eyes, ears, legs, and midsection. It was now unmistakably a giant panda. Its nose, however, wouldn't turn black for a few more months.

Video still of Mei Xiang and Tai Shan
By August 1, the cub had developed the distinctive markings of a giant panda, just like its mother. (NZP)

Mei seemed to realize that her cub was growing stronger and began to leave him for short periods. On July 15, she took her first drink of water since two days before the cub's birth, and on July 26, just four days after own her birthday, she ate for the first time in 19 days. Fasting is typical for giant panda mothers. Experts in China have observed panda mothers in the wild waiting as long as a month after their cubs' birth before drinking or eating anything.

Panda facts: Adult pandas' fur is thick and is covered with a thin sheen of oil secreted from their skins. The oil repels water and helps the pandas stay dry and warm in the cool, humid mountain climates where they live. • Lisa Stevens, the Zoo's assistant curator for giant pandas, says, "Adult panda fur feels dry and coarse. Cub fur is slightly softer."

Email from Janine and her students, Imogen, Chantelle, Lizzie, Lucy, Meghana, Ka Wai, James, and Sam in Stoke-on-Trent, England
We would like you to know that you have a small school in England that visits your website every day to watch the pandas. We love it!

A boy who left my class last year adopted a WWF panda* on my behalf. Isn't that an amazing teacher present? Even though he is no longer in my class, he and his classmates call in and follow the pandas every day.

This gift has prompted me to do lots of work on pandas and other endangered species. The children are fascinated and love learning about conservation. Your website is extremely useful. Thanks.

All lessons are interrupted every time Mei Xiang comes in to feed baby. The children all run to the computer to watch.

*Editor's note: You can also adopt a giant panda and other endangered species through FONZ's Adopt a Species program.


August 2—It's a Boy!
By now, people couldn't wait to find out whether the cub was male or female. One panda-cam watcher emailed to tell us that astrological signs indicated the cub was a male. Others just "had a feeling" that the cub was female. Zoo staff were curious too, but, more important, they wanted to be certain the cub was healthy. At last, the day came to discover the truth.

Tai Shan at his first exam
At his first exam, the cub weighed 1.82 pounds. (NZP)

At about 8 a.m., Mei went into another room to get a drink and eat some bamboo, leaving the cub by himself in the den. Zoo staff closed the door between them, and Mei did not react or seem concerned, so they retrieved the cub and got started.

Associate veterinarian Sharon Deem, animal keeper Laurie Perry, and assistant curator Lisa Stevens conducted the cub's first exam and were "wobbly-kneed with excitement," said Stevens. They found the cub was healthy and quite stocky too. It weighed 1.82 pounds, had a total body length of 12 inches, and its heart rate and respiration were normal. The exam took only nine minutes and answered the question on everyone's mind: The cub is male. A second exam on August 8 confirmed that beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Panda facts: According to one study, male giant panda cubs tend to grow more quickly than female cubs. • As the cub grows, its tail "shrinks" in proportion to the rest of its body. On August 8, its tail was about 14 percent of its total body length, but on September 30, its tail was only 11 percent of its total body length.

Email from Melissa:
I just wanted to write and tell you how much I have been enjoying watching the mother panda and her baby these past few weeks. It is a glimpse into a world that normally very few people ever have the opportunity of viewing. Mei is such a good mother—yesterday morning, when the cub fussed a bit and Mei looked like she wanted to nap, she responded to the cub and did everything she could to ease the cub's needs instead.

I was fortunate to be online and watching the panda cam when the cub was taken for its most recent vet exam. The keepers and scientists were very gentle when they lifted the cub out of the birthing den and returned him after the exam. Everyone on the panda staff deserves a huge round of applause. You have no idea how much joy and wonder you are bringing to thousands of people who have discovered the pandas' online window!


August 25—Eyes Wide Open

Tai Shan with his eyes open
The cub's eyes opened on August 25. (Jessie Cohen/NZP)

Like many animals, including dogs, cats, and some birds, giant pandas are born with their eyes shut. Staff and volunteers kept their own eyes peeled in hopes of being first to see the cub's peepers.

On August 25, Stevens sent an excited missive to be posted on the website: "They are open! The panda cub's eyes are now open! We just noted this at 4:15 p.m., Day 47." Although there was no way to determine if the cub could see anything yet, some people thought his bright eyes made him look cuter and more alert than ever.

Panda facts: Giant panda infants in one study did not react to smells until they were about 18 days old, and did not react to light until they were about one month old. • Adult giant pandas' sense of smell is acute.

Email from Sue in Lilitz, Pennsylvania:
Dear Panda Staff,

My heartfelt thanks to all who work so hard to care for the pandas and keep the public updated. I can't describe how meaningful this website has been for me. Back in the early 1970s before we were married, my husband and I visited the National Zoo to see the first pandas there. Through the years we followed their lives, always hopeful for a cub.

My husband died suddenly this spring. In the midst of my grieving a miracle happened: This tiny cub was born. I have been closely following the progress. I was blessed to be watching the day of the first exam, seeing the scurrying feet and hearing the excited voices. I'm sure my husband is closely watching from above, sharing my joy at this miracle.

Know that your hard work has far-reaching effects. Thank you.

September 19—Putting Some Teeth into It
At the cub's sixth exam, veterinarians noticed that his claws were very long and sharp, and detected signs of teeth growing in his gums. His first molars and incisors erupted about two weeks later.

Vets examining Tai Shan's teeth
Vets checked the cub's teeth at his exam on September 19. (Jessie Cohen/NZP)

Mei Xiang began to enjoy more time alone as the cub grew, which is normal for giant panda mothers. On September 13, she left the cub for eight hours and spent most of that time resting in the indoor exhibit at the Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat. On another day, she interacted with Tian Tian through a mesh window on one of her forays into the outdoor yard. The cub slept or rested quietly in the den while she was gone. He had gotten so heavy by then (he weighed 9.6 pounds on September 19) that Mei would have had difficulty picking him up bringing him along with her, anyhow.

Panda facts: Adult pandas have 42 teeth, including flat molars perfect for grinding bamboo, and four canines. • Giant pandas belong to the order Carnivora. Although they mostly eat bamboo, they will in rare instances eat bamboo rats (Rhizomys sinensis) or musk deer fawns (Moschus berezovskii). • A 220-pound adult giant panda eats an average of about 27 pounds of bamboo per day.

Email from Patricia in Canton, Georgia
I am one of the millions watching the growth of your panda cub, and what a delight this morning to see him being held by Zoo staff in the latest photo, which put his size in perspective. What a hoot it must be to be able to be involved with his growing up. I do envy all of you!

September 21—Stepping Out
Everyone wanted to see the nearly three-month-old cub take his first step. Some people worried facetiously about whether he could lift his prominent and "pear-shaped rear end" off the ground long enough to do it. Fortunately, he had been building up strength by doing "push-ups"—raising up the front half of his body with his two front legs—and crawling by scooting his body forward with his hind legs.

The moment was brief but exhilarating for the staff, volunteers, and panda-cam viewers who had watched the cub since he was born. He stood up on all four legs, teetered for a moment, then took his very first step. He immediately fell forward and, exhausted by the effort, fell asleep. He took three steps in a row eight days later.

Panda facts: Giant panda cubs can usually run and climb by the time they are five and a half months old. In the wild, cubs climb trees to play, rest, or hide from predators such as dholes (Cuon alpinus) and leopards (Panthera pardus).


October 17—A Name of His Own

Banners showing Tai Shan's name
On October 17, 2005, Tai Shan was named at a special ceremony at the Zoo. (Jessie Cohen/NZP)

Panda fans gave the cub an amazing gift for his 100-day birthday—a name. Between August 24 and September 30, they cast more than 202,000 votes at www.fonz.org in a Panda Cub Naming Contest. Five Chinese names were provided by the China Wildlife Conservation Association and the National Zoo for voters to choose from. The winner, with more than 88,000 votes, was Tai Shan (pronounced tie-SHON), which means "peaceful mountain."

Email from Sue in Colorado Springs, Colorado
I have become semi-obsessed with watching the new baby panda. I find myself logging on in the middle of a hectic day to watch him and it somehow calms and relaxes me.

I have voted for the name Tai Shan, and am hoping that, indeed, will be his name. I have watched him since shortly after his birth, and that name really suits him. He is peaceful and he sleeps his days away, stretching and growing. At ten pounds, he is certainly a little mountain. Thanks for providing this wonderful opportunity to see this wonderful little creature grow.

Tai Shan's Future: He is growing faster than the average giant panda cub in a zoo and may take after his grandfather, Pan Pan, as an adult. Pan Pan lives in Wolong, China, and weighs 300 pounds, quite a bit heavier than most adult males, which generally weigh about 250 pounds. • Tai Shan will probably taste his first bamboo in December or January, when he is five or six months old. Sometime between March and his first birthday, he will be completely weaned from his mother's milk. • In the wild, giant panda cubs separate from their mothers when they are between 18 and 24 months old. • Tai Shan will probably go to China, the birthplace of his parents, when he is two.

ZooGoer 34(6) 2005. Copyright 2005 Friends of the National Zoo. All rights reserved.

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