We have some exciting news for all of our panda cam watchers! The panda cams, sponsored by the Ford Motor Company Fund, are going to be gradually upgraded. But in order to make the changes the cams will be turned off for a few weeks. The cams will most likely go dark around at the end of May and come back online in mid-June. We will finish the upgrades before Mei Xiang begins to build her nest and den up in preparation for the end of breeding season.

Soon the panda cams will be compatible with all iPad, tablet and smartphone devices. We also hope to do away with the 15-minute time limit on the cams, and offer an unlimited video stream. After we have finished these upgrades, there is even a possibility of upgrading to HD cameras in the dens!

We will provide updates on the progress of the upgrades through Facebook and Twitter.

A little over a week ago we were very saddened to learn of the severe earthquake in China. We are happy and relieved to confirm that our colleagues at the Bifengxia panda reserve and the giant pandas in their care are all safe, including Tai Shan the male offspring of Mei Xiang and Tian Tian born in 2005.