Our first meeting was last week. We sped through the rules and requisite paperwork to touch on the Big Trip scheduled for our semester’s end—whale-watching! We’ve never done anything like this as a group, and most of the girls have never been out on a large boat, so we’re all really excited! I’m especially looking forward to it because, just a few weeks later, I will be leading a WorldWild Tours trip to the San Ignacio Lagoon in Baja California, which is a gray whale calving lagoon. This is a Zoological Soicety of San Diego-sponsored trip, and I’m really looking forward to the opportunity.

But for now, we’re off to meet one of the most popular (and talented) animals in the Zoo, our Indian rhino, Gram!

Cindy Spiva-Evans is an educator at the San Diego Zoo.

Girls In Science is a program for Roosevelt Middle School girls which creates science-based experiences with professional women at the San Diego Zoo. The program is funded through the generosity of the Wells Fargo Foundation.

Read about previous Girls In Science activities.

The denning phase has largely ended for this as-yet-unnamed cub. We will have to review videotape from the den to ascertain exactly when this transition occurred, but it’s safe to say it seems to have happened at about the same time as for his sibling, Danum: around 105 days. We define the end of the denning phase as the time when the cub begins spending more than 50 percent of its time outside of the den. Keepers have noted that, despite the unusual cold we have been experiencing, both Marcella and her cub have often been seen resting in a little nest of hay she assembled in a room as far from the den as possible.

This is a very interesting time in the cub’s development, and a bit of a difficult time for a researcher like me. Our little boy is exploring everything in sight, putting everything in his mouth, manipulating everything with his little paws. He is learning to climb quickly. Two weeks ago, he couldn’t climb more than a few inches off the ground, but this morning he is able to negotiate vertical bars and climb as high as I can reach. It is important that he has learned to get himself down from these heights: the first few times, he needed Marcella’s help.

It is tough for me because during my data collection sessions I am writing constantly The cub never stops moving! He is always engaged in rough-and-tumble play sessions with his mother or trying to figure out how to crush her kibble into tiny pieces. Gone are the days where my observations involved recording a lot of resting and nursing. I write furiously for the hour that I observe them, then breathe a sigh of relief when the session is over!

Although he is progressing nicely, our little sun bear will not be ready for a trip to the exhibit for a few months yet. The exhibit space contains many hazards he is not yet equipped to negotiate: steep moats, waterfalls, rocky ledges, and some very high climbing features. Our adult bears utilize these features well, but our cub needs to perfect his athletic skills further before he can greet our San Diego Zoo guests. When the time comes, I am sure he will take the exhibit by storm!

Suzanne Hall is the senior research laboratory technician for the Giant Panda Conservation Unit of Applied Animal Ecology/CRES.

Su Lin is already very independent, but to be on her own is another step and we believe that she will do just fine. Recently, as I watched Su Lin eating, I noticed how her skills have improved over the past few months. She is even eating the larger stocks of bamboo, while Bai Yun’s two previous cubs did not do this often until they were much older. Su Lin certainly has her own personality, she is just so cute to watch!

In the last few weeks the keepers have been training Su Lin to go into the den while they clean for the pandas’ next meal. I was impressed to see her awake, moving slowly down from her tree branch to go into the den with her mom. That may not sound like a big deal, but it really is! The two previous cubs (Hua Mei and Mei Sheng) always followed mom to the den because they were raised in Bai Yun’s den in the research building, so they were accustomed to following her inside. Su Lin was raised in the den in the exhibit, so she has never followed mom into the research building. So yes, it is very impressive to see her come when her keeper calls. And to think that they can do this training in such a short span of time is something to talk about!

So now it is time to start watching Su Lin really grow into a beautiful bear like her parents. She will have her own den, and we have several areas that are not open for guest viewing at the Giant Panda Research Station. Don’t feel sad for Su Lin; it is just part of her journey to adulthood. She will be with us until she is at least three years old. I hope you will continue to watch her on Panda Cam and will visit often so you can see for yourself… she is growing.

Kay Ferguson is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo.

Growing very tropical plants outside has been tried at the Zoo before, but the problem of cool, damp soils in the winter seems to be the biggest killer. The cacao plant Theobroma cacao, source of chocolate, comes from the tropical rain forests of Central and South America–places that rarely get colder than 60 degrees. How could we create an environment where a cacao tree could survive outdoors in cooler temperatures? An idea came to Mike Letzring, the Zoo’s Horticulture Collection Manager. His plan was to create a heated area in the soil just below the plant, similar to heat benches for seed germination in greenhouses. This would help keep the roots warm all winter long.

With our plan in hand, we began our “chocolate experiment” in an area off-limits to the public. First, what was needed was a chocolate plant; luckily there were several growing in our greenhouse. Next, we built a 30-inch box made of insulation board, the kind you would use to insulate walls in homes and other buildings. After making drainage holes in the bottom of our insulated box, we added a few inches of well-amended soil. Our heat source, heating cables regulated by a control box, was coiled out and laid on top of the soil. Six more inches of soil was placed on top of the heating cables. Once the chocolate plant was planted and backfilled, a layer of mulch was spread over the whole area.

Over the course of the experiment, regular soil and air temperatures will be taken and recorded. This information will come in handy to us if our planting is successful. Although this very cold winter has been uncomfortable, the low temperatures will actually work to the advantage of the experiment, in that they provide an extreme temperature variable. Check back in a few months for an update on how our chocolate plant is doing. Who knows…maybe sometime down the line we’ll be able to make our own chocolate bars!

Seth Menser is a gardener at the San Diego Zoo.

Once he was well enough to leave the Phoenix Zoo veterinary hospital it was time to prepare Harry for his long-awaited release back into the wild. He was held for a short time at Vermilion Cliffs’ treatment facility where he continued to improve, gaining weight and asserting dominance over other condors he was being housed with. Finally, on July 21, after over five months in captivity, Harry was released to his home in the Grand Canyon again, free to fly with the rest of the area’s condor population. Members of the Phoenix Zoo staff directly involved with Harry’s recovery were invited to witness his release that day; no doubt this was a gratifying conclusion to the long hours they contributed which allowed him to soar once again.

While we’re all grateful that Harry’s story was ultimately a happy one, the threat of lead poisoning is a continuing battle for conservationists. There have been other condors that didn’t fare as well as he, despite equally valiant efforts to save them.

There are strides being made in discouraging the use of lead bullets, which are one of the most serious risks to the health and well-being of the California condor. Since 2004, efforts have been underway to offer hunters free bullets made of copper as an alternative to their lead-filled counterparts. An organization, known as “Project Gutpile,” initiated the program and has made great progress in educating hunters and anglers, as well as the general public.

While many challenges remain in the preservation of the majestic California condor, the dedication shown by those who care for them will offer the best chance they have to remain alive, healthy, and free. Stories like Harry’s – and those of you who care enough to read them and be educated - serve as an excellent reminder of how precious and vulnerable these wonderful birds are, and how important our continued vigilance is to their species.

And finally…“Hooray for Harry”!!

Valerie Stoddard is the senior administrative assistant at the Wild Animal Park’s Harter Veterinary Medical Center.

Here’s information about the California Condor Recovery Program.

She is not alone. In the wilds of China and at facilities such as the National Zoological Park, panda cubs born in the summer of 2005 are soon to experience the same process. We know that the interbirth interval in the wild is two to three years, and the female panda needs to wean her offspring at about 18 month in order to care for her next brood…there is no room in the birthing den for older siblings! In weaning Su Lin at this time, we are mimicking the timeline instituted by the bear’s natural history.

How does weaning occur in the wild? We aren’t quite sure. If a female is ready to say good-bye to her cub, she might get aggressive with her offspring and literally drive the cub away. This is likely to occur if the cub is in fact still hanging around close to the time in which the dam is getting ready to den up. Weaning may also occur more gradually, as the dam takes longer and longer foraging trips away from her cub until she ultimately decides not to return from such a trip. At the San Diego Zoo, Bai Yun does not have the option to simply walk away from her youngster when the time is right; the confines of her exhibit space prevent her from doing so. That’s why the staff at the Research Station facilitates the weaning process.
We will begin the weaning process for Su Lin on January 22 by removing the male bear from the exhibit. Then both sides of our on-exhibit space will be opened to Bai Yun and Su Lin to give Su Lin a chance to learn about the area that will be her new home while she still has her mother for support. After about a week of acclimation, we will begin to close the doors between them. At first, they will be separate only six hours a day, but over the course of two weeks we will incrementally increase their time apart. After 15 days or so, we will close the doors between them forever.

We can anticipate a bit of anxiety during the process, particularly from Su Lin. This is normal. However, our plan is to manage the process such that we minimize any stress from the bears throughout the weaning period. We will adjust our plan as necessary to accommodate any undue anxiety that we see.

Even Bai Yun may show some initial concern when the separations begin. However, her stress will resolve much more quickly than the cub’s. I vividly recall a day about two weeks after Hua Mei was weaned from her mother. Hua Mei observed her mother walking through a tunnel near the exhibit. The youngster dashed over to the fence between them and bleated repeatedly, obviously thrilled to see her mother again. Bai Yun responded with aggressive vocalizations and a charge at the fence! Poor Hua Mei—she must have been very surprised. Bai Yun had clearly moved on, and this encounter reinforced our perspective that our timeline and methods for weaning were right on track.

Those of you who are mothers who have had to wean your own offspring might be able to empathize with Bai Yun and Su Lin during this time. You may also realize that this is an inevitable period in the life of any youngster, and that it is one of the milestones of childhood. We can anticipate that Su Lin will adapt to this change in status within a short time, and will be ready for her next life phase and all of the adventures in store for her. I will update you from time to time as those adventures are on the horizon.

And if you want to catch a glimpse of one of our boys on exhibit, please come this week. Both males will be off exhibit for some time as we move through this process and acclimate Su Lin to independence.

Suzanne Hall is the senior research laboratory technician for the Giant Panda Conservation Unit of Applied Animal Ecology/CRES.

Nene pairs usually arrive in late fall to stake their claim on the perfect nesting site. It has to be just right to optimize protection from the sun, rain, and predators. The nest must also be comfortable, because the female sits on her fist-sized eggs for the entire 30-day incubation period. Imagine sitting on your couch for one month with only a few breaks a day to visit the refrigerator and the bathroom! Females will usually lay clutches of three to four eggs. The males will guard the sitting female with steadfast determination and loyalty. If you wander too close to a nene nest, prepare to deal with a male goose as fierce as a junkyard dog! Most males will hiss and charge, and some will take flight and crash right into the intruder. Nene have a reputation for being gentle and aloof, but not when guarding their precious eggs.

Once the eggs hatch into little fuzzy goslings, the biologists from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park relocate the whole family (parents and goslings) to their nene brooding grounds in the Park (see blog, Nene Goslings Released on Maui). There, the nene family is kept in 450 acres (182 hectares) of predator-proofed grassy lands with plenty of supplemental foods to insure that the nene goslings will grow to become big strong geese. When the goslings are able to fly, they will leave the enclosure on their own to explore the rest of the Park and surrounding lands and skies.

The KBCC and the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park have been working together for the recovery of the nene since 2000 when the first of the KBCC’s captive nene families were translocated to the Park. Through the years, the captive nene flock at KBCC has decreased to just two individuals. However, nene pairs that were once part of this captive population return to the KBCC for breeding and nesting year after year. In fact, more and more wild nene are starting to show up for the same reasons. It would appear that word has gotten around that the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center is a good place for nene nesting during the breeding season.

Blake Jones is a Research Fellow for the Applied Animal Ecology Division of CRES, Hawaii Endangered Bird
Conservation Program.

Read about the Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Program.

Hua Mei continued to grow and thrive, but big changes were afoot for the Giant Panda Research Station. The following winter, Bai Yun, Hua Mei, and Shi Shi were moved to temporary quarters in the Zoo’s Bear Canyon to allow for the construction of a new Research Station and viewing areas. It was in these older exhibits that Hua Mei first encountered snow, a scary thing until encouraged by Bai Yun. It then became a great play environment for sliding and romping, and she could eat it!

It was also in these exhibits that it became obvious that it was time for Bai Yun and her cub to separate, just as they would in the wild. Interaction between mother and cub became less frequent, play was becoming more aggressive, and as often as not, Bai and Mei ignored each other. After nights of them sleeping apart, Bai Yun in the bedroom and Hua Mei in the tree, the morning came when they were reunited and walked right past each other to switch places with barely a glance. The separation was complete. This then meant that we had three separate viewing units, each bear now living a solitary life. The pandas were rotated in various configurations: two bears on and one off exhibit. This is a situation that continues today, as in July 2001 the pandas moved back to Panda Canyon and their new homes at the current Giant Panda Research Station.

Ellie Rosenbaum is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo.

The Zoos’ collection of aloes is comprised of 114 taxa and is one of the largest in California. The plants range from the small 6-inch miniatures to the tree-like Aloe bainesii, of which we have four on grounds that are over 12 feet tall. In their native habitat, they grow in the rocky hills of South Africa, mainly in full sun. They do not take frost but some in hotter areas like partial shade. Water requirements are little, but they will take additional amounts of water if given (see Weblog, The Aloe Tree).

Aloes will grow as solitary specimens or as large clumps like the “tree-like” species Aloe arborescens. If you get an aloe plant, be sure to confirm the species, as certain ones can be a problem of large magnitude if they grow too big for your space. They can take over an entire area by their spreading habit. Always keep in mind that they are armed and working with them can be hazardous and painful if you are punctured. However, looking at them can bring great pleasure–come to the Zoo and enjoy our bloomin’ aloes!

Mike Bostwick is the horticulturist for the San Diego Zoo.

Su Lin really hasn’t made up her mind which paw she likes best, so she continues to switch between the two on a daily basis. She is so funny when it comes to eating: she will select a piece of bamboo then climb up in the tree to relax and eat. Sometimes she will sit with her mother and eat, but she really is attached to that tree of hers.

I have looked back through my photos to see which paw each panda preferred to eat with. But just about the time you think you know them, they do the opposite and it is always a guessing game with the bears!

Hua Mei used her right paw just like her mom, Bai Yun. She is now seven years old and lives in China. And Shi Shi, our adult male now back in China, preferred his left paw and was very selective with his bamboo. I just loved this grouchy bear; he seemed to grumble about most things as he was old and his teeth were not the best.

The next time you see the pandas eat, watch what paw they use!

Kay Ferguson is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo.