What about Bai Yun? We are anxiously awaiting any sign of an impending estrus. Thus far, we have seen little to indicate that her hormones are gearing up for a fertile period. We are not surprised by this, since early April has typically been her window for estrus. She peaked between April 8 and 11 in 2005, 2001, 1999 and 1998. That’s pretty amazing consistency. For an estrus peak in that same window this year, we would typically expect to see the start of an increase in scent marking beginning around this weekend, ten to fourteen days before breeding.

Could Bai Yun make it that easy for us? Of course not. First, we need to consider that she has had an estrus outside the April 8-11 window three times: in 1997, 2002 and 2003. In 1997, she was still a very young bear, and peaked around April 23. In 2002, she peaked at between March 26 and 28. In 2003, she bred Gao Gao on March 22. Clearly, as recently as her pregnancy with Mei Sheng there has been some variability in her fertility window.

Add to that her current age. Bai Yun is now 15 years old, and approaching the end of her reproductive life. It is unlikely that she will be able to have cubs beyond 17 or 18 years of age, if the Wolong population is any guide. Additionally, in our studies of the Wolong females we have noticed a trend towards a truncated estrus in older females. This means that we may not see signs of estrus in Bai Yun until a few days before she is ready to mate.

Finally, Bai Yun is not at a weight we have typically seen around breeding. She is lighter than usual, by several kilos. This, despite a general increase in her non-bamboo diet that began some time back, and despite the keepers’ efforts to keep her constantly supplied with the best bamboo all day. Is Bai Yun’s aging body finding a new set point? Will she opt out of estrus this year as a result of her low weight? Time will tell.

When and if estrus begins, I will let you know. This will be the first panda estrus documented in our blogs, so I will try to provide you with as much detail as I can along the way. Estrus is always a fun time in the life of the staff at the panda facility, because things change so quickly and we spend a lot of time watching the bears for clues as to how things are progressing. Unlike the weaning period or a post-birth window, there is little stress involved for us, since Gao Gao and Bai Yun have proven to us that they can handle this step on their own, with little help from us. I look forward to it, and I hope you do too.

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

I put the tub between us, placed a flattened-in-the-middle plastic bottle in his mouth, gently held his mouth closed, paired the word “inside” as I let my hands go, and the bottle would drop into the tub. I would bridge, cheer, and reinforce with dog treats. Sven picked up on the “inside” with the bottle in just a few sessions. We then moved on to the aluminum can. I think the can must have felt funny in his mouth the first time we tried it because he made a face with his eyebrows and held that can ever so carefully before dropping it. I want to stress that I ALWAYS ended on a good drop with loads of cheering and food, even if it meant only one drop.

After a few weeks, we were holding and dropping paper towel holders, flattened plastic bottles, and flattened aluminum cans into the tub on cue. I had always offered items to him right next to his mouth; the next step required him to just take it from me. I would wiggle the item very close to his mouth, but far enough away so that he needed to make a move. The moment he moved toward the paper towel holder, I would meet him the rest of the way and continue the behavior. This stage alone took about one week, as he didn’t want to grab, but before long he was taking, holding, and dropping paper towel holders, plastic bottles, and aluminum cans into the gray tub. What a star!!!!!!

Maureen O. Duryee is an animal trainer at the San Diego Zoo’s Hunte Amphitheater.

Look for Maureen’s next blog, Sven’s Breakthrough Moment.

As the days progressed we became more confident that Kinah had the skills necessary to handle herself in the monkey world. She was confident, but never overstepped her bounds.

On March 15, 2007, little Bunzi was introduced to Dixie so that these two females could work out any differences between them. Bunzi was wary and cautious because of her earlier experience with a different monkey group. However, the two females were calm and relaxed. On the following day, Kinah was added to the mix. Bunzi and Kinah hit it off almost from the very beginning. Kinah tolerated handling by Bunzi even better than she did from Dixie. The animals were at play, grooming, and moving around the area together throughout the day. Bunzi seemed to be happy for the companionship.

The final piece of the puzzle would be to introduce the male, Toad, into the area now occupied by the females Kinah, Bunzi, and Dixie.

Janet Hawes is a senior keeper in the primate nursery of the Children’s Zoo at the San Diego Zoo.

In my last blog, I mentioned how they bulk up over the winter. Mom is effectively living on her stored body fat, and food holds no motivation for her right now. I used to brag, “She always comes off exhibit for me.” But those were the fatal words that caused her not to come in one day. So, I had to take a step back and change some things in her daily husbandry routine. I’d like to think that overall it seems to be working. She even went through a period that I can only assume was related to her estrous. She would creep around the exhibit, rolling in the mulch and being very talkative. That, too, seems to have passed, and things are almost back to normal.

Pallas’ cats are adapted to cold, arid climates and are widely distributed throughout central Asia. They are found in stony, alpine desert and grassland habitats. They feed primarily on pika, a small rabbit- like animal prevalent in Talus slopes. They den in small caves and rock crevices and also take refuge in abandoned burrows of other animals. Their crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk) habits are what make them difficult to see in the wild. While they’re not protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, they have been over hunted in the past years for their fur.

So whether she’s sitting pretty on her seat taking food from my hand or staring me down, stuck like glue in her den box, I’m glad she’s in my charge where I can appreciate her beauty and learn from her.

Kelly Murphy is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

Sven is a soft-mouthed dog. His breed is known for its ability to delicately hold items carried in the mouth, ensuring the object being carried doesn’t get damaged. To start his new training, I found an item that Sven was willing to hold in his mouth: an empty cardboard paper towel tube. I placed a short wide gray tub between us, reached over the tub, and offered the cardboard tube to him. Sometimes he would take the tube and instantly drop it into the tub. I would bridge (we use a clicker bridge) and reinforce with dog treats. I learned that when I increased the excitement in my voice with praise, he became more enthusiastic: he was teaching me something, too! I would hug him and clap and ALWAYS end the session on a successful drop.

We had many short sessions each day, so he had loads of opportunities to hear me cheer for him. I wanted him to accept the tube with his mouth and drop it into the tub right away. Sven and I would work the drop 5 or 6 times in a session, and we would have 2 or 3 sessions in a day. The next stage: pairing a verbal command with the dropping of the tube. I began to gently hold his mouth closed and as I let go, I would pair the action with the word “inside.” The tube would drop inside the tub. This was the same behavior but with the verbal cue added. I slowly increased the amount of time I held his mouth closed before I said the word “inside.” Eventually I didn’t need to hold his mouth closed at all, and he would hold the cardboard tube in his mouth until I said “inside.” He loved hearing the excitement in my voice, and he started to bark at me during the day if I had missed any of our sessions. I started these sessions in a quiet place so he wouldn’t get distracted, our locker room. Then I moved to the actual show stage. By the end of a month, Sven was accepting the paper towel holder in his mouth and dropping it into a gray tub placed between us on the show stage.

Maureen O. Duryee is an animal trainer at the San Diego Zoo’s Hunte Amphitheater.

Look for Maureen’s next blog, Sven’s Training Continues.

On January 17, 2007, a strong and fit Kinah made her first visit to an off-exhibit area at the San Diego Zoo perfect for our introduction because each enclosure has a nice sunny yard with climbing structures, a dirt floor, and a wire mesh to permit fresh air and sunshine. There is also a roomy bedroom attached so we could easily separate the animals if we needed to. A sunny alleyway perfect for our introductions separates the enclosures. The plan was to begin with a short session, which would give the animals visual contact only. It was a beautiful morning when Kinah emerged from her crate at the enclosure; the new area interested but did not frighten her. As we held Kinah on our laps for reassurance, Dixie and Toad came down to check out the situation. The reception was good on both ends.

Our next step was to get Kinah accustomed to spending time alone with the monkeys. To facilitate this we set up a “howdy cage,” a small, temporary enclosure that is either within a larger exhibit or close to one. It allows us to gauge animal behavior and acceptance level in a safe environment. The signs were good that Dixie wanted to interact with Kinah. We saw no aggressive gestures. The only threatening maneuvers Dixie or Toad ever showed were directed at us keepers if Kinah cried for any reason. This protective behavior was also a good sign. Each afternoon, Kinah returned to the nursery for a long nap, an evening bottle, and a big pan of solids. After a full day, Kinah slept in the familiar comfort of her nursery enclosure.

In addition to providing Kinah time alone with other monkeys, we also wanted her to be adept at negotiating her new enclosure. Even though she had the largest enclosure available in the nursery, it was still a fraction of the size of the off-exhibit yard area. We began to allow Kinah time to learn her way around the yard and the bedrooms that she would eventually call home. At first we sat with Kinah for reassurance and then began to leave her to explore on her own.

Kinah, true to her reputation as a tough customer, mastered the yard with little fanfare. The only fuss she made was when her nursery keeper left her, which was a dramatic display that disappeared as soon as we were gone from sight. Soon Kinah was spending most of her day away from the nursery, even receiving bottle feedings and solids in her new area. Kinah was ready for more; it was time to make the next step.

Janet Hawes is a senior keeper in the primate nursery of the Children’s Zoo at the San Diego Zoo.

Hitam Lucu will most likely remain with her natal group for a few more years. In the wild, adolescents remain with their natal groups until they become sexually mature at about nine years of age. In regard to the eventual exiling of adolescents from the group, there seems to be no significant variations between females and males and the age at which the process takes place. This usually occurs when the adolescent males and females make advances toward any other current breeding group members (this means mom and dad). Exiling the adolescents ensures that the genetic pool remains diverse and minimizes competition and inbreeding.

Although Karim-Alam’s sex has not yet been determined, we are currently leaning toward female. Unkie and Eloise have produced four other offspring. All currently reside at other institutions per Species Survival Plan recommendations.

So far, the introductions between little Karim-Alam and the orangutans have been barely noticed, with the exception of our 11-year-old male orangutan, Satu. He has been very curious about inspecting his future playmate since he and little siamang sister Hitam-Lucu get along so well. (Read a blog about Satu: The Next Orangutan Goes Out.)

Other introductions that are occurring are between Cinta, our 3-year-old orangutan, and Hitam Lucu. Our goal is to successfully introduce the youngsters so they can get to know each other better in a more controlled environment. Most of the initial introductions are in their bedrooms prior to putting them out on exhibit. We have had some aggressive behavior between both the adult siamangs and orangutan parents in the past. By introducing both youngsters to each other first and having the parents visually see them getting along, we hope to decrease, if not eliminate, any further aggression between the two in future introductions.

Juan Fernandez is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

The canopy in the area consists of two large Moreton Bay figs Ficus macrophylla. These statuesque specimens are about 70 years old. Many years ago, one of our arborists, Dan Simpson, who is now associate horticulturist, tried out an idea. These trees normally live in a more humid environment and naturally grow “aerial roots” by moisture consistently dripping off of the lateral branches. In this way, the tree puts out new roots which in turn support a broader structure, leading to trees that stretch out for up to an acre. In our dry San Diego climate, these aerial roots don’t tend to develop as easily. So Dan gave the trees a little help. He cut long pieces of timber bamboo Bambusa oldhammii and stuffed them full of sphagnum moss. He then placed these pieces under the scaffold limbs of the Ficus trees where they wanted the tree to grow aerial roots. Then drip emitters were installed along the limbs to trickle into the tubes of bamboo, keeping the moss moist and therefore encouraging the growth of root shoots into the poles. As the roots filled the bamboo poles, they eventually touched ground, thickened, and broke the bamboo open. Voila–aerial roots! Some of these roots are now about two or three feet in diameter.

Now, look under the trees and along the roots and branches. The area is teaming with plant life. Epiphytes cling to the trees everywhere. There is a large mangled old piece of deadfall covered with Cattleya orchids. A month or two ago, mostly white Cattleyas were blooming, and right now yellow ones are starting to burst out.

Above the orchids you will see a large staghorn fern Platycerium suberbum. This is an Australian species and one of the more impressive specimens in the garden. To the right is another of the same species that doesn’t look nearly as nice. However, we moved that one from an area in Reptile Mesa about a year and a half ago where it was just about dead. It is now happy in the north-facing location and pumping out some new fronds. As you glance around in the trees, you will see more species of Platycerium.

Under the trees, we planted dozens of African lilies Clivia miniata about a year ago. These bright orange members of the Amaryllis family grow well in the shade, and are in full bloom now. Tall queen palms Syagrus romanzoffianum grow up into the Ficus trees and small Chamaedorea and Rhapis palms dot the lower understory. On the dining side of the garden, bromeliads abound.

Now that you’ve experienced one of the many delightful gardens in the Zoo, sit down on a bench, finish your coffee, listen to the honking flamingos, check out your map, and plan your route. What a great start!

Mychael McNeeley is a senior gardener at the San Diego Zoo. Read his previous blog, Bog Blog: Winding Down into Winter

Yes, Kalluk is now over 800 pounds (360 kilograms) and the three girls weigh between 450 and 500 pounds (200 and 230 kilograms). Chinook and Shikari are 12 years of age and are considered full grown. Kalluk and Tatqiq have just come through their maturity at age 6. They probably won’t get much bigger but may fill out a little. Currently we are not breeding our bears but instead taking on more of a research role (read the blog, Can You Hear Me Now?).That’s why we keep them in two separate pairs. Tatqiq is on birth control, though, to prevent any “accidents” from happening.

Because of the older girls’ reputation of being Sunday morning bears, we rotate the pairs daily. Usually the two younger ones go out first thing in the morning and then we switch at around 1:30 p.m. or so. On occasion, we will keep the kids out all day, pull them off for dinner then put them back out again overnight. This way the girls get to spend the whole day in bed. I know I’d sure like every now and again!

Kelly Murphy is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

Read Kelly’s previous blog, Polar Bears: Meet Kalluk and Tatqiq.

Genetics analysis has become more important in the world of conservation. Based on genetic comparisons of individual lorises that looked different, a new species, the Bengal loris, was recently named because it was different enough genetically from other slow lorises. Lena, the loris shown here, came to the Zoo in the 1980s and is one of the oldest animals in the population.

The Zoo InternQuest participants take a parting shot, posing in front of the building that was the original home of the Zoo’s hospital and then became the CRES facility. In 2004, the new state-of-the-art Beckman Center for Conservation Research was completed at the Wild Animal Park campus.