Both of the new moms are doing a great job caring for their babies. They seem to be old hands at this motherhood thing now and are much calmer and more relaxed than they were with their first litters. The moms, with their respective cubs, are separated from each other by a mesh gate but they can see each other whenever they choose. They spend quite a bit of time lying next to each other; perhaps they are swapping mothering tips? Both girls have even brought a cub right up to the mesh several times for the other to get a good look at. This type of behavior makes it look very promising that we will be able to introduce the litters to each other at a young age.

The cubs are scheduled for their first veterinary examinations and vaccinations in early January and at this point they will all be identified permanently with a microchip. We are hoping that once permanent IDs have been assigned we will be able to meld our lions into one large pride! Izu, the proud father, has been given visual access to Mina’s cubs but Oshana is not quite ready to show off her babies. The dens are surrounded with plywood to add privacy, but some of the boards have been removed from Mina’s den, allowing Izu to peer in. We will gauge from the mother’s behavior when the appropriate time to physically introduce Izu to the cubs will be. We are confident that he will prove to be a wonderful father once again!

Marcia and I will be sure to keep you posted on any developments from Lion Camp. This is truly a great holiday season!

Kym Nelson is a keeper at the Wild Animal Park.

Once the lion cubs are on exhibit, we will post photos of them.

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Of course, with the uncertainty of his level of cooperation we wanted to give him enough time to consider our request of him. Our driver met us in front of the hotel at 5 a.m. We wanted to begin at 5:30 a.m. Surprisingly, the streets were vacant so early on a Wednesday morning except for a few heavily loaded bicycle “rickshaws,” I called them: cyclists piled so high with goods that they needed a wide-load escort.

When we arrived, we wound through the empty trails of the animal park to the hospital. Once at the hospital I was, again, pleased to see that Mei Sheng had eaten his leaf eater biscuits and some bamboo and drank water overnight. The staff showed us the crate Sheng was to transfer to. It was smaller and kind of bare; nothing a little renovating couldn’t take care of! Keepers were prepared to cover the sides and top of the crate to give him a secure feeling while continuing his travels. I asked for some hay for the crate bottom but they didn’t have any. Instead they had quite comfy bamboo mats that would serve him nicely. He could lay on them as is or “fluff” them to suit himself. We got the inside and some of the sides ready for him. We came up with a plan to best use the facility to crate Sheng with the least amount of stress to him.

With a bedroom door between Sheng’s crate and the one we wanted him to go into, I kneeled at the far end of the empty crate with Scott, the keeper who would care for him in Wolong, at my side. Scott had given me some apples, carrots, and bamboo to entice Mei Sheng into the crate. With doors opened and the crate stabilized, I called to our boy, “Mei Sheng, come.” He stared back at me like I had lost my mind. “C’mon Sheng, it’s alright,” I called. I got the recognition look from him but still he was skeptical. I broke out the secret weapon: apples.Now we’re getting somewhere! One step closer, another step closer, and he gave a little sniff of the air. I recognized that look. “Are those apples?” was my interpretation of the look on his face. Back to the rear of his crate he retreated. We went on like this for a few minutes. Slowly he got closer to me and the apples. Two steps forward, three steps back. Four steps forward, one step back until he was coming into the crate a little more with each effort. “Good boy, Sheng,” I told him as I tossed a couple of apples into his new crate. I wanted to reward him a bit for each huge effort he made and every ounce of trust he put in me. It took about 15 minutes, but he finally came all the way in the crate in baby steps with my coaxing him every step of the way. Far enough for the door to close him in.

He was surprised to find himself closed in and startled at first until, you guessed it, more apples came. That was good news to Sheng! Scott ran off to get more because now was not the time to run out of the most awesome fruit there was, at least in Sheng’s mind. As we put the final touches on his new crate he ate apples from me and Scott. Wide eyed but focused he ate, occasionally inspecting the busy fingers close to the crate lest we forget he is a big boy bear. I asked him to do a couple of behaviors he knows well: down, with an open mouth. He did not oblige; instead, I got the “You had better be happy with me in the crate. Don’t push it, lady.” attitude. I got the message and I was indeed very proud of Sheng once again. The crate with sides covered by “welcome home coming” graphics on top and one end was ready with panda aboard to go to the airport. Add a little bamboo for a snack and away we went.

Lisa Bryant is a team area lead at the San Diego Zoo.

From the San Diego Zoo’s Public Relations Department: Thank you for your comments regarding the recent addition of a sponsor to the Panda Cam. Please understand that the Panda Cam’s popularity means that it is very expensive to maintain. From the many comments we have received from all of you, we want to continue to make live cams and videos available, but to do this (and ensure that we are not taking away funds from the important work of conserving endangered species like the panda) we offer these outlets for sponsor support. Please join us in thanking Wowwee for supporting Panda Cam - so everyone can see baby Zhen Zhen.

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It is an especially wonderful day today as 16-week-old Zhen Zhen has started taking her first tentative steps! And just how do we pronounce the precious one’s name? Well, most of us here at the Zoo say Jun Jun (rhymes with Fun Fun or Run Run). But we like the suggestion from one of our blog readers, Bruce in KC, who wrote, “We informed Tai Shan of his cousin’s new name as soon as it was posted for all the world to see. Like any kid, he has immediately given her a nickname! Tai is already calling her cuzzin Zoom Zoom!”

Debbie Andreen is the San Diego Zoo’s Web site editor. Listen to an iZoofari Chat she recorded after the Naming Ceremony.

From the San Diego Zoo’s Public Relations Department: Thank you for your comments regarding the recent addition of a sponsor to the Panda Cam. Please understand that the Panda Cam’s popularity means that it is very expensive to maintain. From the many comments we have received from all of you, we want to continue to make live cams and videos available, but to do this (and ensure that we are not taking away funds from the important work of conserving endangered species like the panda) we offer these outlets for sponsor support. Please join us in thanking Wowwee for supporting Panda Cam - so everyone can see baby Zhen Zhen.

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It had been a long journey from the airport in Los Angeles to Shanghai: 20-plus hours if you consider crossing the date line. Mei Sheng was as calm upon landing as he had been in flight. Like a good veterinarian, Dr. Morris had brought with him a prescription that could be administered to Mei Sheng in the event that he began to show signs of stress. It could be mixed into honey and be hand fed to him. “Happy honey,” as he referred to it; a little something to take the edge off of any anxiety-causing scenarios for an animal. We never had to use it, and Dr. Morris had not anticipated needing it for such a well adjusted, young, and healthy animal for this transport. I, on the other hand, found myself more anxious than Mei Sheng in many instances. He turned out to be my “happy honey” with how well he responded to so many new exposures. Just prior to landing he had another snack and some more water, which was a good thing because the fun was just beginning. Upon the plane’s docking the cargo door was opened. The plane crew and airport crew exchanged niceties while Chinese customs officials were boarding. Not far behind them…the media. Dr. Morris handed over the necessary documents to the appropriate officers. I interpreted the exchange to mean our sweet boy was now China’s responsibility. I expected he’d be whisked away to facilities out of our access. I was pleasantly surprised that this was not the case.

The officials, the media, and, I’m guessing, a VIP or two sprinkled among the group had obviously been waiting as anxiously for Mei Sheng’s safe arrival as we had. Dr. Morris and officials looked into Sheng’s crate. As people approached and looked in at him he peered out at them likewise. I didn’t expect so much media attention so soon but they were eager to share with their audience how their most recent participant in giant panda conservation handled the trip. Reminiscent of the very questions all of you bloggers had, they shared in kind: How is Mei Sheng doing? How and what did he do in flight? Was he comfy? In addition, they asked, “How will the people in San Diego feel about his departure?” Just goes to show we are not so different in our concern for the animals in our charge.

Once again Sheng relieved any of my anxiety that may have resurfaced with the surge of people now sharing the cargo hold with us. If I had to guess what he was thinking about all this, it would be “wonder what all the fuss is about.” Oblivious that he was the center of attention, his transport pallet started moving slowly through the hold to the elevator towards Chinese terra firma. Of course, the media were waiting. Dr. Morris thought there might have been fewer media present for Sheng than for Hua Mei’s arrival. Changes in security measures apparently reduced the numbers allowed onto the tarmac. This was just fine with me because it looked like plenty in my eyes. A very long red banner about 16 feet long was unfurled. Written in Chinese characters was a welcome home message meant for our boy. It read “Welcome Mei Sheng Home Ceremony”. Meanwhile Sheng and his luggage were being trailered away from the tarmac in preparation for his sleepover in Shanghai. Still he sat awake in his crate watching all the buzz. Once in the transport vehicle we had one more media pit stop to make and that is where all the rest of the media cameras, reporters, and newspapers were waiting their chance to ask the burning questions about Mei Sheng’s trip.

Finally on our way, we drove about 30 minutes to Shanghai’s equivalent of the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park. Dr. Desheng, the veterinarian at Wolong’s panda research facility, would meet us there. It was dark, but we could tell it was a very large park. The buses and vans parked in the parking lot made it apparent that was how guests toured this large facility. Mei Sheng was spending the night in one of the empty holding pens near the hospital. In the morning, we needed to board a 3-hour flight to Chengdu. From there, the last leg of the journey would be a 4-hour drive to Wolong.

Another forklift ride to the building and manpower got him secured into the bedroom. That is where I met Scott. Scott was going to be Mei Sheng’s keeper once he got to Wolong. It was comforting that he had come so early in the journey to meet Sheng, observe his behaviors, and let Mei Sheng see him with me. The room felt small with Sheng’s crate, me, Scott, vets, and officials. All of Sheng’s luggage made the trip, so we thought it a good opportunity to offer him more biscuits, some apple, more water, and bamboo, which he hadn’t had since Los Angeles. Everything was going swimmingly until Scott and I lowered some bamboo through the top access door of his crate. Well! Apparently one of the bamboo pieces must have poked him because it startled him. I have never seen Mei Sheng be an aggressive animal, but let me tell you: our sweet, gentle-natured panda turned into a big male panda before my eyes. He barked at us, swept his paw across the crate floor, jaw chomped, and gave a good lunge towards the front of the crate as if to say, anthropomorphically again, “Look, it’s been a long day and I’m tired of you people.” I don’t think it a stretch to say he was probably just as tired as the rest of us. By this time we were all staring an almost 30-hour day in the face. We gave him the space he needed. We cleared out of the building, leaving him with his rations for the night. We kind of lingered just outside the building door long enough to ensure that he had quieted down. We wanted to make sure he was comforted and not agitated by the solitude before we ourselves could turn in for the night. I think it was just what he needed following so much hoopla. We didn’t hear another peep. He had been such a champion this whole time, who could blame a fella for one justifiable outburst?

As surprising as it was to watch Sheng, he did not exhibit an abnormal behavior. It wasn’t even worthy of a “happy honey” consideration. He had turned in for the night as we were about to. Good thing too, because we needed to be back at the facility at 5:30 a.m. to transfer Mei Sheng into a smaller crate that would fit onto the plane to Chengdu. Maybe he’d go in easily. Maybe he wouldn’t. For now it was time for him (and us!) to rest. Our journey only half-way finished would continue in a few short hours, so we said good night.

Lisa Bryant is a team area lead at the San Diego Zoo. She will share more about her journey in future blogs, as we want all the details!

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It started with the 2 a.m. crate time for our boy. We were all up bright and early and, thankfully, so was Sheng. We worked together to get Mei Sheng crated, on the truck comfortably, and away (see previous blog, Mei Sheng’s Journey Begins). We needed to be on the road to the Los Angeles airport (LAX) about 3 a.m. to check in with the customs agents and make our plane. Once ready, the keepers opened the slider leading into his crate like they had done so many days before in preparation for the big day. Without hesitation, Mei Sheng walked into the crate and awaited his reinforcement treats. The crate door was closed behind him while he polished off his apple, carrot, and yam medley with not so much as a glance. Keepers Angie and Kathy had made him a little “goody bag” with bamboo leaves, some of the Wolong bread that he had been weaned on to, honey (always a favorite), and a whole bag of leaf eater biscuits that would last well beyond our trip. Though many of the organic items were not going to be permitted into China, they did get as far as LAX. Water and 3 containers filled with things for the trip went the distance: trash bags, cleaning tools, gloves, shredded paper, and little boxes for enrichment that fit perfectly through his crate’s access door. A couple of his favorite PVC pipe enrichment toys were making the journey with him and would stay with him in China.

He spent much of the road trip sleeping; it was still very dark, after all! As with many animal flight arrangements, there is a little lag time between check in and boarding. Mei Sheng spent his time finishing his breakfast and resting. When it was time to board, he traveled via forklift into the warehouse like it was an everyday occurrence. We got him strapped onto his traveling pallet, along with his luggage, and onto the 747 cargo plane (pictured above). There were only four seats in the upstairs portion of the plane; we could see directly into the cockpit. The seats were only a few steps away from the stairway that we used whenever we wanted to go check up on our precious cargo. In flight, it was obvious that any anxiety I had for Mei Sheng’s comfort was unfounded. Again he slept comfortably, ate when there was food offered, and drank plenty of water. Periodically I’d fill one of the cardboard boxes with shredded paper and hide some leaf eater biscuits inside. He delighted in ripping open the box and sifting through the paper for the hidden surprise. I cleaned his crate and crate tray as needed. Toward the end of his flight he received the PVC “capsule” item with biscuits inside. He took that from me through the top access door with an expression on his face I can only anthropomorphically equate to “Cool, you brought toys.” He proceeded to roll it around and biscuits would fall out intermittently; he didn’t miss eating one biscuit!

From LAX to a fuel stop in Anchorage, Alaska, and right into Shanghai, China, our boy was very calm. I was reminded of the giant panda’s ability to charm us human folk. The pilots took turns visiting Mei Sheng with us. Throughout the flight they continued to ask how the temperature was in the hold for Sheng (it was a comfy 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit or 18 to 21 degrees Celsius): Not too hot, not too cold for a panda. Stating how cool it was to be so close to something so special, each pilot remarked during their visits at how surprised they were by his calm nature, how gently he took food from my hand, how slow and deliberate his movements. One at a time they took turns (someone had to fly the plane!). As we flew into Shanghai, an abundance of lights shone from the ground. The pilots informed me that it was not ground at all but the lights from fishing boats on the water. Lots of fishing boats. We were preparing to land in Shanghai, the second stop on Mei Sheng’s journey.

Lisa Bryant is a team area lead at the San Diego Zoo. She will share more about her journey in future blogs, as we want all the details!

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Meerkat society is quite complicated. There is a dominant female that is the only one breeding and having babies. Sometimes one of the subordinate females will also get pregnant, but usually her babies do not survive. We have dominant female Ngami, the male Ghanzi, and two subordinate females named Seronga and Kasane. They arrived from South Dakota over a year ago and have been digging ever since.

Ngami is the adult with the shortest tail. She arrived at the San Diego Zoo with a short tail and a tough attitude. If you can’t see her tail you just have to look for the one shoving the others out of the way with her shoulders. As the dominant female she is in charge of keeping everyone in line and reminding them frequently that she won’t accept anything less.

Ghanzi is the adult male who is a sweet boy. He also lost a bit of his tail in a fight with one of the girls. He is usually the sentry, or lookout, and also likes to bark whenever he hears me raking or I arrive with food. Seronga is a subordinate female with an inch-long brown mark at the end of her tail, and Kasane’s brown tail tip is two inches long. These girls also have very scarred faces from always getting in fights with Ngami. Lately things have been pretty quiet in the antibiotic area: no facial abscesses for a while! We hope that will continue.

Then there are four juveniles born on March 5, 2007. They are very playful and curious like the adults. There are two males and two females. They all appear pretty much the same and are difficult to tell apart. We hope that as they grow their differences will become apparent. They are almost the same size as the adults, but their heads are much smaller. You can usually find them digging, with mom Ngami leaning back relaxing in the dirt, or cuddling with one of the adults, or trying to bite me, their other favorite pastime! This litter was the group’s third attempt at raising pups. The first litter had to be rescued and are now living in the Zoo’s Children’s Zoo with the names Kala and Hari (see blog, Meerkats Form New Family). The second litter was one pup and it disappeared after two weeks. We were wondering if this group would ever be successful at raising pups and were delighted when four babies emerged from the den after two weeks underground.

Laura Weiner is a keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

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The World Conservation Union (IUCN) regularly examines the status of species worldwide and assesses their population status and risks of extinction. The “Red List” it provides categorizes animals in a way that makes the conservation status of each species easily identifiable to scientists and laymen alike. Earlier this week, the IUCN’s bear specialist group (BSG) released a report updating the characterization of extinction risk for all of the eight living bear species. Unfortunately, despite improvements in research, captive breeding, and habitat protection in recent years, the giant panda is ranked as the bear species most at risk of extinction.

The primary reason for this listing is that there is much uncertainty about the size of the wild population of pandas. Further, the BSG is concerned that the lack of a firm understanding of this population size inhibits the ability of conservation efforts to assess the impact of recent improvements in management for pandas in the wild. As such, the giant panda remains classified as “endangered.”

But the panda isn’t the only bear species of concern. The sun bear (pictured) is the species next in line for extinction. For the first time in years, the BSG feels there is enough information about the population of sun bears to remove them from the “data deficient” column (where they were not assigned an extinction risk due to lack of information) to obtain a categorization of “vulnerable.” Most of the estimates of wild sun bear population size are based on anecdotes and scientific models rather than complete censuses. However, much is known about the status of sun bear habitat, and it is shrinking at an incredibly fast rate.

Other species listed as vulnerable include the Asiatic black bear, sloth bear, spectacled (or Andean) bear, and the polar bear. Clearly, most of the greatly impacted species reside in Asia, in areas where pressure on the species’ habitat is extreme due to human encroachment of one sort or another. Unfortunately, as the BSG noted, the allocation of resources to these species most at risk does not correspond to their need. In fact, most of the money and research effort across bears as a whole is focused on North American bear species such as the American black bear and brown bear, the only two bear species listed as “least concern” by the IUCN.

We frequently try to provide our blog readers with anecdotes and updates as to the health and personality of the pandas in our facility, but we are hopeful that your interest in our bears will encourage some of you to learn more about the conservation challenges faced by the various species we house and study. The greatest needs of these species are the understanding of their situation by the human population and action on our parts to mitigate the obstacles they face. You can have an impact on the conservation status of these bear species by making wise consumer choices and supporting wildlife conservation with your pocketbooks and your voice. Clearly, for bears in general and pandas in particular, the need for your involvement is still great.

Suzanne Hall is a senior research technician with the Giant Panda Unit of Applied Animal Ecology/CRES.

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One interesting development we’ve noticed since this shift is that Su Lin has begun vocalizing to Gao Gao whenever he is nearby. There’s one particular spot, when Gao Gao is pulled of exhibit for feeding, where they can see each other. Whenever this occurs, Su Lin comes right over and begins vocalizing to Gao Gao in a friendly manner. So far he has not responded much, though we wouldn’t necessarily expect an adult male to be interested in a subadult female. And remember, he has no idea that Su Lin is his daughter. Male pandas are not involved in raising their offspring; they come together to mate once a year, and then they resume their solitary lifestyle.

In addition to the fun, new enrichment of seeing Gao Gao periodically, Su Lin will also be getting some new exhibit toys next week. Her keepers will be upgrading her exhibit space with lots of new logs and climbing structures for her to explore. Those of you who watch Su Lin on Panda Cam know how much she enjoys her climbing structures, and I’m sure she’ll be thrilled with the new upgrades.

The keepers have also begun training sessions with Su Lin. This is a very important part of our management protocol here at the Giant Panda Research Station. It not only allows our keeper staff to efficiently manage the bears, but it also allows our veterinary staff to monitor the health of our bears more easily. For instance, the keepers will train Su Lin to open her mouth and hold it open for a few moments. If she does this correctly when asked, she will receive a food reward. All of our training is done using positive reinforcement. The benefit of having an animal hold its mouth open when given the cue to do so is that the veterinarians can then examine the teeth for any problems without having to anesthetize the animal. Along with ‘mouth open,’ there are many other behaviors that Su Lin will be learning in the coming months. These training sessions are quite stimulating for the bears, and they also provide a nice opportunity for bonding between the bears and their devoted keepers. Mei Sheng just loved his training sessions!

Pamela Crowe is a research technician with the Giant Panda Conservation Unit of Applied Animal Ecology/CRES.

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Now, even more great news! On Tuesday, November 6, Mina also went into labor! By late afternoon, she had delivered three beautiful cubs! What a week it’s been! Mina always has been more relaxed than Oshana in regards to her cubs; while we also have a camera on her, she doesn’t mind if we look into the den and take a quick peep at the new arrivals. Her babies also look very healthy and are very active, already cruising around the den even though their eyes are still closed! We may have some very precocious little ones here.

We have arranged the maternity dens in a way that allows both adult females to see each other, and to see each other’s cubs as well, if the babies are in the large rooms adjoining the dens. The dens themselves are private, allowing no contact with the others. Mina has already carried one of her cubs out into the room and Oshana got a good look. Both moms appeared to be completely okay with this.

Dad Izu has been taking turns on exhibit with Kamau and Zenda, Mina’s boys from her last litter. Izu seems to be aware that there are new cubs; fairly soon, we will allow him visual access to his new babies. Our hope is to have Izu, Mina, Oshana, and all seven cubs together at some point. We will take our lead from the moms…it will all depend on their comfort level.

It will probably be at least eight weeks until the cubs are old enough to be on exhibit. Until then, I will make sure to keep everyone updated on their progress.

Izu had better rest up - his future looks as if it’s going to be very busy, with seven cubs to help raise! Welcome to the Lion Camp pride at the Wild Animal Park, little ones!

Marcia Redding is a senior keeper at the Wild Animal Park.

See Marcia’s previous lion blog, Our Lion Girls’ New Home.

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