Is it the chiming of the carillon in Balboa Park? I have seen her “cock an ear and raise an eyebrow” to acknowledge it before climbing up. Is it when we open the area to visitors each morning? She’s often awake for a bit of time long after. Is it the presence of visitors? Given that the pandas have just about finished their first fresh feeding of the day, I’d suspect that it’s being full and contented and ready to rest and digest. As an aside, though, with so many excited visitors in that small space, it has become noisy from time to time. Bai Yun has reacted to this by vocalizing with a honk, one of a panda’s 11 vocalizations, which appears to indicate mild distress. As the old saying goes, “If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t NOBODY happy”, and we’ve been quick to quiet the area.

The whole crew is doing fine. Gao had his annual physical earlier this week. He was not a happy boy when he had to fast to make his checkup safer for him and compensated the next day with a VERY hearty appetite. We all know how he enjoys his bamboo! Su Lin is following in her half-sister’s footsteps, though, and becoming, uhm - more particular about her bamboo. (Let’s hear it for the browse crew who dedicate their time to keeping the huge crop of bamboo browse growing and thriving and bringing in the pandas’ favorites!)

ZZ keeps testing that one tree guard and still isn’t big enough to cross it. She has found other spots to drape. They probably won’t last too long since these branches aren’t forked and she’s now weighing around 26 pounds (12 kilograms). She and Bai are spending the quality play/teaching time together that is appropriate to this age, although I couldn’t tell you when. With luck, Panda Cam viewers and visitors can watch this as time goes on. I personally can’t wait until dirt-bathing lessons begin!

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

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When new animals arrive into the collection, they must first be quarantined for 30 days and pass several exams before being released onto grounds. During this time, the hospital keepers really get to know the animals. And the animals we had the opportunity to get to know were five very cute pygmy goats destined for the Zoo’s Children’s Zoo. Their names: Bucky and his sister Honey, Freckles, Fudge, and Socks.

Besides being cute, they are very vocal. And I mean vocal! As soon as they hear someone is in the area, they begin their incessant calling until someone comes over with fresh food and attention. Never mind that there is still food in their dishes; they want attention more than anything.

So occasionally, one of us would “sacrifice” ourselves and go sit with the goats. Yes, it would be a hard job having five little goats come over to you and want to stand on or by you. Quite brutal (she says with a sarcastic smile!). Usually keeper Suzanne would volunteer to “acclimate” the animals. We could hear her laughing hysterically as they all tried to sit in her lap or eat her hair. Must admit they were good therapy.

They have passed their exams and quarantine time and left today to live in the Children’s Zoo. We’ll miss them. But we may just have to visit them soon, just for a short therapy session.

Yvette Kemp is a senior hospital keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

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Of course the pups are not the only problem. As Ngami gets further along in her pregnancy she gets a lot more aggressive with the subordinate females. This time Kasane is the focus. Seronga, the other subordinate female, has been staying away from the group most of the time for a couple of months now. She will be at one end of the exhibit while the other seven dig and sunbathe on the opposite side.

So poor Kasane is a mess. Both sides of her head are swollen from the bites Ngami gives her. Today I noticed the base of her tail was also chewed on. This is pretty normal behavior for meerkats so I am not overly concerned. She is on medication to control any infections but acting normally. If you watch the two of them they are constantly jockeying for position. If Kasane walks near Ngami she will vocalize with the equivalent of “Stay away, lady, this is my palm frond and you know it!” They also like to shoulder each other. This entails each of them shoving the other around without looking at them. They will use their whole body to push each other but refuse eye-to-eye contact. I have even caught them relaxing in a palm husk rear to rear, which was okay since neither was looking at the other. I am sure there was a little pushing going on.

Hopefully this week or early next we should have a new litter of pups. If the group does their job we shouldn’t see them for two weeks. Maybe some moving from one den to another is all we would want to see of them until March.

Oh, and one more thing to complicate everything: one of the young males was following Kasane around today trying to breed her. If she gets pregnant, then the soap opera that is the meerkat exhibit will get way more complicated! For now I am just hoping that this litter of pups is well cared for and soon there will be meerkat miniatures for all to see.

Laura Weiner is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

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Mweezi and Tango are very affectionate and quite attached to one another. I have seen them taking turns with bathing duties, licking hard to reach areas like ears and necks with the utmost of care. They also like to snuggle together in their beds, sometimes with a paw draped over the other or a head resting blissfully across her sister’s body. Much of the time the pair can be viewed lying about in their big, fluffy Bermuda hay beds in this manner, but if you’re patient, or maybe just lucky, you might get to see the girls in action.

For elderly lionesses, Mweezi and Tango actually can be quite kitten-like. There are two bowling ball-sized Boomer balls that the girls will actively pounce on and bat around the exhibit. This often occurs early in the morning on cooler, crisp days before it gets hot. Tango, being the more athletic of the two, will usually be the one swatting the balls up hill and pouncing on them when they roll down. However, Mweezi will sneak in there and do a bit of chasing as well. When Mweezi thinks it’s time to stop playing, she will pick the balls up and purposefully drop them over the exhibit edge into the moat where they will stay until retrieved by a keeper.

Other objects of affection are the multitude of small logs and wood chunks lying around the exhibit. I like to refer to these as their “log babies,” because the girls like to bring them in to bed and cradle them lovingly between their front paws. Because Mweezi has a digestive condition, we have to be careful about the objects she is given for fear of her injesting them. Luckily, the log babies are not of any concern and the girls seem to cherish them.

Other things Mweezi and Tango enjoy are food tosses from the roof. Tango actually makes a game out of it by trying to catch the meatballs or beef heart chunks directly in her mouth. You can see the look of pride on her face when she does catch one, as if she’s saying, “Look at me, I did it!” The crowd usually cheers, which only boosts her ego more. Mweezi, on the other hand, likes the tosses in a different way. She is a bit slower and calmer than her feisty sister so instead of trying to catch the food, she does a happy little trot to where it drops and takes her time savoring the morsel. Bloodsicles made from beef blood are another favored treat, especially in summer!

When you visit the Zoo next, make sure you take a peek at Mweezi and Tango. Even lying around, as lionesses naturally do, these beauties are impressive to see. And if you’re really blessed, you’ll hear them roaring together, an amazing sound not easily forgotten as it rumbles through the canyon.

Hali Anderson is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

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In their native ecosystem, condors occupy the niche of scavengers, and it is likely their original populations were never massive. The goal of 450 birds will include three distinct populations: one in California/Baja California, one in the southwestern United States (Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico), and one in captivity.

Maintaining separate populations creates a “safety net”—if one population were seriously impacted in any way, the species would not be completely wiped out. Also, by separating them we can better manage them genetically and demographically. Each population also needs to have at least 15 breeding pairs and a positive rate of population increase before downlisting should be considered.

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Well, Big Daddy is a very charismatic and rare Parson’s chameleon who has been having some foot problems. And he is just a great guy to have around. We cater to his every need with daily foot soaks, watering, and hand feeding of crickets and kingworms; and not just any crickets and kingworms—these are meal fed bugs! He has his own room that is kept at about 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius) and 85 percent humidity. There are misters, plants, vines, and a special lamp for a sunning area in his pen that is set up in this specially prepared room. Then on warm days his pen can be rolled outside so he can get some natural sun. Not too shabby for a long-term hospital resident. Most of us caring for him are envious of his medical coverage!

Big Daddy has a lot of personality so it isn’t a bad deal when it’s your turn to care for him. He loves sitting on a lap or arm as you rest in the sun; his head goes up, his eyes half close, then he waits patiently as you begin presenting bugs and water for him to eat and drink. He’s got a pretty good appetite, too! He has eaten up to 17 crickets and 8 kingworms in one sitting! That’s not even counting the 0.5 ounces (15 milliliters) of water he drinks. You’d think he’d be a big guy, but he only weighs 16.8 ounces (477 grams). Pretty light for someone who enjoys the all-you-can-eat buffet!

We don’t usually get very long term patient’s at the Zoo’s hospital, just every once in awhile. But when it does happen, it is nice to get to know them. We really enjoy their company and the change of pace they bring. And I must admit that I think they enjoy our company, too… or at least the waiting hand and foot service we provide. I know I would!

Yvette Kemp is a senior hospital keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

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So on Monday morning, February 4, about 100 flamingos were individually caught, weighed, ID’d, vaccinated, and given an exam; they were then placed in 2 trailers and taken to the hospital. How many people were involved? A lot! All the keepers from the Zoo’s Bird Department, a few Wild Animal Park bird keepers, hospital keepers, vet technicians, and veterinarians were present for this two-hour event! It was the assembly line to end all assembly lines. Efficiency at its finest.

Since then, the flamingos have been living at the hospital. But don’t worry: they’ll be back Saturday morning, glad to be home from their week at “the spa.”

Yvette M. Kemp is a senior hospital keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

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It now appears to be a familial trait. Little sister Zhen Zhen (pictured) found her way up over the tree guards in her and Bai Yun’s enclosure, napping in a spot that made her inaccessible to her mother should Bai decide it was time to nurse the cub. (And as any nursing mother can tell you, sometimes Mom has to make that call!) In an effort to solve this problem, new tree guards were installed to replace the old, giving the tree the appearance of bearing large green parasols on its trunk. But in the best family tradition (remember Mei Sheng in the poplar tree?), little Zhen Zhen mustered her 22+ pounds back up the tree and has been persistantly trying to breach the barrier. Creeping up the trunk, extending a paw to bend the flexible plastic toward her, the only thing holding her behind the “bear baffle” is her size.

Her technique will undoubtedly be successful with just a few more inches in length; it’s going to be fun watching her progress back up to the tree tops. Like it or not, she too will be back up there by summer, another panda cub sleeping in the tree!

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

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A mature California condor’s white stripe is brighter than that of an immature or juvenile condor. A mature condor also has a featherless pink head while an immature bird has a featherless black head.

The size of the wingspan is another giveaway to the bird species. The turkey vulture has the smallest wingspan of the three species at only 6 feet. The golden eagle comes second with a 7-foot wingspan, while the California condor has a 9-foot wingspan. If the bird is too high to really determine its wing size look at the shape of the wings. In the graphic, note the slight bend in the turkey vulture’s wings, this does not occur in a condor’s wings.

If you did see a California condor let us know here:
Report a California condor sighting

Please provide as much information as possible, including the identifying tag number, location, how many condors were observed, was it flying or on the ground, was it eating or resting, etc.

Reminder: The California condor is a critically endangered species and is protected by the federal government. Condors should not be approached and attempting to feed the birds may result in the birds return to captivity permanently. If you see one please do not try to interact with it or inhibit its actions. The California Condor Recovery Team is working diligently to help this species return to its native habitat. Human interaction can interfere with its return to our skies, so please observe them from afar.

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