The breeding center tends to be lively if one of the giant pandas is interested in breeding. There are ten exhibits in the breeding center and I make a stop at each one to see if I can record any males bleating or females chirping. This is the perfect time of day to collect recordings because the only background noise I have to compete with is the whistling of birds in the trees of the steep mountainsides.

Once the keepers arrive, I head off to breakfast, because the only thing giant pandas can focus on now is their massive pile of bamboo. By the time I return, the giant pandas are interested in each other again and tend to start vocalizing. During my check-in with the keepers I make sure they haven’t moved any of the giant pandas during morning cleaning. This process always involves a lesson in Chinese pronunciation, sign language, and my list of all the giant pandas here in Wolong. Everyone involved in this process always ends up laughing by the time we are done! Throughout of the rest of the day I watch for changes in any of the giant panda’s behavior that could be signs of wanting to breed and listen for bleats and chirps throughout the facility.

Jennifer Keating is working in Wolong, China as a research scientist for the San Diego Zoo. Read more about her project in the blog, Look Who’s Talking: New Research on Panda Vocal Communication.

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Since 2005, Polar Bears International and animal care staff and researchers from the San Diego Zoo have been working together to better understand how human disturbance may impact polar bears. Our projects focus on the sensory ecology of polar bears, an area of polar bear biology that has been little studied over the years. Sensory ecology is an area of study that focuses on how animals’ senses allow them to interact dynamically with the environment and other animals. We are focusing on how polar bears communicate, both by sound and smell. Describing the fundamentals of these systems in polar bears will allow us to better understand how human activities and climate change may impact polar bears.

Humans can make a lot of noise! Sometimes, the noise we make can disrupt animal populations by inhibiting their ability to hear each other when they really need to or by stressing them to a point that their behavior and physiology are impacted negatively. Sometimes the noise we make bothers us more than it bothers them. In the end, the impact of our activities is best understood through systematic, scientific study. For the polar bear, an area of concern in recent years has been the noise associated with oil exploration and related activities on Alaska’s North Slope. The great concern centers around the fact that there are tremendous petroleum stores in the same area that is home to the one of the largest populations of land-based polar bear maternity dens in North America.

Our research into how noise impacts polar bears has three major components: How sensitive is polar bear hearing? How important is vocal communication to polar bears? What exactly does the noise produced by industrial activities in the Arctic look like and how well does it permeate polar bear dens?

We are about ¾ of the way through the data collection phase of our hearing study. Working closely with researchers at Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, we are beginning to better understand just how sensitive polar bear ears are.

Next week, I’ll get into the nitty-gritty of what it takes to give a polar bear a hearing test.

Megan Owen is a conservation program specialist in the San Diego Zoo’s Applied Animal Ecology Division.

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Any visitor to our panda exhibit at the San Diego Zoo or our Web site knows that we’ve had a long-standing interest in how pandas communicate. Why are we so interested in knowing what pandas are saying to each other? There are many reasons, but mostly because communication is fundamental for successful reproduction. Without communication, mates would be unable to locate one another or negotiate the delicate courtship process leading to mating. Our previous studies into the olfactory communication behavior of the giant panda have shown that scent-marking signals convey information about individual identities and readiness to mate, as well as facilitating sexual motivation prior to mating. Wolong’s use of this information to change the way their pandas were managed for breeding contributed to the dramatic increase in successful reproduction seen there.

In contrast to olfactory signals, however, less is known about the role that vocal signals play in giant panda reproduction. While quiet and solitary most of the year, pandas use a bewildering array of vocalizations when they come together for mating. It is likely that these elaborate vocalizations help pandas negotiate the delicate transition from their normally solitary and aggressive tendencies to mutually beneficial sexual behaviors, and they also may play a role in female choice of a mate. More than two decades ago, Devra Kleiman and Gustav Peters conducted some very interesting studies on the two pandas at the National Zoological Park. These studies gave some valuable insights into panda acoustic communication, but a study on more animals using new technology is needed.

So that’s the “why;” next comes the “what.” This kind of work requires expertise in a very specialized field known as bioacoustics. We have partnered with Zoo Atlanta, who last year hired just such a person, Ben Charlton. Ben recently received his Ph.D. in this field and is spearheading a major collaborative effort to learn more about how pandas produce these vocal signals, define the acoustic structure of the vocalizations, and, ultimately, understand what they mean to pandas and how they contribute to breeding readiness. This research is a collaboration between us, Zoo Atlanta, the Wolong Breeding Center, and the Chengdu Giant Panda Base. Ben is working mostly in Chengdu, and Jen is working mostly in Wolong. Jen is another person with extensive experience in bioacoustics, which is why we hired her to assist with the San Diego Zoo’s part of the collaboration. Over the coming weeks, Jen will report to you from Wolong and you will learn more about her, Wolong, the research program, and, most of all, pandas! Enjoy!

Ron Swaisgood, Ph.D. is co-head of the San Diego Zoo’s Giant Panda Conservation Unit

New video of Zhen Zhen is now posted…

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My first day observing Chinook and Kalluk came chock-full with several moments of awe. The first was upon getting a good look at Kalluk. He’s a young male, less than half of giant panda Gao Gao’s age, and yet the size difference between them is astonishing. Kalluk, as a representative of the largest bear species on the planet, is a towering hulk. Despite his lean frame, I am told he weighs in excess of 850 pounds, or 380 kilograms (compare that to Gao Gao’s mere 160-pound, or 70-kilogram, weight). Resting on his backside in an erect seated posture, he is taller than I am. And when he stands on his rear legs to get a look at something placed up high…well, even NBA stars would have a run for their money looking big next to Kalluk.

I have spent most of my time over the last few years working with the (not so?) giant panda and the sun bear, the two smallest living bears. What factors might account for the great difference in size that we see in the spectrum from these smallish bears to the massive polar and brown bear species? One major contributing factor is the different environmental niches that these species inhabit.

The largest bears are cold weather animals, living in harsh, extreme climates much of the year. Coping mechanisms to deal with cold and its resultant food shortages include hibernation periods, insulating fat deposits to keep the heat in, and (in the case of the polar bear) translucent hairs which aid in conducting sunlight down to the skin to increase heat absorption. But increased size is also a fundamental way of coping with coldness, as the basic principle of surface-to-volume ratios indicates: the larger the body, the smaller the surface area relative to body volume. This reduced surface area ratio allows for a lower rate of heat loss.

Compared to the harsh, cold climates polar bears inhabit, sun bears enjoy warm, tropical habitats. The steamy rain forests from Borneo to Thailand and India were the birthing grounds of this species, and the bear benefited from a smaller size to aid in rapid dissipation of heat to avoid thermostress. But what about pandas? Don’t they typically inhabit snowy, cold mountain passes more closely resembling the habitat of a larger brown bear? Why aren’t they so large?

One answer to this question lies in the evolutionary history of the panda. Long before man came to be so populous in China, pandas could readily be found in the lowlands of southeastern China, at about 1,600 feet (500 meters) above sea level. The panda populations probably expanded and contracted in range many times as the temperature alternately warmed and cooled, with warm weather allowing expansion due to the increasingly favorable conditions for bamboo growth in warm seasons. Thus, at some points in the panda’s evolutionary history, this ancient bear species enjoyed warmer climates and survived well with a smaller size.

Of course, the question of size differences among bears is more complicated than the surface-to-volume picture I have sketched here, but it does provide a partial answer to the wide variety of sizes achieved across the eight living bear species. It even explains some of the differences seen between subspecies, such as the discrepancy between the warm summering grizzly populations relative to their colder cousins, the big Kodiak brown bear. Next time you have a chance to visit your local zoo and observe the bears housed there, maybe you will see their body sizes in a whole new light!

Suzanne Hall is a senior research technician with the San Diego Zoo’s Giant Panda Unit.

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This binational collaboration means there is plenty of news happening on both sides of the international border, and that’s why we’re bringing you a one-stop shop for condor news. Visit www.cacondorconservation.org to find out what is happening in the world of the California condor, from The Peregrine Fund’s World Center of Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho, south to the Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City and everywhere in between, including the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park! There is also a link to condor blogs under “Podcasts and Blogs” on the gold bar on the right side of this page.

The Web site is packed with news, photos, video, and personal accounts from the conservationists themselves. There is a fantastic story, for example, from a U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologist who climbed into this year’s first wild condor nest to check on an egg, only to find himself being pushed around by the protective mother-to-be. Video packages take you behind-the-scenes at various locations so that you can experience what it’s like to be a condor expert.

You’ll find bios not only on some of the condor team members but also on the birds themselves. A map will show you where in the world the California condors can be found and you can even report your condor sightings. Best of all, you can ask questions directly of the people who know condors best! Come join the team and post your comments at www.cacondorconservation.org.

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It appears from droppings left overnight that Bai Yun spent some of her time resting atop the cave-like lair in the exhibit during the evening hours. When staff arrived this morning, she appeared relaxed and was content to begin her morning routine. Little Zhen, or “Z” as many staff members call her, was high in the branches on exhibit. Keepers called Bai Yun into the bedroom area so they could clean and restock the exhibit, and Zhen climbed down and followed momma into the building. What a pro!

This happy adjustment stands a bit in contrast to the last time we moved Bai Yun to this area. In December 2005, we moved her, along with Su Lin, into this space. Bai Yun was less calm then, and for nearly two weeks she displayed some level of restless walking or door-directed behavior. This time, there has been little to none of this undesirable behavior. What accounts for the difference?

It’s hard to say. It could be that Bai Yun spent enough time in that area with Su Lin that she now feels very comfortable in that exhibit, making the transition seem like a move to a very familiar space. Perhaps Zhen’s boisterous personality has left Bai Yun more at ease. Maybe this is another indication of momma’s increased maternal experience, reinforcing the notion that Bai Yun no longer seems to sweat the small stuff. Or maybe the issue is cub age: Zhen is three months older than Su Lin was when she moved to this space, and in Bai Yun’s mind that may make all the difference in the world. Whatever the reason, we are very pleased at how well both mom and cub are doing.

Su Lin (pictured) is being housed in the adjacent exhibit, and she has noticed that there are some new neighbors nearby. She has been seen scaling trees to try to catch a glimpse of the goings on next door. She may well get a chance to see her little sister, who climbs up regularly and is beginning to feel at home in some of Su Lin’s old favorite perches. So far, Bai Yun hasn’t shown any response to Su Lin’s presence next door, and if she did, we would probably expect aggression on momma’s part: she still has a youngun’ to protect, after all. She definitely showed such aggression to other offspring when she encountered them post-weaning. Su Lin, though an important bear to Bai Yun in the past, could be perceived as more of a threat now.

Suzanne Hall is a senior research technician with the San Diego Zoo’s Giant Panda Unit.

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If, after a couple of days, they do not venture down on their own (which is very unlikely), the keepers have various techniques they can use to help encourage the twosome to make the journey. Most of these techniques involve food; we all know Bai Yun will do almost anything for a slice of apple! But the keepers also have such a close relationship with Bai Yun and Zhen Zhen that most likely all they’ll need to do is call them, and they’ll follow the keepers down to the exhibit. And Zhen Zhen is such an adventurous cub, I’d be surprised if she didn’t romp down the corridor and start exploring her new area just as soon as we open the door. That being said, we can’t give a definite date of when the two will be out on exhibit for public viewing. We let them go at their own pace, so it could be one day or it could take a week.

This process of shifting Bai Yun and cub from the bedroom/den area to the main exhibit area is the same process we have used with all of Bai Yun’s previous cubs when they reached this age. Therefore, we expect that Bai Yun will settle in quickly to this familiar location since she has raised all three of her previous cubs in this exhibit space. We also feel confident that Zhen Zhen will be comfortable with the larger, more consistent crowds that pass through the main exhibit area because, for the past few months, we’ve gradually been acclimating her to the presence of Zoo visitors by having her on public display for only a few hours in the morning.

Gao Gao and Su Lin are currently housed in the two main exhibit areas. But once this transition is complete, and Bai Yun and Zhen Zhen are on exhibit, we will begin a rotating schedule with Gao Gao and Su Lin. Starting this week, Su Lin will be in the main exhibit area adjacent to Bai Yun and Zhen Zhen, and Gao Gao will be in the off- exhibit area we call the Classroom. We will rotate the two of them so that they each have some time off exhibit for a little private time, and they each also have some time on display for their adoring fans.

We hope all of our Zoo visitors enjoy seeing Bai Yun and little Zhen Zhen out in the main exhibit area for longer viewing hours.

Pamela Crowe is a research technician with the Giant Panda Conservation Unit of the San Diego Zoo.

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These separations are beneficial for several reasons. First, a gradual separation from the dam allows the cub to adjust to time alone, preparing her for future housing as an independent animal. Some sun bears prefer to be housed this way as adults; Ting Ting, now residing at the Oakland Zoo, seemed happy to be housed jointly with Marcella (a female) but less thrilled about the presence of Dibu (a male).

Additionally, a separation time each day enables the keepers to feed both Bulan and Marcella some food without worrying about who eats what. This has become an important issue for Marcella, who finds that as her cub ages she competes heavily for the food provided to the pair. Marcella, while still lactating, can find herself with less and less food to eat as her cub consumes more and more. Thus, separating them allows Marcella to get a guaranteed quantity of food without interference from Bulan.

One final reason to wean Bulan from her mother: she has a new home waiting for her as soon as she is ready. The Minnesota Zoo is home to a male sun bear that is in need of a healthy mate. Since the Bornean subspecies is in dire straits, suffering from only two births in U.S. zoos since the 1990s, Bulan’s role as a prospective breeder is a very important one. Hopefully she can successfully breed and rear young in Minnesota in the near future.

By the same token, once weaning is complete we will again pair Marcella with Bulan’s father, Dibu. After the weaning of Danum, our first Bornean cub, Marcella experienced an estrus rather quickly. However, it may have been an infertile estrus, as no cub was born from couplings of our breeding pair. However, Marcella’s second estrus was clearly fertile, as Bulan was born about 100 days later. Hopefully the only successfully reproducing pair in the U.S. can replicate its past performance and provide the Bornean population with another cub in 2008!

Bulan will continue to be on exhibit with her mother for some time each day for the next month or so. If you want to catch them together, come soon! At some point after weaning is complete we will know more about the timeline for Bulan’s move to Minnesota. Before she leaves, come enjoy this beautiful little bear and wish her well as she prepares for the next phase of her life.

Suzanne Hall is a senior research technician with the San Diego Zoo’s Giant Panda Unit.

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We also encounter monkeys of various species every few hours, including the crowned guenon Cercopithecus pogonias, and the putty-nosed guenon Cercopithecus nictitans. Interestingly, many of the monkeys we are currently seeing are solitary males, which is unusual since they usually travel in groups. There are currently very few forest fruits available for primates to eat; it is the height of the dry season (particularly severe this year), and it is possible that the males are finding it more productive to forage alone, rather than in larger groups with more competition for fruit.

One wonderful surprise during these surveys has been the sheer number of chimpanzee signs we have encountered; in two weeks of surveying, we have found no fewer than 23 groups of nests. The nests have been of varying ages, of course, from freshly built, with leaves still green and fresh feces on the ground nearby (which we collect for genetic and fecal analyses), to much older, disintegrating nests, where only careful observation can identify the carefully twisted branches that once formed a perfect mattress.

During the first week of the survey, we bumped into a man. It turned out that he was a trapper, following a path to check his traps (snares). He was as surprised as us and at first tried to keep away from us, fearing that we were forest guards. But we were able to calm him down and ended up enjoying a friendly conversation with him. He was about 50 years old, spoke only in the local language of Banen (not a word of English or French, the official languages of Cameroon), and from what we could see, was not having a very successful day. He told us of his village, where he has lived all his life, and his family, and explained that he was mostly subsistence hunting to provide food for his family. Rarely, if he trapped something of value and he could find a buyer, he would sell the animal to a bushmeat trader, but this was uncommon.

We then spoke to him about the fact that the Ebo Forest was soon to be a national park and what that will mean for his activities (he will not be able to enter the area without authorization). He realizes that his trapping will have to stop and instead he intends to concentrate on farming. He then told us a story: four years ago, as he was working in his farm where he grows plantains and other foods for his family, he was clearing away dense undergrowth to plant more vegetables when a hunter, mistaking him for an animal, shot him in the upper body with a shotgun. He then showed us his scarred face and assured us that he would never carry a gun. It is a sad fact that hunting injuries are all too common in rural areas in Cameroon and only exacerbated by the lack of safety consciousness and illegality of gun ownership, which is almost always the case. This sobering tale made us realize the human aspect to hunting; all too often we concentrate on the effects on the wildlife. This sort of story often brings it home to me that the hunters individually are no different in character to any other person and certainly are not worthy of our individual condemnation or contempt.

Finally—did we see elephants? Well, not yet, but that’s not a surprise. The areas we have surveyed are close to both roads and villages, where animal densities are always less due to pressure from hunting. We have seen a few signs of elephant presence: a very old footprint (probably at least four months old) and an old elephant path. This is the first phase of our elephant research in Ebo, and the surveying is scheduled to be complete by the end of June. As I type these words, I have just parted company with the elephant survey team, having been with them for the first few weeks of the survey to guide, supervise, and ensure things were running well and the procedures were all being adhered to. The survey will now continue into more remote regions, further away from the villages and roads, penetrating more deeply into the Ebo Forest. They have a satellite phone for security, and we have organized modes of communication to ensure that safety is of paramount importance. I look forward to mid March, when I will again join them in searching for signs of forest elephants.

Dr. Bethan Morgan is a Central Africa Program specialist with the San Diego Zoo.

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The tadpoles were brought to our lab at the San Diego Zoo’s Beckman Center for Conservation Research and separated into 2 50-gallon (227-liter) tanks. From there, the real work began. Water must be monitored daily as water quality is the single most important factor in raising tadpoles. Because tadpoles produce so much ammonia, water changes were made daily. Within a few months, some of the tadpoles, which were collected in seven different areas along the stream, began to sprout legs. We had to quickly build rearing tanks as we knew that the tadpoles would be morphing into froglets at various stages and sometimes in large groups. They did just that! Fed on a diet of different vegetables, algae, and fish foods, the tadpoles soon began to morph into little frogs. Once their tails started to disappear and all four limbs were functioning, the froglets were moved into one of eight rearing tanks.

Jump to today, February 22, 2008. I just finished a water change on the remaining three tadpoles. We have one rearing tank left for these tadpoles. Now I have the task of cleaning up after seven large tanks of hungry frogs. I am proud to say that three of the tanks contain adult frogs already, while the other tanks contain frogs that are well on their way to adulthood. The adults are just starting to be warmed up from their winter cool-down (when breeding many reptiles and amphibians, a cool season is given to emulate winter) and already animals are starting to call and some have even be seen in amplexus (amplexus is the amphibian love hold in which the male grasps hold of the female to fertilize the eggs as they leave the female’s body). No eggs have been seen yet, but we don’t mind them practicing to make it perfect!

We have also just finished a meeting with our conservations partners (U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Game, and the U.S. Forest Service) to develop a strategy for frog reintroductions. Our plan will be to keep the frogs in captivity at the San Diego Zoo and other zoos, and all offspring will be returned to the wild and monitored over time. Stay tuned: things are going to start hopping in the frog lab and hopefully in the wild!!

Jeff Lemm is a research coordinator for the San Diego Zoo’s Applied Animal Ecology Division.

Here’s more information about the mountain yellow-legged frog recovery program…

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