‘Alala sharing enrichment food items

Once all the materials are in place, it is time to socialize males and females a little at a time and watch the birds’ behaviors, good and bad. This part of the process feels a little bit like chaperoning a school dance—except that we want the amorous couple to go all the way! This year at MBCC we have three pairs of breeding puaiohi, three pairs of Maui parrotbills, and three pairs of ‘alala.

The Hawaiian crow, or ‘alala, is critically endangered, and breeding season for this species is especially important. Much thought and planning goes in to every step of the process. Socializations start with 20-minute sessions to watch for the crows’ initial reactions to each other. This new and sudden interaction can lead to positive results, such as wooing and copulation. It could also very easily go the other way with contact aggression and fighting. As the crows grow more comfortable with each other and within each other’s aviaries, the sessions are lengthened and will eventually last the entire day. It only takes one good socialization to produce results, but allowing for that perfect moment to occur is risky business.

Puaiohi chick in nesting cup

So far this year we have three puaiohi hatchlings that the staff are hand raising, and they are doing great! One is now three weeks old and is learning to eat on his own. The second was hatched one week ago and is slowly and painfully growing in feathers. The last is only a few days old. The chicks hatch featherless and blind and are completely dependent on their substitute parents, the staff. Over the next 40 days they grow bigger and stronger, learn how to eat by themselves, fledge the nest, and eventually learn to fly. Whether these chicks are later released on Kauai or become captive breeders, they, like all the new arrivals, are valuable to the survival of the species. And that makes our work here so important!

Preparing diets for the birds

We also have four more eggs in the incubators that are set to hatch within the next few days. Every day the eggs are weighed to monitor the amount of fluid that is being lost. The eggs are kept in highly sensitive incubators that can be adjusted to the most exact degrees of heat and humidity, depending on the specific conditions the egg needs to properly develop. The eggs are also candled periodically to watch for specific stages in development. What we look for during candling are signs of healthy egg development; blood vessels, embryo growth and movement, and expansion of the air cell.

Busy birds mean busy days for the staff at MBCC! We will keep you posted on our progress throughout breeding season. In the meantime, send lusty thoughts our way!

Karen McKeogh is an intern at the San Diego Zoo’s Maui Bird Conservation Center.

Read more blogs about the Hawaii Endangered Bird Program…

Habitat pressure from an ever-increasing human population is a common problem for many endangered species. In China, where the population is thought to have exceeded 1.32 billion last year and continues to grow at a reasonably slow rate of 0.6% per year (as of 2003), nearly 8 million people are added annually. Housing and feeding these people, and supporting the amazingly fast economic development of China, requires resources. The clearing of land for agricultural purposes represents a significant threat to the panda today.

Fortunately, the Chinese government began taking action to protect the panda in the latter half of the 1900s. A system of panda reserves was created to set aside habitat for the bear, whose populations had already contracted into the shrunken spaces allotted to them. Unfortunately, the subpopulations have been isolated from one another, separated by farms and restricted to high mountain areas.

Some corridors have been created recently that could allow for movement of bears between subpopulations, and efforts to replenish bamboo in low-lying areas of some reserves have begun. Steps such as these aim to mitigate the impact of past habitat fragmentation, but the current small groupings of bears and their relative isolation from one another remains a great challenge to the species. Not only does such fragmentation limit genetic exchange and reduce the potential for mating opportunities, but it makes the panda especially vulnerable to food shortages.

As you know, the panda subsists nearly exclusively on bamboo. Usually, this food source is an abundant, fast-growing plant that literally surrounds the bears in their habitat. However, the bamboo life cycle is such that at intervals the plant will experience a mass die-off, affecting nearly all plants of that species. When this occurs, pandas must switch to alternate bamboo species to fill their stomachs. Unfortunately, another side effect of habitat fragmentation is that switching to another species of bamboo may not be a viable option for some panda subpopulations. Chance plays a role in determining the abundance of various bamboos in a particular pocket of habitat, and if a panda was unlucky in that it lives in an area with a low diversity of bamboo species, it could be stranded without food. Without good corridors connecting pockets of habitat, the pandas within areas of mass die-off may starve.

According to the Red List, the most significant factor in conserving the panda today is habitat restoration. To this end, China has worked to increase forestation in and around reserves. Several programs banning logging and discouraging hillside farming in previously forested areas have been implemented. According to a 2006 report of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, these progressive policies have resulted in gains in forested area in China. Continued progress with such efforts should ultimately benefit the panda, as well as other species that share its habitat.

How can you, as a concerned global citizen, contribute to efforts to improve the outlook for this endangered bear? Since the government of China is the largest agent in promoting positive changes for the giant panda, it may seem that an ordinary person might not be able to have an impact. However, it is possible to offer support to organizations that work with the Chinese government to encourage conservation efforts for the panda. The World Wildlife Fund has a long history of such partnerships with Chinese ministries responsible for maintaining the panda population and currently has several habitat-oriented conservation efforts in place. Additionally, supporting efforts to promote panda research within China, using Chinese scientists, can increase pressure on the Chinese government from within. The San Diego Zoo collaborates with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, promoting the work of Chinese researchers who are studying the ecology of wild pandas.

The bottom line: preservation of wild populations of pandas is primarily dependent upon the restoration of panda habitat in China. The Chinese government holds the cards in this effort. As a global citizen, you can make the greatest difference by finding a way to contribute to continuing and future efforts to increase forestation, set aside more reserves, and reduce habitat fragmentation. With improved efforts in these areas, we may soon see the giant panda removed from the endangered species list.

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

Listen to an iZoofari Chat with Suzanne about panda conservation…

Sun bears have historically been found throughout the Southeast Asian region, from India and China in the north down through Malaysia, Indonesia, and Borneo in the south. There are two subspecies of sun bears: the mainland variety, found in the northern, central, and Sumatran part of the range; the Bornean variety, found exclusively on the island of Borneo. Both subspecies are at risk, though the IUCN does not differentiate levels of threat at the subspecies level in the case of the sun bear.

The region of the world inhabited by the sun bear is a place of large, often fast-growing human populations. For example, the country of Indonesia, with a landmass nearly three times the size of the state of Texas, is home to about 235 million people (the population of Texas was about 23.5 million in 2006). Laos, about twice the size of Pennsylvania, has a population growing at a rate of 2.8% per annum as of 2003 (according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Pennsylvania boasted a growth rate of 1.3% in 2006).

Although the human population growth rate in the areas of sun bear habitat is high, loss of habitat results from industries supported by consumers around the world. Primary causes of habitat destruction include clear cutting to develop farming plantations, illegal lumber extraction, unsustainable logging, and forest fires. Logging of tropical hardwoods such as mahogany and ramin continues as consumers in the industrialized world demand furniture and home décor items such as picture frames, wooden blinds, and decorative moldings made of these woods.

Plantation farming in the last several years has focused on one primary product: palm oil. Consumers worldwide are enjoying supermarket fare such as chocolate, bread, cosmetics, and detergents made with unsustainably harvested palm oil. They may not be aware that their purchases are having a direct impact on the survivability of the sun bear, as well as other endearing species that share their habitat: the orangutan, Sumatran tiger, and bearded pig, to name a few.

There is another great threat to the conservation of the sun bear: commercial hunting. Throughout its home range, the bear is killed as a means of acquiring infant bears for the pet trade, or bear parts for the medicinal trade, or simply because the bears are considered a nuisance or safety hazard. Hunting of sun bears is largely an issue in countries where deforestation is relatively negligible, places where most bear habitat exists only in protected reserves or forests. However, poaching can be a devastating influence, too: Thailand’s sun bear numbers are thought to have been reduced by 50 percent in the last 20 years as a result of hunting. Bile farming with sun bears exists in countries such as Vietnam, where wild bears are often caught to supplement the stock of animals used to extract this fluid used for its purported medicinal purposes.

Smart consumer choices of savvy global citizens can go a long way toward increasing the survivorship of the sun bear. When selecting wood products for your home, choose items that are sustainably harvested, ensuring that the wood was not taken illegally or in a manner that will harm bear habitat. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certifies products that are environmentally responsible, made from wood that does not contribute to the destruction of the world’s forests. Their logo can be found on items in places like big home supply stores to smaller home décor shops.

If you are traveling to any of the exotic locales in which sun bears may be residents, please be wary of purchasing bear products you might find in markets. In most cases, your government would not allow importation of such animal souvenirs purchased abroad, thanks to the terms of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), of which many nations are signatories. Even so, the purchase of animal products clearly has a direct link to the death of that animal, and a vulnerable species such as the sun bear should not be subject to commercial sale.

The outlook for the sun bear is rather bleak. With 30 percent of its habitat disappearing in the last 30 years, the pressure is on for the “dog-faced bear.” Fortunately, this is one species that can be impacted by the efforts of people living thousands of miles away from sun bear habitat. Smart consumers can really play a roll by voting with their dollar, purchasing sustainable products as they go about their daily activities. If enough people support environmentally friendly methods of producing goods such as those outlined above, there may yet be hope that sun bears will continue to exist in the wild for future generations to appreciate.

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

Listen to an iZoofari Chat about sun bears with Suzanne…
…and a chat with a sun bear keeper (with a sun bear chiming in!)…

Don’t forget Bear Awareness Days at the San Diego Zoo, May 8–11.

Andean bears are the only species of bear native to South America, but their extinct relatives and ancestors once lived in North America. In fact, fossils of some of their kin, the short-faced bears, have been found just up the coast from San Diego, in Los Angeles. Although Andean bears are only medium sized when compared to the other bears living today, short-faced bears were the largest carnivores ever to walk on land.

Camanti district of southeast Peru

By visiting the Zoo, by watching Panda Cam, or by reading other blogs (see Bear Awareness Days blogs), you probably already know that some bears spend a lot of time up in trees. For example, young giant pandas get themselves into such situations that you just have to wonder how they’re going to get down from there! What you may not know is that Andean bears may be the most arboreal of all bears. Not only do they feed on fruits and bromeliads at least 50 feet (15 meters) up in trees, but they also make ‘nests’ out of broken limbs. Researchers aren’t sure exactly why they make these nests, but two of the main hypotheses are that they are used as platforms for feeding or for resting, as you might expect.

Andean bears are currently considered to be at “high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium-term future” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Because their populations are believed to be declining, South American researchers have conducted heroic research on Andean bears for years, trying to determine where they live and what habitats they use, and trying to estimate how many bears there are. However, because these bears typically live in forests, spend so much time in trees, and avoid humans, we still don’t know very much about them. In fact, until a few years ago when researchers were able to radiocollar two bears in Bolivia, we didn’t know whether they were primarily active during the day, during the night, or both. (It appears that they’re active during the day.)

Today we have many more questions about Andean bears than we have answers: Where do females give birth to their cubs? How much habitat does an Andean bear need? What kind of habitat is best for Andean bears? Is it males, or females, that move from where they’re born to settle somewhere else? All of these questions have implications for bear conservation, but right now we can only guess at the answers, based on what we know about American black bears and brown bears. To begin filling the gaps in our knowledge, researchers at the San Diego Zoo are starting a conservation and research program in southeast Perú. In this long-term program we plan to collaborate extensively with Perúvian institutions, biologists, and local communities.

Unfortunately, some of what we do know about Andean bears is not good news. The greatest threats to Andean bear conservation are habitat loss and habitat fragmentation, although poaching by humans is a problem in some areas. The bears were once found in a wide variety of South American forests but are now primarily restricted to forests at higher elevations, much as the giant panda is now restricted to higher elevation bamboo forests in China. Andean forests are being logged for timber or for conversion to agricultural fields, often by local people who see these activities as their best economic options. In addition, like American black bears, Andean bears sometimes come into conflict with farmers when they raid fields of corn and other crops. In fact, the first and only time I’ve been lucky enough to see a wild Andean bear was in a cornfield in the mountains of Ecuador. As you can tell from these threats to Andean bear conservation, their future depends not only on learning more about them, but also on ensuring that economic conditions favor bear conservation.

What can you do to make a difference? Most directly, if you travel to one of the five countries where Andean bears live (Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Perú, and Bolivia), do not buy any souvenirs or products made with bear parts. It is illegal for people to kill Andean bears and to sell products made with bear parts. Besides, under international treaties it would probably be illegal for you to bring these products back to your home, wherever that may be. In addition, you should not support roadside zoos in these countries, but you should support rescue and rehabilitation centers that work with governmental natural resource agencies.

Does this mean that you can’t affect Andean bear conservation if you don’t travel in South America? No. Regardless of whether or not you travel to South America, you can support Andean bear conservation through four types of action. First, you can support conservation and research efforts focused specifically on Andean bears, either directly or through organizations such as the International Bear Association. Second, because the primary threats to Andean bear conservation are based on economic issues, you can support the bears by supporting efforts to develop sustainable economies in Andean bear country. Third, reduce your use of forest products, use recycled forest products wherever possible, and use products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Finally, because global climate change threatens the stability of ecosystems everywhere, take steps to reduce your energy use. Each of these actions would also benefit the conservation of other bear species, and other forest-dwelling species, so your efforts on behalf of Andean bears would produce broader conservation benefits.

The next time you’re at the top of Bear Canyon, enjoy a nice long look at our Andean bears. You’re gazing at an enigmatic, elusive mystery, and you’re getting a much better view than you would in the forests of South America!

Russ Van Horn is a senior researcher in the San Diego Zoo’s Applied Animal Ecology Division.

Listen to an iZoofari Chat with Russ…
Listen to an iZoofari Chat with an Andean bear keeper…
Bear Awareness Days at the San Diego Zoo, May 8–11.
Read other Bear Awareness Days blogs from bear keepers and researchers…
Listen to other iZoofari Chats about bears…

In recent years, this fascination with polar bears has taken on a new dimension as the public has become aware of the possible fate of polar bears if global climate change continues to warm the Arctic and melt the sea ice. Can you imagine an Arctic without polar bears? I can’t! Researchers and animal care staff here at the San Diego Zoo, in collaboration with Polar Bears International, are doing everything we can to help polar bears survive in the wild through conservation-based scientific research and education.

Conservation Status of Polar Bears: How are they doing and what are the threats to their continued survival?

In the 1950s and 1960s, polar bears were reduced to as few as 5,000 individuals worldwide due to overhunting. The current total number of polar bears is estimated to be about 22,000 bears, divided amongst 19 subpopulations. The worldwide population has remained stable at this level for many years now, thanks to intensive management of hunting quotas. The rebound in the polar bear population numbers is a great reminder that humans can make a positive difference. Unfortunately, in recent years scientists are starting to see declines in population numbers in several subpopulations. These declines are undoubtedly the result of the loss of sea ice resulting from global climate change.

Through science-based management of hunting, and the fact that the Arctic has long been inhospitable to large-scale human development, polar bears are the only species of bear that still inhabits the entirety of its historic range. But that range, the Arctic sea ice, is disappearing at an alarming rate. If global climate warming continues at its current pace, the Arctic summer sea ice (that is, the ice that should be in the Arctic year-round) could be gone within 50 years. This stark statement is actually a relatively moderate prediction put forth by the ACIA (Arctic Climate Impact Assessment) working group, and is based on an average of predictions from various, reputable, climactic models. This prediction, along with others, prompted the Center for Biological Diversity to file a petition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in January of 2007 to list the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (1972). The decision as to whether or not the polar bear should be “listed” under the ESA is imminent, and most polar bear biologists agree that “all, or a significant proportion of the total population [of polar bears] will become endangered in the foreseeable future” if no action is taken.

What does this mean for polar bears? Action needs to be taken to slow down, and ultimately reverse, the melting of the Arctic sea ice because polar bears (and many other animals) depend on this sea ice to survive. They feed on it, they find each other and breed on it, and many females’ den and give birth to cubs on it. Although polar bears are adept swimmers and are classified as marine mammals under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (1973), they are not adapted to a fully aquatic existence in the way that seals and whales are. The marine environment in which they thrive is that frozen platform of ocean that gives them an ideal perch from which to hunt seals. The fat from these seals provides polar bears with all the calories they need to survive in the Arctic cold. In fact, polar bears typically only eat the fat from the seals, leaving the remaining carcass for Arctic foxes and other scavengers. Polar bears, like all bears, will feed opportunistically on other food items. But the nutrition gained from these other sources simply does not provide the energy that a polar bear requires to survive.

Zoo Based Research: Filling in the details

Although exhibiting happy and healthy animals is a major focus of our work here at the San Diego Zoo, another of our goals is to study the animals in our charge in a scientific and systematic way. By making this a priority, we are contributing to the body of knowledge on polar bears and other animals that allows for good management in the wild. Polar bears can be difficult to study in the wild. Their harsh Arctic habitat and vastly roaming, solitary lifestyle makes the study of certain aspects of their biology virtually impossible. An example of this would be how their sensory systems are tailored to the environment in which they live, and how sensitive are these senses to human disturbance. At the San Diego Zoo, scientists are leading research that will help clarify how polar bears perceive the world around them. Some of our projects:

Polar Bear Hearing Sensitivity: Wildlife managers are concerned about the noise emitted from human industrial activities (such as petroleum exploration and extraction). But how sensitive are polar bears to noise? Researchers from our Zoo, in collaboration with Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, and animal care staff from both institutions, are completing research that will tell us a lot about how sensitive polar bear hearing is (see blog: Can You Hear Me Now?).

Scent Communication: As warming in the Arctic and the level of fragmentation of the polar bears’ sea ice habitat increases, how will this impact their ability to find each other over hundreds of miles during the breeding season? For that matter, how do they find each other over hundreds of miles? Again, researchers from the San Diego Zoo, with support from Polar Bears International, and participation from zoos around the country, are embarking on research that will give us insight into how important olfactory (aka scent) communication is to polar bears when they need to find each other over great distances (see blog: Is It the Perfume?).

Zoo Experience: A first-hand education in the beauty and inherent value of polar bears

San Diego is an enormously popular tourist destination, and one of the star attractions for any visitor is a trip to the San Diego Zoo or Wild Animal Park. For those of us who work here at the Zoo, we see this as a golden opportunity to not only introduce people to the beauty and wonder of polar bears and other exotic animals, but to let people know what these animals need to survive and thrive in the wild. Photographs and words can bring people closer to wildlife and enhance one’s appreciation for animals, but there is nothing like a polar bear swimming gracefully in the water a few feet away to convince people that they are majestic creatures truly deserving of our stewardship and protection. Couple this experience with some basic information regarding what polar bears need to survive in the wild, and how an average person can make a difference, and you have a life changing conservation experience.

Conservation in Action: What can you do to help the polar bear?

You’ve probably heard it before: Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle! These three words can guide each and every one of us to a lifestyle that will help the environment, reduce greenhouse gases, and help slow-down, and ultimately reverse, global climate change. Every year the average American produces about 7 tons of CO2 (the primary greenhouse gas responsible for global temperature change). Simple actions, such as driving less and in fuel-efficient vehicles, can greatly reduce this number. The take-home message is that we can all make a difference: By changing the way we live in our homes, we can help polar bears survive in their home. To learn more about what you can do to cut down on your CO2 emissions, join Polar Bears International’s “Project Polar Bear.” This innovative program is a great way for young people to make a big difference and help reduce atmospheric levels of CO2.

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

View the Zoo’s polar bears daily on Polar Cam…

Listen to an iZoofari Chat about polar bears with Megan…

Don’t forget Bear Awareness Days at the San Diego Zoo, May 8–11.

This is the norm for panda cubs. With each of Bai Yun’s previous youngsters, we have seen them take to the trees at about six months of age. Once their climbing skills come on line, they remain ensconced in high branches for hours on end, and at about the 17th month of life they begin to spend more time on the ground. There are two factors which are driving this trend in their preference for high places: evolutionary history and dietary preferences.

After abandoning the den, the female panda forages far and wide for the bamboo she needs to meet her caloric requirements. Her youngster may not be able to keep up with mom as she traverses her habitat. As such, mom can probably reach her objectives quicker if the cub is stashed somewhere safe while she satiates herself. To this end, young panda cubs are often left alone by their mothers. In some cases, wild cubs have been noted as being left alone for more than 24 hours at a time.

Historically, panda cubs are at risk of predation by animals such as tigers, leopards, and martins. In order to reduce the likelihood of succumbing to predation, solitary cubs climb high and remain several meters above ground until their mother returns. This makes them a harder target, since their clumsy, slow gait on the ground would be easier pickings for a stealthy predator. Additionally, cubs spend hours and hours asleep up in those trees. When they are resting quietly in the branches, they can be hard to spot. Even our cubs, sleeping in trees pruned to allow for better visibility for our guests, can easily be overlooked.

Today, pandas have fewer predators than they did historically. Tigers are generally not found in what remains of panda habitat, and leopards are found in reduced numbers. But the drive to remain safe is still the same and is exhibited even in pandas housed in zoos and breeding centers.

Since young pandas rely on their mothers for their nutrition, they are able to fill their bellies with milk. It seems a bit unfair, but as mom is stuck ingesting low-calorie grasses, the cub enjoys a highly caloric meal with fats to aid in growth (and satiation!). In fact, when our nutritionist aided the Wolong staff in the development of a formula for hand-reared panda infants, the mixture was a hybrid of human and dog formula substitutes—a richer food source than many of you might have predicted given the bamboo-feeding tendencies of the panda mother. This appetite-quenching meal from mom can help keep cubs content for hours on end, allowing them to wait patiently for mother’s return from foraging bouts.

At about a year of age, panda cubs begin ingesting bamboo. Initially, the quantities ingested are very small and can’t account for much in the way of meeting caloric needs. But within a few months, some of the burden for satiating themselves shifts to the cubs and their new bamboo feeding skills. Perhaps their ever-increasing size requires more calories than mom can provide, or perhaps as maternal fat stores become depleted, this alters the caloric content of mother’s milk. Either way, cubs begin spending more time on the ground, increasing their time spent feeding and focusing more heavily on bamboo consumption.

This, of course, is in preparation for life on their own. When weaning occurs, the cub is well equipped to feed itself and meet its caloric needs without its mother. Even in the final days of mother-cub association, nursing may be occurring, but not at a high rate. At that point, most of the young panda’s nutrition is coming from direct ingestion of bamboo and other plant materials.

Zhen Zhen is nearly a year away from making that transition. She hasn’t even begun to ingest bamboo yet and won’t for several more months. Which is why she will continue to enjoy spending most of her time in the high perches of her enclosure. As frustrating as it may be for our Zoo guests or Panda Cam watchers to have limited visual access to our cub at times, we hope you will understand that this is a normal and healthy part of our little one’s life, and we would expect no less from her. She is showing us that, like her siblings before her, her panda instincts are right on track.

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

Note: Snow Day for pandas has been moved up to Sunday, April 27!

Fortunately, the prevailing tradewinds have been pushing the fumes southwest, away from the facility. Rarely do the winds blow from the south, so for now, the birds, the staff, and the facilities are out of harm’s way, but we need to be prepared. If Madame Pele continues to fuss and fume and the winds come in our direction, we need to be prepared.

Staff will be protected with masks and respirators and we may have to box and transport the bird inventory to temporary quarters at the Maui Bird Conservation Center, our sister facility. Although the evacuation accommodations on Maui will be tight, it is best to be prepared—after all, these birds are species that are perhaps the most endangered in the world!

In the meantime, the volcanic gases and the bubbling lava that flows from Kilauea and the Pu`u O`o vent on the volcano’s west flank are providing a spectacular show for tourists, residents, and the volcanologists who are thrilled with so much volcanic activity.

Alan Lieberman is the conservation program manager for the Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Program.

Here’s more information about the Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Program…
Listen to an iZoofari Chat with Alan, posted in October 2007…

We begin the evening by doing an introduction between Fei Fei and Wu Gang. There is very little bleating and chirping, but it is early in the evening and not everyone is warmed up. The keepers decide to have a short introduction between Fei Fei and Ling Ling. Ling Ling (male) arrived the day before from Wolong’s other facility. He takes one look at Fei Fei and climbs to the highest point in his indoor enclosure. This happens to be a metal basket that we call the “panda hammock.” Ling Ling sits there hoping Fei Fei will go away if he is perfectly quiet and still. Because there is no chance that Ling Ling will come down from his panda hammock, Fei Fei is taken back to Wu Gang’s exhibit.

Things have progressed in the evening, and Fei Fei and Wu Gang are bleating and chirping constantly. The keepers are now put on standby. Several of them are up on the roof with extremely long bamboo poles. Next to each of these keepers are piles of apples to be put on the end of the poles just in case the pandas decide to fight instead of breed. The head keeper gives the “go” signal and Wu Gang is literally let out of the gate. Unfortunately, to Wu Gang’s surprise, Fei Fei doesn’t really like him. She turns very aggressive and barks at him to the point that he is running to the other end of the exhibit. A keeper opens a side gate and he runs out as fast as possible.

Now, Lu Lu has been pacing inside his den hoping that he will have his chance with Fei Fei. She is moved into his outdoor exhibit and signs are looking good for breeding. The keepers on the roof relocate, taking their bamboo and apples with them. Once in position, Lu Lu is let out of the gate. There is no question that he is ready to breed and the two of them get straight to business. Immediately after breeding, Fei Fei tries to go after Lu Lu with her right paw and barks very loudly. Before Lu Lu has a chance to fight back, there is a floating apple right between his eyes, and he is completely distracted. As Lu Lu eats the floating apples, Fei Fei is moved back into her exhibit and everyone begins to celebrate!

Response from Comments:
Many of you have asked about Mei Sheng and if I have seen him. Before I arrived in Wolong, Mei Sheng had already been moved to another facility belonging to the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda. He is too young for breeding and they needed every inch of space for breeding season. Hua Mei (pictured) is here and doing great. Her cubs are playing in the kindergarten area with all the other cubs from last year.

Jennifer Keating is working in Wolong, China as a research scientist for the San Diego Zoo. Read her previous blog, Early Mornings in Wolong.

It is polar bear breeding season in zoos as well. Every year, typically beginning in February and ending late in May, we see behavioral changes in our adult female and male bears. Changes in appetite and an increased focus on bears of the opposite sex are the hallmark of breeding season in zoos around the world.

As we strive to more thoroughly understand the behavior and ecology of the polar bear, we have begun a new research project that is designed to understand how polar bears find appropriate mates over great distances.

Through support of Polar Bears International and in collaboration with polar bear biologists with the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska, we are presenting scents from adult males and females to zoo bears throughout North America. The basic hypothesis is that if a male bear uses scent to find an available female, then he should spend more time investigating her scent than that of either another male bear or a female that has cubs (and so is not able to breed). The ability to discriminate between different classes of polar bear scent makes sense for this species, as it does for many other wide-ranging, solitary mammals such as giant pandas. Why waste the energy to travel 300 miles (over 480 kilometers) to court a female that cannot breed? The ability to gather detailed information relating to individual identity greatly increases the efficiency of the courtship process.

One of our main conservation goals at the San Diego Zoo is to contribute as much as we possibly can to the conservation of free-ranging animals. By designing research studies with our animals here at the Zoo that address questions of the basic biology of threatened animals in the wild, we contribute to the knowledge base that allows wildlife managers to make informed decisions about how best to manage wild populations of bears.

Global climate change effectively fragments polar bear habitat in some areas. By discerning the importance of scent trails to the social lives of polar bears, we can begin to estimate how this habitat fragmentation might impact polar bear breeding success, and as follows, the production of new cubs each year.

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

View the Zoo’s polar bears daily on Polar Cam…

Polar bears need teen spirit: Teens ages 14–18 are needed to form teams for Project Polar Bear. Teams work together to change their corner of the world to help polar bear habitat—and have a chance to win a trip to see the great ice bears in the wild or a VIP tour of Polar Bear Plunge! More…

Impunga celebrated his first birthday on March 11 with an elephant-sized cake made of ice blocks, browse, hay, and vegetables. His favorite part seemed to be the frozen alfalfa pellets, and after he had his fill the other elephants were able to join the party and helped him finish it off.

Six-month-old Phakamile, aka Kamile, is learning that her keepers don’t just mean lots of fun scratches and games. They also have that most wonderful treat: food pellets!! She is quickly learning that a keeper’s whistle means she did something fantastic. Her older sister, Khosi, who is 1½, is a good role model to follow. She is exploring the pools and has been brave enough to go out doggy paddling with the rest of the babies, although she got a rude awakening when she stepped off the last step into deep water! You can regularly find all of the calves splashing around in the small pool near the Elephant Overlook, and we are even starting to put water in the larger “adult” pool, though we are not filling it all the way yet.

As summer approaches and the weather warms up, all of the elephants are enjoying several new dirt piles and mud bogs we have placed in the yard. It is not uncommon to see all of the calves playing together, rolling around on top of one another and competing for the best patch of dirt. Sometimes they exhaust themselves and eventually lay so still you might mistake them for just another boulder in the yard. They can be inseparable at times, their own little herd of miniature elephants exuberantly running all over the yard! While they are exhausting to watch, their friendships no doubt make it easier on our many mothers who can count on getting a break or two throughout the day while an auntie takes over babysitting duties.

As Mabhulane, or Mabu, continues to enjoy being the only adult male in the herd, we are looking forward to extending our research into the nursing habits and development of elephant calves. After all, collecting data means we get to be entertained by the cutest little babies around! To see our tiny tots, stop by the Elephant Overlook or the Pachyderm Patio at the Wild Animal Park. You never know what antics you might see!

Brittany Archer is a senior keeper at the Wild Animal Park
Jeff Andrews is animal care manager of elephants at the Wild Animal Park
Fred Bercovitch is head of the San Diego Zoo’s Behavioral Biology Division

*Lungile was being treated for a postpartum infection after giving birth in November 2007. Sadly, her calf passed away in February 2008. More…