The title may be dramatic but it only takes a little rain to affect behavior here at the Giant Panda Research Station. San Diego enjoyed some sporadic and unexpected rain showers Monday morning, some accompanied by thunder and lightening, a rare thing for this part of the country. The rains usually come in the fall and winter months, and we never know what to expect from the pandas in residence, especially for the young ones. Not having seen rain for at least 6 months makes it a most wondrous thing indeed!
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On September 3 at approximately 11:30 p.m. Azizi, an 11½- year-old western lowland gorilla, started to show signs of entering the first stage of labor. Keepers noted that she was becoming increasingly restless and experiencing contractions. Her labor continued into the next morning and at 11:05 a.m., Azizi gave birth to a very healthy and robust baby boy. His birth weight was approximately 5 pounds (2.3 kilograms)! The entire troop remained together and inside the gorilla management facility at the Zoo. Azizi's troop consists of one 19-year-old silverback male, Paul Donn, and two other females: 13-year-old Imani and 14-year-old Ndjia.
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Yesterday, we had to remove some of the tall, eroded poplar trees in the exhibit adjacent to Zhen Zhen. Despite the loud chainsaw action, she seemed comforted enough by her mother's presence that she maintained her cool.

The trees had to come out, since their weakened state meant that they were a hazard for the bears; we did lose a branch recently that came crashing down from above. Unfortunately, these were the trees that Su Lin often loved to climb and be several stories high, where she was able to see the whole belly of the zoo easily.
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Time passes.

Trees grow. Bamboo grows. Pandas grow.

And every so often, the confluence of these events leads to an interesting day in the viewing area at the San Diego Zoo's Giant Panda Research Station.
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Hard to believe our summer season has come to an end. So many of you have watched our three beautiful bears play, eat, and sleep away the days at the San Diego Zoo. But what haven't you seen? Polar Bear Spa days!
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The harpy eagles located on the Birds of Prey catwalk at the San Diego Zoo are a must see for both frequent Zoo visitors as well as for first-time guests. The first thing most visitors notice about these birds is the crest of feathers located on the top of their head. When the bird is relaxed these feathers give the eagle a cute, floppy look. But pay attention to their legs and feet! Those strong, thick legs and huge talons are anything but cute. Combined with their sharp beak, the harpy eagle is an impressive hunter. In their native range through much of South America, the larger female (14 to 20 pounds or 6.3 to 9 kilograms) will frequently capture monkeys and sloths from the high tree canopy.
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Bai Yun

These days, Bai Yun is weighing in at about 214 pounds (97 kilograms). This seems about where we might expect her to be at this time, more than half way through rearing her cub, Zhen Zhen. As an adult female panda, we have seen Bai Yun's weight fluctuate from 205 to 231 pounds (93 to 105 kilograms) routinely, depending on where she is in her reproductive cycle.
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If you have walked on Elephant Mesa at the San Diego Zoo lately, you may have noticed a handsome new resident. He is our new Indian rhinoceros, named Soman. He came to us about two months ago from the Wild Animal Park and has been settling in to his new home nicely.
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For 12 months, panda fans around the world have seen glimpses of our little panda cub Zhen Zhen on Panda Cam. Many fans ask us for more. You want to see what we see, get to know her as we do. Well, your chance is finally here, thanks to PBS Television! In cooperation with the San Diego Zoo, PBS has produced a TV program that follows our Precious cub from day one to her crazy antics on her first birthday. Panda Tales debuts in San Diego this Sunday, September 7, at 8 p.m. on the local PBS station: KPBS channel 15, cable 11.
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It has been awhile since I blogged (see Gary's last blog, Rain). For some unknown reason, I just began to write and a kind of prose is all I could get this ol' guy's cerebral cortex to produce. So, I dedicate this to all my new friends made at the turnstiles and throughout the Zoo this summer. Without this place we call the Zoo and its guests and employees and volunteers, my life would be very much diminished.
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