Bathing Beauty
Posted at 1:50 pm June 14, 2006 by Ellie Rosenbaum
In the last few days the pool in Bai Yun and Su Lin’s exhibit at the San Diego Zoo has returned to its proper function as a pool. Keepers had been placing bamboo for the giant pandas in the drained pond after early concerns that using it for water while Su Lin was a small, unsteady cub could pose a potential hazard for her. It was a common place for Bai Yun to recline and eat. Bamboo is now placed to the side, and the pool contains water once again.
In her best motherly manner, Bai Yun has been insuring that Su Lin experiences the water first-hand. Su Lin, however, does not appear to be at all pleased with this: Mom pushes her in and she races out as quickly as possible, climbing up above her mother and shaking off this “alien substance.” Bai Yun continued, yesterday morning, to pull, push, and drag Su Lin into the pool several times; Su Lin clambered out as quickly as she could each time. Bai Yun even stood splashing in the pool while watching her cub, perhaps an attempt to entice Su Lin in. As it was in the early days of “water lessons” for her brother, Mei Sheng, this does not appear to be a favorite game, although colleagues report that she has been exploring the pool alone, and more comfortably, while Bai Yun sleeps.
Pandas will enter the water to cool off and even Shi Shi, our former male-in-residence, had been observed sitting in the pool, splashing with his forepaws and wiggling his feet. Water interaction increases among mature females as they approach their brief mating season. This may be a way for them to spread their scent farther on the ground to notify any males in the area of their seasonal changes, so this is an important new medium for Su Lin to learn about.
Whatever the purpose - and researchers are studying these behaviors at many facilities around the world to answer questions such as these - Su Lin and Bai Yun are in the next phase of the cub-rearing process. It’s going to be an exciting few months as this little girl is prepared by her mother in so many ways for life on her own.
Ellie Rosenbaum is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo.
Watch Su Lin and Bai Yun daily on Panda Cam.
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June 14th, 2006 at 2:49 pm
Thank you for the information about the water and Su Lin’s reaction to it. It’s interesting that Bai Yun spends time trying to get Su Lin to play and be comfortable in the pool and does things to coax her to join her mom. When did Mei Sheng and Hua Mei start going in on their own? Was Hua Mei reluctant, too?
Has Su Lin started to peel the bamboo the way Bai Yun does, or is she just watching for now? She is growing up fast and it’s fun to watch her play.
June 14th, 2006 at 3:53 pm
Ellie, it was such a treat Tuesday to watch the “wrestling match” you described. Su Lin sure did beat it out of the pool in a hurry and shake herself like a dog! I saw Bai Yun on the Cam this morning once again pacing. Could she be getting somewhat anxious to have Su Lin “graduate” so that she can go into estrus again? See you again soon I hope.
June 14th, 2006 at 3:59 pm
Thank you so much for this blog. It’s so interesting to see what you do to re-create the wild for the pandas. Also, the way you explained the initiation of Sun Lin with this “alien substance” made me laugh a lot. I missed it on the cam but I hope to see it another day.
Thank you for taking care of these precious animals.
Sophie from Montreal
June 14th, 2006 at 6:41 pm
How adorable! I do remember that Mei Sheng would hide when Bai Yun approached the pool. Bai would drag him into the pool and he would scamper out only to be dragged back in. I must see Su Lin in this new adventure.
June 14th, 2006 at 7:45 pm
Su Lin is such a pretty, dainty little girl - I’m sure she just doesn’t want to mess up her hair with all that silly splashing around and such. How sweet of Bai to try and coax her in to cool off… it’s been pretty warm here is SD lately.
June 15th, 2006 at 3:43 am
Oh my gosh, how funny. Thanks for the early morning laugh. I hope I can catch little Su’s next “swimming” lesson on the Cam. Does this activity seem to happen about the same time every day? If so, what time would that be? Thanks so much, Ellie, for the humorous and informative blog - please keep them coming!!!! Oh, as usual, any chance of getting a picture put here of the two in the pool? Thanks again!
June 15th, 2006 at 8:21 am
Su Lin seems so cute! I wish I could see her in person, but I don’t live in San Diego so I just see her on the Panda Cam and in pictures. I hope I can see a swimming lesson on the Cam. Thank you so much for telling me about this
in the blog.
June 15th, 2006 at 8:29 am
Thanks for telling us about Su Lin’s introduction to the pool. What a great story–and well written too! Since I missed seeing it, your words brought the scene completely to life for me. Bai Yun continues to be the perfect Mom without a doubt.
June 15th, 2006 at 10:16 am
Hi, I love watching the panda cams; usually I just see trees instead of su lin and bai. The DC cams make it much easier to watch little tai grow, possibly because the cameras move with the pandas. Is it possible for the panda cams at san diego to do this as well? I wish I could see more of su lin and bai.
June 15th, 2006 at 12:00 pm
Su Lin is a smart and gutsy girl. She doesn’t like to be told what to do. Especially by her mom! She seemed to be very interested in the pool when Bai Yun first showed her what to do in there. She just doesn’t like to do things when she’s not in the mood. But Bai Yun doesn’t give in! The interactions between them are very interesting to observe.
June 16th, 2006 at 4:59 am
Hello Ellie, thanks for all the efforts you folks put into making the pandas happy and healthy and keeping us so well informed. Below is another “conversation” if you folks don’t think I’m being a pest. - P Wong
Conversation with Mei Sheng #2
Mei Sheng: Yi, er, san, si (1, 2, 3, 4)… Y, M, C, A… (paws flapping)
Tourist: Hello, Mei Sheng.
M: Oh hello Mr. Tourist. Come to think of it, are you really a tourist?
T: Uh, in a way, I am.
M: Well if you’re a reporter, you must get clearance from Aunties Suzanne and Ellie. OK?
T: OK.
M: So what’s up?
T: I spoke to your publicist the other day…
M: You mean Daddy-O Gao Gao?
T: He doesn’t seem aware that you’re a talented songwriter.
M: Well, I’m not as good as he is.
T: But he said he was merely teaching you Chinese.
M: Oh, but his music defies description, even transcendental.
T: How do you say that?
M: It’s hard for me to explain.
T: Why?
M: His music is embedded in his scent marks. And I’m not old enough to comprehend it all.
T: Oh?
M: (tee, hee) And there’s one that was a love song to Mama Bai Yun.
T: So why didn’t he tell me about it?
M: Well, he just didn’t think you would understand. Nor would you be interested.
T: But I AM interested. So what’s it like?
M: It’s a Canto Pop genre song… With a real catchy tune.
T: Canto Pop?
M: You know, it’s a Western Pop style that’s mostly sung in Cantonese dialect.
T: So he sings it in Cantonese?
M: No, he sings it in Mandarin putonghua, like the way some people speak at Wolong.
T: So he only sings it in Chinese, huh?
M: Well, actually he sings an English version, too.
T: So he’s a Chinese romantic with an English accent?
M: Aren’t we all… Well, if you will excuse me, I think I will go for a swim.
June 16th, 2006 at 10:06 am
P Wong - thanks so much for the enjoyable and funny interview with Mei. He’s quite a character, isn’t he. Can’t wait for the next one!!!!
June 16th, 2006 at 10:35 am
P.Wong, I don’t think any of us think your’e a pest. It just gives voice to a creature that we all love and adore. Your words gives us a smile. I’m sure if and when Mei goes back to China the staff there is going to find a smart and very interesting panda. I’m wondering if they are ready for him?
June 16th, 2006 at 10:36 am
I had seen in a documentary when Hua Mei first explored the pool by herself. I hope you have taped the same experience of Su Lin and we can watch this interesting video somewhere in the future.
June 16th, 2006 at 10:37 am
It sounds like Su Lin needs some swimmies and Bai Yun should make her a bamboo snorkle. Then maybe she would be up for going into the water.
June 16th, 2006 at 12:04 pm
P. Wong, now that was a fun and informative chat you had with Mei Sheng. Great to know that musical talent runs in the family. Too funny, as I imagine him doing the arm motions for Y.M.C.A.! Who knew we had a panda disco fan?
June 17th, 2006 at 3:02 pm
Ellie, this is a wonderful description of Su Lin’s first experience with “swimming”, although so far she does not seem to be very thrilled with it. Since the Bamboo Basin has now become the Panda Pool, Bai Yun has had to move the dinner table over a few feet. Reaction to the water is another way in which Su is quite different from her cousin Tai Shan. The NZ site mentioned that the first day he had wading depth water available, he plunged right in and had a great time with the “bath” toys. Maybe when the weather gets very hot, Su will come to appreciate the cooling effects of this strange new environment…P. Wong–I am so much enjoying your conversations with the rest of Su and Bai’s family. They all have their own special stories to tell!
June 18th, 2006 at 5:29 pm
I was just saying on another message board that I wish they would give us PandaAunties a training course in how to let go during weaning. Thanks for doing just that, Suzanne. I can see this will be much harder on us than Bai Yun and Su Lin. Su Lin is such a wonderful, independent, loving, smart, cautious, studious little panda girl, that she will thrive on her own as is her destiny. Her Mother has, and will continue, to prepare her well.
I’m now looking forward to watching her continue to grow into an adult with babies of her own some day. Granted, I’m not rushing her!
June 19th, 2006 at 2:10 am
(Yikes, methinks I’m addicted to writing panda “conversations”? Does anyone think we should publish a volume of Et Ceteras to raise funds for pandas? - P Wong)
Conversation with Gao Gao #3.2
Gao Gao: (sings Jasmine Song, a traditional Chinese song - translation by P Wong)
O jasmine flower, how beautiful.
O jasmine flower, how beautiful.
So fragrant, so sweet, so glorious, so profuse on branches borne.
So fragrant, so white, with universal praise upborne.
Let me your blossums gather
To present and gift to all.
O jasmine flower. O jasmine flower.
Tourist: Hello Gao Gao.
G: “O my lovely Bai Yun, my billowing White Cloud. What alluring fragrance…”
T: Gao Gao? Uh, we had an appointment…
G: Oh. Do pardon me. I was preoccupied.
T: So was that your Canto Pop song? It’s got a nice lilt.
G: No. I sing folk songs, too. I learned this one from friends in China.
T: Do you know alot of Chinese songs?
G: I’d say I know some.
T: And you learned them all in China.
G: No. Some I learned from blogger friends here in America.
T: And how does that happen?
G: Oh, with my scents at such heights… they work like cell phone towers.
T: What? Your scent marks can transmit and receive radio frequency signals?
G: You got it!
T: Come on… You’re pulling my leg.
G: HA HA ha ha. I was.
June 21st, 2006 at 7:54 am
P.Wong, very beautiful. it’s very easy to get addicted to the pandas and how they make you feel. You are a excellent translator of Chinese and panda language. You also have a great imagination. I think it would be great to have a way to fund support for the pandas. Between you and Pamela G i think it could be possible. I saw some pictures from wolong and the pandas there were looking at the mountains and ancient panda home.
June 21st, 2006 at 6:29 pm
P. Wong, his scent marks are like cell phone towers? TOO funny, heeheee…….and that is a gorgeous song Gao Gao is singing. I too am all behind the idea of publishing a tome to benefit the pandas. I would certainly buy a few copies! Keep up the great writing.