Pandas and " Meerkats" Mix Well
Posted at 9:30 am July 5, 2006 by Suzanne HallMany of you have been commenting lately on the improvement in the quality of the Panda Cam work. I thought I would let you know that this improvement is directly related to our increase in blog readers, and the many comments you have left over time. Although my Friday shifts at the helm of the camera are no more, others have taken over the responsibility of putting good images out over the Web.
In May, we began channeling some of our Zoo volunteers into working with the Panda Cam. Members of our highly regarded volunteer pool, known as the " Meerkats," began training to use the camera system. In the time since, we have developed a corps of 11 volunteers who take shifts here and there to ensure the camera is following our pandas as they go about their daily activities.
Although there are gaps in the schedule, we now have large blocks of time during which the Meerkats will be working to ensure you can see our bears. When the Meerkats are not in the building, the keepers and I will continue to do our best to put some good images out there while still attending to our many other responsibilities. We hope you enjoy the " new and improved" Panda cam!
Suzanne Hall is the senior research laboratory technician for CRES' Office of Giant Panda Conservation.
Here's more information about our Meerkat Volunteers.
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July 5th, 2006 at 10:27 am
Thanks so much! Those of us who cannot come visit in person really appreciate the time that the volunteers put in to make watching possible.
July 5th, 2006 at 10:43 am
Volunteer cinematographers are a most welcome addition.
July 5th, 2006 at 11:12 am
A big THANK YOU to the Meerkats. I need my daily Panda fix and it was disappointing to " tune" in during the day and not see anything (I can't watch in the evening). While I LOVE to watch Tai in Washington, I really wanted to see our little Su grow up, too. You guys are great!!!!!!!!!
July 5th, 2006 at 11:26 am
Thanks for listening to us! I have noticed an improvement. But still I would like to see more close-ups. Just another suggestion….
I would love to live close enough and have the opportunity to be a volunteer! … in fact I would pay YOU.
July 5th, 2006 at 11:34 am
Thank you thank you thank you meerkats!!
July 5th, 2006 at 12:00 pm
Thank you, Suzanne. And thank you to the " Meerkats."
July 5th, 2006 at 12:55 pm
The camera work is fabulous. I, too, need my daily fix of the pandas, it is so addictive. I do volunteer work and know you can never have too many " Meerkats."
July 5th, 2006 at 2:31 pm
Thank you so very much!!! Watching this lovely family is one of the biggest treats of my day…and you've made the experience even better!!
July 5th, 2006 at 3:42 pm
Thanks to all of you. You are greatly appreciated. Wish I could be a volunteer, but I live too far away. At least when I watch the cam I feel like I am there.
July 5th, 2006 at 5:14 pm
Go Meerkats!!!
Yeah!!!
July 5th, 2006 at 6:09 pm
What a wonderful idea. We've all been hoping that this would happen and it did! Thanks " Meerkats." Everyone will enjoy the time you devote to doing this. I especially enjoy the close-ups, too, as others have mentioned. They really make a difference in being able to see what our bears are doing.
When Su Lin was a baby in the birthing den, we got spoiled. Since then we've wanted to have more time with her. You all are making it possible.
July 5th, 2006 at 6:18 pm
Merci beaucoup for the fabulous camera work! I truly appreciate all the time you spend on ensuring we get to see our favorite panda family. Suzanne and the " Meerkats" , you are the best!!
July 5th, 2006 at 6:31 pm
Thank you, Suzanne and the Meerkats, for making sure we insatiable panda lovers get to watch all the pandas, all the time–from so many different angles. I appreciate all your time and dedication.
July 6th, 2006 at 1:28 am
Suzanne, you and the " Meerkats" have been doing a splendid job of camera work, following the action instead of the previous hoping that any excitement would happen in front of where the camera happened to be facing. It's great to see that Su Lin has actual eyes and not just big black patches on her face.LOL Keep up the great work!And thank you all for thinking of those of us who cannot get to the zoo to see these wonderful animals in the flesh.
July 6th, 2006 at 5:50 am
Thanks to all the Meerkats. I, like all the pandaholics, love the camera work–the pics are fabulous. Keep them coming. Thanks to you also, Suzanne, for all your effort.
July 6th, 2006 at 6:17 am
Let's hear it for the Meerkats!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!! Thank you from all of us Panda Mommas. We just cannot get enough.
July 6th, 2006 at 9:11 am
Thank you, Meerkats, for the wonderful panda camera work! It's much appreciated by panda fans around the world, I am sure!
Thanks again!
July 6th, 2006 at 10:36 am
It is nice to know that I am not the only person around who needs my 'Panda Fix' many times daily. Pandas are such beautiful animals and Su Lin is growing up so quickly. Just love to see her interaction with her mom. Will you be having a party for her lst birthday like Tai Shan is having this coming Sunday when he turns " 1" ? Just had the opportunity of watching him nurse and then he and mom fell asleep with her arm around him. B
July 6th, 2006 at 12:11 pm
Thank you Suzanne and the Meerkats!
July 6th, 2006 at 1:54 pm
A big thank you to the Meerkats and to the Panda team !
July 6th, 2006 at 9:56 pm
There are so many volunteers working at the zoo. I was once asked to join the Ocelots, but I had to decline as I live in LA and cannot attend their meetings on weekdays. If you live in San Diego, there are so many ways to volunteer, in addition to Meerkats.
Panda cam is looking really good lately. I chuckle whenever the cam swtiches to the boys as the cleaning begins in the girls' exhibit.
Whenever the cam is focused on a rock or a tree without a sight of panda for more than half an hour, I call it " staff meeting." It's been a great tool for me to observe the behaviors of pandas. For that, I'd like to thank the zoo and the staff for their efforts.
If anyone wants to know what pandas sound like, just come to the zoo. There is so much to see at the San Diego Zoo. You won't believe how fast time flies when you are there.
July 7th, 2006 at 7:27 am
P.Wong, miss your interviews. I saw a beautiful jinshan painting on the internet. It was called " visiting a park." The colors were amazing, it said these paintings show a love of life, children, festivals, animals and work which i really can't understand. They are so child like, I also saw a couple of Huxian paintings, but i liked the jinshan ones much better. Going to see Tai Shan next wednesday and Thursday. i'm excited. now that we get good close ups it will be interesting to see the differences.
July 7th, 2006 at 11:55 am
What great camera work of Su Lin nursing around 12:30 PM today.
July 7th, 2006 at 12:14 pm
Barbara, I'm so excited for you that you'd see Tai Shan and family " in person." And yes, the jinshan paintings are real bright, bold, cheery, yet " primitive." I hope to experiment doing this with computer software to include panda illustrations. Don't know if this is a good time yet to share more interviews. I'm trying to give everyone a break from my tangential sense of humor.
July 7th, 2006 at 4:37 pm
Thanks, Suzanne, for answering my question about " Fridays with Suzanne." And thank you for all the great work you do. A big thanks to the " meerkats" for taking on the role of trying to satisfy the viewing needs of us pandaholics. You are doing a great job and you are much appreciated!
July 8th, 2006 at 8:02 pm
Hi!! Just writing to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to both Su Lin (11 months old, San Diego Zoo) and Tai Shan (1 year old, National Zoo, Washington, DC). It's amazing how much both of these panda babies have grown over the past year since they were born. Growing up from being very tiny babies to nearly half grown toddlers has been an amazing thing to watch with both of them. I check in on both websites to catch Su Lin and Tai Shan almost every day to see what they are up to, and seeing them grow up to where they are at now has been awesome. Both zoos should be very proud of what you all have accomplished since July and August, 2005, and we are looking forward to seeing more baby pandas in the future. Great work, you all!! Keep it up!!!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
July 9th, 2006 at 3:48 am
Mr. Tai Shan is 1 today! I just watched at least 15 minutes of playtime with Mei and Tai. He's a playful boy! Mei was going stir crazy and trying to get out by standing up against the door with the small glass window that slides open. Tai will have great birthday treats. Miss Su Lin will soon be a year old also- I can't believe it! I'd love to get to S.D. to witness her birthday… we'll see! Thanks for sharing about the special Meerkats and the awesome webcam work that happens. If I still lived in San Diego, I'd definitely want to be a Meerkat! Thanks to the Meerkats and the Panda team for all their hard work. We Pandaholics truly appreciate all you do!
July 9th, 2006 at 5:21 am
Happy Birthday cousin Tai! (^) Mama, Papa, brother and sister send big warm hugs, too. Hope we will meet soon, maybe in China?
Will raise a toast with a fruitsicle today; going now, hard to type with fluffy paws, isn't it?
Here's looking at you, birthday boy xxx
July 9th, 2006 at 5:33 am
PS Further to my message above (#26), quick question, Tai - when do the keepers stop coming into the enclosure with us? Doesn't do much for our image as rough, tough bears, does it? Wonder if Suzanne knows the answer? Ho hum, need a nap now….
July 9th, 2006 at 6:19 am
Oh I can't wait for Su Lin's birthday! Just seen Tai receiving his giant pink birthday cake and his new toys while the crowd cheered and sang 'Happy Birthday to you' - so adorable! Mei, of course, has grabbed the biggest chunk of the cake but Tai has plenty left. Isn't Pandacam wonderful?
July 9th, 2006 at 9:33 am
Hip Hip hooray for the meerkats and their wonderful camera work. I am really enjoying it!
P. Wong, I too miss your interviews and find your sense of humour very enjoyable.
July 9th, 2006 at 1:31 pm
Just writing to say my husband & I attended the big birthday bash for Tai Shan. What excitement!! I was one of the ones singing Happy Birthday to him. We got to speak with Brenda Morgan, a panda keeper who has worked at the zoo since Hsing Hsing and Ling Ling were there and is so dedicated to the preservation of giant pandas. Tai had a ball taking apart his three tier " birthday cake" (with a little help from Mom). It was a great day. We live just across the river from D.C. and go to the zoo every weekend. It was so much fun to celebrate with the zoo staff today! My husband & I will be at the San Diego Zoo on August 28th, and can hardly wait to see Su, Bai, Mei, and of course papa, Gao. Thanks to all the wonderful volunteers who man the panda cams. Great work, guys!!
July 10th, 2006 at 6:54 am
Wow cousin Su! what a fun day! me and mom ate this big thing the people called a birthday cake! had soooo much fun. momma says I'm getting to be a big boy now. I still like my milk every now and then, but that bamboo stuff is pretty good too. do you like it too? thanks for the e-mail. I told momma all about it. hope you have a fun birthday too. I've got to go exploring right now—I'll catch up with momma later and make her wrestle with me. i love to climb all over her. do you do that too? see ya later. Tai
July 10th, 2006 at 8:53 am
Conversation with Gao Gao #5
Tourist: Hello Gao Gao.
Gao Gao: Hello Mr. Tourist.
T: Looks like you're reading a large tome there.
G: Yes, it's Journey to the West.
T: Is it a difficult read?
G: Sometimes.
T: Why are you reading it?
G: Because I like reading Monkey King's fantasy adventures.
T: Oh yes, they're exciting.
G: Yep. And I'm checking to see if Wu Cheng En references pandas in his book.
T: Have you found any?
G: Not yet.
T: But the 7th century Silk Road journey didn't include panda territory.
G: No, but Mr. Wu included other non-Silk Road creatures nonetheless…
T: Oh?
G: I would like to push for greater panda representation.
T: But Mr. Wu wrote in the 16th century.
G: I would write an appendix, an update.
T: How so?
G: With wuxia themes, like a panda trilogy…
T: Huh?
G: Resplendent with martial arts and derring do…
T: Wow…
G: Characters dueling atop bamboo branches…
T: Really…
G: And bungee jumper Tai Shan. Happy birthday, Tai Shan!
July 10th, 2006 at 11:49 am
I think that Gao Gao has a great imagination, I think that I will have to find out what the book is about. Our local television station had a small piece about Tai's birthday party. He sure did enjoy that fruitcicle cake; he was all over it–even the small pool and the toys were left to the side while he went at the cake. I'm sure that it tasted very good on such a hot day. From what I read on the Atlanta zoo site they may know in about a week if they are going to have a baby panda soon.
July 10th, 2006 at 3:14 pm
Oh boy! After watching the video and pictures from Tai's birthday - I can hardly wait for Princess Su Lin's big day. Tha Panda Cams are amazing - but my fellow panda bloggers are by far the best! I get teary-eyed reading most of the comments - as I love those little black & whites bears just as much as everyone else - just precious.
July 10th, 2006 at 7:47 pm
I was also able to attend the birthday bash for Washington's favorite celebrity. What a wonderful day - celebrating Tai Shan! When I got there, Mei was eating Tai's cake " leftovers" and she even knocked it over. Tai was in a tree, barely visible. The crowd let out a " hurray" when he finally came down. And he did not disappoint his fans! Mei, a typical Mom, multi-tasked…eating her bamboo while Tai climbed all over her head and playfully bit her. A very fun play session, indeed, with Tai toppling off his tree limb several times, but using Mei's head and body as a stepping stool to get back on his branch.
Can't wait to see Su's party bash!
July 11th, 2006 at 7:20 am
Suzanne, I may be seeing " things," but in the last few days have I really seen Mei Sheng waving to visitors and Bai Yun actually nursing Su Lin in a tree? I have enjoyed the lessons from Bai Yun-the pool wading was a riot! Su Lin seems to be a stubborn child but Bai Yun does not give up. Blessings to all who bring these beautiful animals into our homes. (Isn't Mei Sheng the most beautiful bear? I am a little partial to our " baby boy." ) Claudia
July 11th, 2006 at 10:26 pm
A belated Happy Birthday to Tai Shan, and Su Lin soon, and possibly another baby in Atlanta!!! I love them all!
July 12th, 2006 at 9:42 am
To Claudia (#38)
Yes, Mei Sheng is the most beautiful bear and, according to his keepers and others who observe him, he has a wonderful personality and is very intelligent. He will always be my favorite.
July 12th, 2006 at 10:57 am
Suzanne, in the recent news about the injured panda in China, there was a mention about panda blood supply. The injured panda cannot be operated on right now due to a lack of matching blood supply. How many different known blood types are there for pandas? Do San Diego pandas all have different blood types? Do you collect blood from your adult bears for possible emergency transfusions? If so, how often? Did you need any transfusions during Shi Shi's nose surgery?
July 13th, 2006 at 5:32 am
I, too, am concerned about the rescued Panda. Has China contacted you about blood for her? She is such a sad looking bear it breaks my heart to know she is in such pain. I hope one of our Pandas could help her out. Is this a possibility? I saw on one of the websites that the Panda released back in the wild seems to be getting along okay so far. So glad to hear that.
July 14th, 2006 at 7:35 am
I finally got to see Tai Shan and the family; for a boy he is just too cute, but not as cute as our own boy, Mei Sheng. My friends finally had to drag me away from the exhibit after the second day.They said that I'm obsessed– little do they know. But one day I will make it to San Diego, but I'm happy just to have seen Tai. To Claudia #38: you are right — Mei Sheng is a beautiful boy and smart also, he always seems to have a smile on his face and enjoys life the most.
July 14th, 2006 at 7:42 am
P. Wong: When I finally said good bye to Tai and the family I got a little wink and heard what I thought was " Say hello to the Panda talker," (which I assume means you) " and hugs to my cousins Su and Mei."
July 14th, 2006 at 10:01 am
Barbara, I'm glad you had a nice visit with Tai and family. And thanks for conveying my greetings. Yes, I thought Mei Sheng was a happy fellow, too.
Conversation with Mei Sheng #5
Mei Sheng: Grab the bird tail, caress the pipa… (does slow Tai Chi moves)
Tourist: Hello, Mei Sheng.
M: Hello, Mr. Tourist.
T: What are you doing now?
M: I am practicing Tai Chi.
T: Oh, I know. You are getting ready for Gao Gao's film production. Right?
M: Right.
T: And your cousin Tai is in it, too.
M: Yup. That's his birthday present.
T: And he will do somersaults and bounces with the bungee cord.
M: Uh huh. He will occasionally duel against the Monkey King.
T: And will you do bungee jumping, too?
M: No. I elect to do a variation of wire-fu.
T: So you prefer being suspended by cables instead?
M: Yup.
T: So what role do you play?
M: I play a fairy godfather supported by a white cloud in the sky.
T: And you will display your Tai Chi up in the air?
M: No, I practice that for better balance.
T: So what moves will you do? Other flavors of martial arts?
M: Well, not quite.
T: What do you mean by that?
M: Well, since " Journey to the West" ultimately takes us to India, I will lead a fairy nymph ensemble doing a rendition of Bollywood disco.
We sing of Beauty (Mei)
And Fragrance (Xiang)
In union with More (Tian)
And More (Tian).
Thus we Mountains Peaceful (Tai Shan)
With hope for generations restore.
And so Beautiful (Mei)
Is my Life (Sheng)
- by Mei Sheng
July 14th, 2006 at 1:25 pm
P Wong - Excellent job again - just lovely. I can see all of the bears, in colorful Indian sari's dancing along to your words - very fun!
Maybe it's just me, and bad timing, but has little miss fancy pants been MIA. I feel like I haven't seen her for days. Maybe she's just trying to beat the heat - and hang out way up in the trees?
July 14th, 2006 at 6:26 pm
Dear Volunteers and of course, Zoo personnel:
Thanks to all of you. It's great to log on and see those wonderful, awesome creatures being cared for by such caring individuals. I think you are the best!
July 16th, 2006 at 10:13 am
I luv your Panda Talker interviews, P Wong. Please continue doing them!
July 16th, 2006 at 12:50 pm
Did snow " fall" at the SDZ in the Giant Panda Station? There seems to be a pile of snow in front of Mei Sheng right now.
July 16th, 2006 at 4:39 pm
I cant remember how I came across the Panda cam, but ever since that first time, I have been hooked! I love watching these lovely animals!! Thank you for letting us peek into their lives!!!
Keep up the good work!
July 16th, 2006 at 5:41 pm
It's 6:40 PM, San Diego time and Princess Fancy Pants is having her liquid dinner, after having had some bamboo and cuddles from Mama. Marvelous webcam images.
July 17th, 2006 at 10:22 am
P. Wong: what a sight that would be. Pandas flying through the air in bright colored costumes, doing all kinds of acrobatics and martial arts. I am visualizing it and oh what a sight it is. See, i knew that we would be able to get you to do more interviews, you have a very exciting mind and what an imagination. you sure do bring our pandas to life. thanks