Times, They Are a Changin'
Posted at 8:01 am February 20, 2006 by Suzanne HallSome of you have expressed an interest in learning more about the lives of pandas in captivity in Wolong. Over the years, much has changed at the breeding center, and staff at the San Diego Zoo has played a role in some aspects of this change.
Years ago, Wolong was home to a much smaller population of bears that were typically housed in small, barren pens. The facility, built in the 1980's, had ten main pens, each with an attached bedroom area. Over the years the facility developed a few additional pens, including two large outdoor yards that incorporated wild habitat adjacent to the breeding center.
As breeding success improved and hand-raising of cubs became more successful, the population in Wolong boomed. The number of pandas there now varies a bit, but remains consistently over 55 animals. Several pandas each year are sent to other places to live in order to make space. Young, non-breeding animals are sent to live at another facility a few hours away until they come of age. Old, non-breeding animals are often sent to other zoos to serve as ambassadors. Animals of breeding age are kept at the facility to contribute to the population while they can.
To accommodate the growing population, the facility itself has also grown and changed. Initially, a second row of ten pens was added and two additional large outdoor pens were built. Since 2000, a new nursery building and several new large pens have been added. Most recently, the old row of ten pens was demolished to make way for a smaller number of larger pens.
But the changes for the bears go beyond these construction activities. Our staff has played a role in improving the diets of the animals there by developing a bread recipe that provides the pandas with many of the same nutrients that our leaf eater biscuits have. Behavior staff has helped to improve the complexity of the exhibits that the bears live in by encouraging the development of climbing structures, digging pits, pools, and other interesting features in the new (and old!) exhibits. We have also provided the facility with a variety of enrichment items over the years to stimulate the bears.
Zoos in the U.S. have undergone significant changes in the last several years as well, moving in the direction of improved animal welfare via more complex, stimulating, and naturalistic environments. The improvements at Wolong mirror the movement in western zoos. They have really come a long way.
One way to help to promote this positive change is to go to Wolong yourself, if at all possible. The influx of tourists who value the panda has been a part of the impetus to change there. By visiting and talking with staff (many speak some English) you can help to encourage the forward momentum in Wolong.
Suzanne Hall is the panda research technican for the San Diego Zoo's Office of Giant Panda Conservation.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Scroll to the end to leave a comment. Pinging is not allowed.
February 20th, 2006 at 9:22 am
Thank you, Suzanne, for the informative entry! It is my goal to go to Wolong at the end of this year, if not next year. Maybe there will be enough interest in the conservation of the Giant Pandas for Wolong to offer packages that would attract Panda lovers all over the world and the money raised can go directly to the conservation effort. I am sure that with the birth of the two cubs last year plus the news about Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan going to Taiwan should bring greater awareness and interest in these wonderful bears! Education and awareness are the keys to help the Giant Pandas (along with a lot of other endangered species) get off the endangered list. I still have a lot of hope that this is possible
February 20th, 2006 at 9:28 am
I forgot to ask a question… why are some Pandas in Wolong given names and some are simply known as Numbers??
February 20th, 2006 at 9:28 am
Yes, going to Wolong is a longtime dream of mine. I'm sure I won't be going any time soon, but I'm not giving up on that dream. Visiting that beautiful country and seeing Wolong for myself would definitely be a dream come true! The only thing holding me back is the funding to do it.
February 20th, 2006 at 9:48 am
Little Su Lin is an " arboreal" panda. She's so good at finding her way among the branches.. I would like to see her on the floor, but she's just so happy up in the trees that it's also very nice to see her having so much fun up there.
February 20th, 2006 at 11:01 am
Dear Suzanne, We were fortunate to visit the Panda Breeding Center (6 miles away from downtown Chengdu and a 6-hour drive from Wolong) this past October. The setup and atmosphere reminded us of the San Diego Zoo. They have the giant pandas, the red pandas and cranes at this facility. It's well kept and Smoking is not allowed anywhere on the premises (hooray!). We were only supposed to spend 2 hours there; however, we enjoyed ourselves by spending the whole day there… walking the entire area. There were many visitors - both local and tourists. We ran into many preschoolers; so cute and they too enjoyed the Pandas. I was fortunate to play and take a picture with a 1-year old Panda. My brother and sister snapped away with the cameras. This experience was definitely the highlight of my trip and will be for the rest of my life. More so we appreciate your job and the rest of the staff to have the opportunity to care for such wonderful beings and to accommodate the changes. We made a generous donation to the Research Center to assist with the research there and caring of the facility and we continue to do so … from Hawaii.
February 20th, 2006 at 11:08 am
Thanks, Suzanne, for the additional information! At first I thought the pictures on Noah's Wolong cam looked pretty stark too. But then I realized that part of the contrast is that mid-winter there is a bit more severe than in San Diego. I noticed a nicer picture below taken on a green rainy day. Finally I visited the " Panda Club" and although I can't read Chinese, a methodical tour through the site yielded dozens of heartwarming photos of Pandas climbing and playing together. I am already saving my nickels and dimes for the trip!
February 20th, 2006 at 2:12 pm
My husband and I are going on the San Diego Zoo China panda trip in April, 2006. We are really getting excited as the date grows nearer. Has anyone taken the trip? Tell me some highlights, please.
February 20th, 2006 at 3:32 pm
Fellow pandaholics, if you love watching the PandaCam you'll be amazed by seeing them live! In addition to lots of panda rest & relaxation, I was treated to the following last Sat.: Su Lin climbing a very tall tree, teething on the twigs, then napping on the little branches far off the ground. Handsome big brother Mei Sheng did some skillful tree climbing of his own, devoured bamboo and snacked on veggies and biscuits that he carefully picked up with his paws and mouth. Bai Yun gave a master class in bamboo eating. The high point: Bai nursing Su late in the afternoon before a rapt crowd! What a privilege to share such moments.
February 20th, 2006 at 3:35 pm
Oh to be able to go to Wolong! That could be the trip of a lifetime . . . just to have the opportunity to possibly hold one of the little darlings over there. Who knows, maybe someday. In the meantime how fortunate are we to have our San Diego Zoo and the extraordinary staff in the Panda Conservation Area. I truly appreciate how much the Pandas and their followers benefit from your expertise, knowledge and willingness to share. On behalf of the Pandas that I dearly love, I am grateful to you for your program and all who participate.
February 20th, 2006 at 4:23 pm
In August 2004, my husband and I visited China. Perhaps Wolong's success will rub off on some of the other facilities housing giant pandas in China. We can only hope.
February 20th, 2006 at 5:11 pm
Thank you, Suzanne, for updating us on the situation at Wolong. It is such a great collaboration between the West and East, and all in the search for protecting this animal. It increases our relationship with China in such a positive way. Will the SDZ have a trip to Wolong that " We the people" can participate in?
February 20th, 2006 at 10:47 pm
I very much enjoy hearing about Wolong/Chengdu and their connections to Western zoos. It would be wonderful to go to China and meet the panda keepers there and (maybe) a panda or two! Thanks, Suzanne.
February 21st, 2006 at 2:50 am
It's been very interesting to read the comments regarding how pandas are kept in different places.
I saw a news story this morning about Wolong and how they have now built an area in which to teach captive-born pandas to survive in the wild; it takes about 3 years to do this sucessfully. The panda they showed was having fun playing in the snow and there was a keeper in there with it being play chased.
February 21st, 2006 at 4:03 am
Thank you so much, Suzanne, for keeping on writing these blogs regularly! I have a look every day to see if there are any new ones. I really appreciate your taking time to share all this interesting information with us.
February 21st, 2006 at 7:37 am
Suzanne, I have a question: I have been watching the pandas in the two zoos, and these pandas seem to have a very good intelligence system. They seem to be smarter than other bears; is this possible??? Or is it just my perspective? You can tell they are solitary animals: when they eat they turn away from public view and they all seem to like to play. And they all seem to know when it is time to eat. Is this due to the training they are given? They all seem to be very gentle with their keepers. Do they know if another keeper comes?? Do they react to them??
February 21st, 2006 at 8:30 am
I " met" Su Lin a few days after she was born, but finally got to meet her in person yesterday! What a wonderful experience!
February 21st, 2006 at 9:04 am
Thank you so much for the educational information. The more info the public has, the better they can appreciate the animals and all of the care, time, and enthusiasm of all of the humans involved in their care. However, I am frustrated, too, by not being able to check the panda-cam often, and it seems that every time I can access it, Su Lin is up in the tree sleeping, and Bai Yum is either perched on top of the structure sleeping or else has her back to the panda-cam eating bamboo. Surely I am not the only one with this frustration. Is it possible to get more on the antics of Su Lin — what is her " new" favorite thing to do, how often is the interaction between Mom and Baby in terms of playing, etc., how big is she now — you know, the things that we normally don't see?
Thanks.
February 21st, 2006 at 9:11 am
Why is it that keepers at FONZ take Tai inside at night, and keepers in San Diego let Su Lin sleep up in the tree? Lately she stays the whole day up in the tree. I do not see her playing with her mother, like Tai does with his. Is there any reason for this or is it that they just have different personalities?
February 21st, 2006 at 9:33 am
Hi, I was looking at Su Lin this morning while she was up in the tree, and for a moment there was a close up of her face, and she looks just like Bai Yun. She probably has something from Gao Gao, but her face looks just like her mother. When she was smaller I used to be able to see a black hair birth mark, just like her mommy too. It is so cute. Thanks, Rebecca.
February 21st, 2006 at 11:28 am
I am wondering if anyone here has done or knows about volunteer work at Wolong. I saw several pictures on " Panda Club" showing children (many from America) doing volunteer work at Wolong. I also read somewhere about a trip from the U.S. to Wolong doing volunteer work. Besides helping to clean the bamboo and the pandas' apartments, they learned how to feed the pandas and watched how the keepers trained the pandas. I also want to visit Wolong, but am thinking if I can spend a longer time there, I should volunteer while I am there. Does anyone have any information about it? Thank you!
February 21st, 2006 at 12:18 pm
#18, I also wondered why they take Tai Shan in at night, and then I realized that NZP is in the nation's capital! Security is much higher there–and should be. That, and the fact that they are first-time panda cub parents. Also, there is the weather difference in D.C. and San Diego. Sweet Su is able to enjoy the moderate temperatures all night–but, alas, doesn't get to romp in the snow.
February 21st, 2006 at 12:24 pm
The best time to view playtime between Mei and Tai is between 7-8 AM EST, an hour that still tends to feature a lot of cute playtime. Mei exits the building, heading directly for the pile of bamboo on the grotto, while Tai goes toward one of the fences or his tree. En route, however, both tend to pause by the dead limbs, and play ensues. I often wonder now if there would be any of this playtime if Tai were allowed out all night and he never came down!
Like the rest of you, I would give my eyeteeth to go to Wolong and Chengdu. My 9-year-old daughter is an Asperger's child, a high-functioning autistic who has difficulty understanding human emotion, but has extraordinary intelligence and intuition about animal behavior. She wants to become a zoologist to save endangered animals. She would be in heaven seeing the pandas and learning the procedures used to both breed these wonderful animals and relocate pandas to the wild. I'm all for the efforts proposed to get a tour group together that could make the trip for less than the current expedition. I'm sure that the SD trip is not overpriced, but perhaps we could find a way to devise a panda express that " goes economy," even if we'd have to rough it, camp out, or work while there. I'm not as young as I used to be, but I'd be happy to pitch hay or cart bamboo all day, just to be able to witness what was going on around me–and to know that I had made a small difference in the overall effort to save these magnificent creatures. It goes without saying that my daughter would feel the same way.
February 21st, 2006 at 12:42 pm
#18-It seems to be a genetically instilled behavior for young panda cubs to climb and rest in trees. Now that Tai has the availability of trees, he often spends hours up on his branch playing, sleeping, resting, apparently enjoying himself. Just as Su, when he is in the tree, there is no physical interaction with Mom. Su is often on the ground in the early evening, playing with Bai, although whenever Bai starts a grooming session, Su tries her best to escape, but will often return soon for Bai's nurturing. She still is somewhat our " little girl." NZ blog has noted that they bring Tai indoors in the late afternoon to have him safely inside for the night, but maybe when the weather warms, they may let him stay outdoors longer.
February 21st, 2006 at 1:17 pm
To no. 18: Washinton D.C. is not blessed with the beautiful weather of San Diego. Winter nights there can easily fall into the teens and 20s, though this year it's been a little more temperate most of the time - in the 30s and 40s. Perhaps the keepers don't want Tai spending the night outdoors in freezing temperatures.
February 21st, 2006 at 2:09 pm
I've been watching Gao Gao for over 4 hours and he has been eating his bamboo for pretty much the whole time and only taking a little break to take a drink…I was wondering, how much bamboo does he put away every day? He seems to REALLY enjoy that bamboo! He hasn't even had a nap yet! And I can only imagine Bai Yun and Mei Sheng too! Though Bai does stop to take care of precious little Su Lin and take her naps…
Thanks Suzanne for the updates on the precious Pandas!
February 21st, 2006 at 3:53 pm
Thank you so much for the close-up and many-angled views of Bai Yun sweetly nursing Su Lin this afternoon. It was wonderful to watch beautiful Bai sitting serenely, just twitching her toes every once in a while or kind of resting her chin on the cub's little head while Su took her time. And then afterward, when Su Lin leaned back and let her mom nuzzle and groom her–what a heart-warming sight!
February 21st, 2006 at 5:31 pm
Su Lin has the luxury of living in a great climate in a beautiful zoo. She's absolutely lovely, and I've so enjoyed watching her grow. In some ways, I want her to stay little forever, but in others I can't wait to see what all she will achieve and become.
February 21st, 2006 at 6:08 pm
I thank the SDZ and the NZ for bringing the pandacams to us. I would never have imagined a year ago that I would have become so involved in watching the growing up of these incredible baby pandas. They are now an important part of my life. Watching them helps me to understand there is more to life than just work.
February 21st, 2006 at 7:09 pm
Suzanne and the rest of the Panda team…THANKS for letting us see Gao Gao and Mei Sheng at times! I miss watching Mei and like to see him, too. I've watched him on the cams since he was born. And Gao Gao is interesting to watch as well.
Keep up the good work!
February 22nd, 2006 at 2:54 am
To all wondering why Tai Shan is restricted from climbing in the taller trees and why NZ pandas are brought inside at night, there's a new update explaining it on the NZ Panda Cam site.
February 22nd, 2006 at 5:35 am
I have had the pleasure of visiting both zoos and the National Zoo where Tai is has a big yard but not like the San Diego Zoo's. Also, the San Diego Zoo has a gigantic panda research center; I mean it is big, really big, compared to the National Zoo. I know the National Zoo is building onto their center. If you have the chance you really must see both zoos.
At first I didn't understand why the NZ put things on the trees but after visiting I understand that their concern is for the pandas' welfare. As Suzanne has stated, San Diego has put cuffs on the trees in certain areas so the pandas can't get into other parts of the zoo.
February 22nd, 2006 at 7:37 am
Hello Panda Team and Panda Fans! I was wondering if anyone remembered any stories of Hua Mei and Mei Sheng following Bai Yun on her morning strolls? If Bai Yun had the kind of trouble she's having with Su Lin climbing up into the trees when Bai Yun doesn't want her to as she retrieves her but looses as Su Lin is determined. Thank you, I look forward to any insight.
February 22nd, 2006 at 11:03 am
Thanks, Suzanne, for sharing about the changes taking place in China to improve the environments of the captive pandas. In 1986 I had the opportunity to see a giant panda at the Beijing zoo. It was sad. The inside exhibit was a small room with only a platform and a water bowl. The outside yard was a very small grassy area with a few plants. However, my hosts were very concerned about saving the pandas and gave me a wonderful panda plaque that reads " Those things that are rare are very precious and after I see them they become more precious." Watching the SDZ and NZ pandas (especially Su and Tai and their great mommas) makes those words even more meaningful.
February 22nd, 2006 at 11:23 am
Re: million-dollar panda loans. I can only hope 1) SDZ and the other three U.S. zoos will get a better deal come time to renegotiate the panda loan terms, and 2) China is using the panda-earned money wisely toward their own conversation efforts.
February 23rd, 2006 at 11:28 am
I just read a short piece about the first pair of pandas that were given to Japan back in September 1972. They were presented from China as a token of friendship after the diplomacy was restored. Pandas arrived in Japan only 3 days after the deal was signed! Although a special team of keepers was formed at Ueno Zoo, none of them had seen the animal before. They had no knowledge of pandas. Three people accompanied the pandas from China, but they were all officials from the government and the zoo in Beijing; none of them actually took care of pandas. Keepers at Ueno Zoo were surprised to see how big pandas were. Giant pandas were considered mystery animals back then. The Pandas were housed in temporary housing until the following year. I mean, what can you do in 3 days? All the keepers could do was talk to the bears and watch their every move. The bears came with very little insruction! After about 10 days, the male panda, Kan Kan (about 2 years old at the time), caught cold. If it got worse, it could be fatal, as no one really knew what to do. They didn't know if he could be given the same medication as other bears get? If anything went wrong, it can affect the diplomatic relationship between Japan and China that was just restored!
Well, that's all I could read about this episode for now. I'll need to find out more. Those keepers at Ueno back then would be surprised how much about our mystery animal is known now and that we are still discovering more and more every day. I'm sure they'd wish they had this kind of collaborative effort between them and China (and other countries) on panda research.