What Lies Ahead
Posted at 1:29 pm June 15, 2006 by Suzanne Hall
Su Lin is only seven weeks away from her first birthday. It's hard to believe that time has gone by so quickly. Nearly a year ago, she was a tiny, helpless, hairless creature sequestered in a den and totally dependant upon her mother for warmth, sustenance, and comfort. Now, she's a capable black-and-white bundle of tree climbing, rough-and-tumble energy.
Su Lin only nurses a few times a day now. Although we don't observe her overnight, some of you Panda Cam faithful have noted that she often comes down from her treetop perches under cover of darkness, finds her mother, and enjoys a nursing bout in the wee hours of the morning. Keepers have also seen a pattern of nursing in the early morning hours, when the bears are waking up for their day. Afternoons also seem to be a good time for a play bout and some suckling. All told, two to three nursing bouts per day seem to be the norm. This is pretty consistent with what we observed with Mei Sheng and Hua Mei at this age.
By age one, the giant panda cub is capable of routinely processing small amounts of bamboo. Su Lin is no exception. Our volunteer observers note bamboo feeding from the cub every now and then, when they catch her awake. She also enjoys snacking on her mother's leaf eater biscuits or veggies when she can get them. However, she is not yet capable of sustaining herself without milk. In the next few months she'll develop greater proficiency with bamboo, and by 18 months she'll be ready to wean.
Although we haven't yet discussed a weaning strategy for Su Lin, our experience has been that a gradual weaning process works well. In the past, we selected a window of time in which we would close a door between Bai Yun and her cub for gradually lengthening periods of time. On the first day, perhaps the door is closed two hours. A few days later, time apart is increased. Eventually, after a few weeks, the doors between them are closed permanently. Bai Yun's comfort level is factored into the process. It seems she is always more ready and willing to move on than her cubs are. This makes sense to me: what youngster wouldn't want to keep all of its mother's attention indefinitely? And you mothers out there probably understand Bai Yun's willingness to see her offspring become independent. Although the " oohs" and " ahhs" generated by the interactions between mother and cub are compelling, it is important for both Bai Yun and Su Lin to continue moving forward in the way they would in the wild, towards the next phases in each of their independent lives.
But for now, we can still observe Su Lin growing under her mother's guidance, developing the skills and experience she'll need to be a successful adult. No doubt her time with Bai Yun will prepare her to be a good mother to her own cubs some day, to select the best bamboo, to feed and forage efficiently, and to cope with any stress appropriately. These life lessons will pay dividends in the future, when Su Lin's time with Bai Yun is but a thing of the past.
Suzanne Hall is the senior research laboratory technician for the Office of Giant Panda Conservation.
Watch the pandas on Panda Cam!
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June 15th, 2006 at 2:20 pm
Thank you, Suzanne, for the interesting information on Su Lin's development and the weaning process. It's good for a panda newcomer, like me, to have an idea of what to expect in the coming months–although I have to admit that the image of doors closing permanently between mother and cub is a bit unsettling. But it is all for the benefit of the pandas, and that's all that really matters. Besides, we still have many months to observe the interaction and learn more about these fascinating and beautiful creatures.
Thanks, too, for the darling pictures of Su at the pool, and Bai and Su sampling bamboo.
June 15th, 2006 at 4:23 pm
I think I just caught a glimpse of Su Lin getting a small branch of bamboo from one of the keepers! Mother Bai Yun walks in and both of them are now enjoying their own bamboo, whether it be for eating or for mouthing! It sure is a time of transition for both of them.
June 15th, 2006 at 5:20 pm
Thanks for the update on Su Lin. With Mei Sheng turning 3 in August, do you have any info on when he will be sent to Wolong? I want to plan a trip to see him before he has to leave us permanently. Thanks!
June 15th, 2006 at 6:41 pm
Oh, Suzanne!! I almost cry thinking of them being seperated! Going through it with Hua Mei & Mei Sheng still does not make it any easier. Su Lin & Tai Shan are both at the age that makes you very happy for their wonderful growth and healthy 1st year of life and at the same time sad for them aging and being on their own all too soon. We have to savor the coming months left with their WONDERFUL mothers. Hopefully a year from now we will be awaiting word of the births of Bai Yun's & Mei Sheng's next cubs! We also anxiously wait for news from Zoo Atanta that Lun Lun will deliver a cub this summer!
The panda world has been incredibly exciting!!! Does anyone know if the pair in Memphis will be old enough to start breeding next year?
June 15th, 2006 at 7:21 pm
Hi Margot (#1),
One thing many of our guests don't realize is that the captive environment in a zoo can sometimes create issues that aren't there for animals in the wild. While closing a door between mother and cub may seem harsh, bear in mind that being in a captive environment artificially forces Bai Yun and her cubs to be in close proximity, even at a time when they would naturally be growing apart.
Ultimately, panda females can become hostile to their cubs, which serves to sever the relationship in the wild. This is necessary, since at that point the female may already be gestating the next generation of panda cubs, and she can spare no room in the den for her rambunctious older offspring. In the wild, a cub would respond to this hostility by running off and keeping a safe distance from momma.
In captivity, this isn't possible; we have to separate the female and cub for the same reason we opt not to house our adult bears together: under group housing conditions in close quarters, adult pandas usually fight. The cub could get hurt. Once we see that the weaning process is progressing smoothly and Bai Yun is receptive to the changes of the weaning process, closing the door between them for the last time is the best way to mimic the wild situation, and the best way to keep the cub safe.
I will never forget my surprise when Bai Yun, a mere two weeks after finally saying good-bye to Hua Mei, encountered her cub across a chain-link barrier. While Hua Mei was thrilled to see her momma again, Bai Yun surprised me by lunging at the fence and threatening Hua Mei with aggressive vocalizations. As sentimental as we might like to be about the maternal bond in pandas, one thing was clear to me: for Bai Yun, that relationship was over. I would predict a similarly swift attitude adjustment from Bai Yun this time around.
June 16th, 2006 at 4:24 am
Hi, it's a wonderful experience to see mother and baby cub grow. I had a question about Mei Sheng: I know he's coming up on his third birthday and was wondering if he was gonna be going to china soon to join his older sister? I watched him grow from the time he was born and it's just amazing to see the process. It's cute to see how some things Su does quickly and then others she takes her time checking out. Thanks again for making this process happen for all those who watch and experience it.
June 16th, 2006 at 5:34 am
I am guilty of placing human emotions onto animals. Too often I cry or become upset at things that are natural in the animal order of things because they seem so contrary to the human order of things. I don't like the idea of Bai and Su being separated but that is the natural progression (upsetting to me as it is). It's interesting how many of us can develop such strong feelings towards animals. It makes me feel good that I'm not the only crazy one out there!
June 16th, 2006 at 5:50 am
Thank you, Suzanne, for the great information. I have to say, though, I was fine until I read " the doors between them are closed permanently." My head knows this is what has to happen and that it's normal for pandas in the wild, but my heart just doesn't see it that way. I can't believe our little Su and her cousin Tai are almost a year old - time just goes too fast.
Suzanne, one quick question - why can't Bai and Gao spend time together other than during breeding season? In Washington, Mei and Tian are together all the time, except of course, since Tai was born. In the past few months I've noticed them going to their " Howdy" door looking for each other - like they want to get together again. I can see separating them maybe a few months or so before breeding time so it's more exciting for them when they are put together to mate, but what about the rest of the time?
Well, thanks again for the blog, and if you can get close enough to our princess, please give her a little pat on the head for me!!!!
June 16th, 2006 at 6:34 am
Oh, Suzanne, the thought of our little Su Lin on her own seems so strange; she's so happy now with the comfort and protection of her mother. I know that one day the door between them will permanently close, and that's the way nature has provided; but, oh how quickly the time passes. Before we know it, little Su will be on her own, enjoying life fortified with all the knowledge and training her mother so lovingly provided. Speaking of life lessons, are there any plans yet for Mei Sheng to leave us? Not that any of us want him to go, but he's been trained well by his capable mother to make his way in the world and one day continue the line of Pan Pan. It's all such a beautiful process to be priviledged to observe! Thanks for providing such a wonderful environment for them!
June 16th, 2006 at 7:17 am
Suzanne ~ Thank you for all the descriptive blogs on our famous California panda family and for the wonderful variety of pictures of Bai Yun, Su Lin, and my favorite guy, Mei Sheng. I print the pictures from time to time of the panda family in SD and the little DC guy, Tai Shan, and tape them around my work cubicle. Whenever I need a cuteness break…they're there to make me smile.
I'm looking forward to the two birthday celebrations coming up soon.
June 16th, 2006 at 7:34 am
Suzanne,
Thanks for the update. I have what may be an odd question but, in the wild, do giant panda mothers and their grown up offspring ever come into contact with each other again? If they did, would there be recognition between them after a period of time or would separation and independence be total?
Editor's note: See Suzanne's comment (#5) above that addresses this question.
June 16th, 2006 at 8:43 am
who could believe that our little girl is going to be one year old. I agree with Margot that it's going to be hard when the gate closes forever, but i believe that Su Lin will be ready. Bai is a great mother and she will prepare her daughter well, also from watching her she has a little independent streak. so for now we will enjoy every moment watching them together.
June 16th, 2006 at 9:41 am
My feelings align perfectly with Michelle (#7). It's amazing and wonderful that we can become so emotionally attached to these wonderful animals. Given a choice after reading Suzanne's original report and her blog contribution (#5), my heart would rather see the door separate them rather than witness an aggravated mom shunning away her cub. Again, that's my humanness responding to the culmination of the weaning process. Despite the difficulties or challenges we witness when looking on to various parts of life's journey, I also feel very priviledged to have these ongoing experiences. How lucky we are!
June 16th, 2006 at 11:17 am
Suzanne–I appreciate your taking the time to discuss the separation process even more. It was interesting to read about Bai's reaction to Hua Mei. And your explanation of the artificial closeness of the captivity arrangement made such sense. From my perspective, the pandas have the perfect arrangement at SDZ (and thank goodness for all the care and love the staff has given these wonderful endangered animals). But I need to remember that even the best zoo environment is not the " Panda Way," and not invest the natural separation of Bai and Su with the same meanings we do when human parents separate from their children.
It will be exciting to see all the new things that Su Lin will be learning from her mother.
June 16th, 2006 at 11:48 am
Martin (#11), we do know that panda moms can recognize the scent of their offspring a few months after weaning, and we have seen Bai Yun react strongly to her own mother's scent years after she was weaned. However, this ability does not seem to have tempered Bai Yun's response to visual access to prior cubs (see my early comments, #5). Imagine the significance of this with Bai Yun and a male cub. In the wild, she wouldn't want him hanging around. Genetically, it is better if he disperses before he matures and is capable of mating with his mother. With female cubs, the rub is a bit different: when you are old enough to sustain yourself on bamboo, then you are old enough to compete for resources with your mother.
Jeannie (#8), I've touched on the subject of why our bears are housed separately in previous blogs (see " Pandas Play Solitaire," dated October 24, 2005). I know bears in some other facilities are housed together. That's not the case in Wolong, China, where they have been so successful in breeding over the last few years. In San Diego, we like to mimic the wild situation as much as possible. And I'll just say this: so far, we have produced the only non-AI cubs to survive in the US. What we are doing is working well.
June 16th, 2006 at 3:01 pm
Thanks, Suzanne, for helping prepare us for the inevitable separation. It will make it easier knowing what is natural for the bears, even though we may not like it. I didn't see any sign of problems with the 2005 cubs in Wolong who were separated from the mothers much earlier than Hua Mei or Mei Sheng. They do continue to receive loving care from their keepers right now. Soon it will be time to end that, too.
June 16th, 2006 at 5:08 pm
Sometimes, I wish we humans had that ability to set a closure in one part of our lives and move on. I admire pandas for their ability to do so. Because the time together is limited, panda moms give all their love and knowledge to their cubs. And we love seeing such interactions between the mother and her cub. But after that, hey, every panda for him/herself. " Don't you dare touch my 'boo!"
So far, I have a feeling that Su Lin might do well with the weaning process. As much as I want Su Lin to stay being " a little bit of something very cute," I'm looking forward to seeing her being a wise adult panda, to pass on her golden genes from Bai Yun and Gao Gao.
June 17th, 2006 at 1:50 pm
It is about 2:45 Pacific Time on Saturday and I am watching the most glorious camera work…Su Lin munching bamboo like momma…and some wonderful interaction between the two of them. What a miracle that an Ohio girl can " reach out and touch" our bears in San Diego. Maybe I just haven't peeked in at the right time, but this is the BEST! I gotta run back because I don't want to miss a minute, but I just want to say THANK YOU.
June 17th, 2006 at 2:48 pm
Suzanne, you continue to be such a fountain of panda knowledge for all of us thirsty to learn everything we can about these enchanting creatures. But now I'm suffering from separation anxiety, even though the time for Bai Yun and Su Lin to part is months away. Where will Su go when she is fully apart from Bai? Will she go into Mei Sheng's rotation with Gao Gao, assuming that Mei will have departed closer to Panda Home in China (oh nooo-another separation to endure)? At least now that Su is more interested in bamboo, we get to see so much more daytime interaction between her and Bai.
June 17th, 2006 at 3:19 pm
Fantastic footage on pandacam of Su doing joyful acrobatics in her tree, watched by Bai; June 17 at around 16.14 if you want to try and catch it on time lapse, really cute!
June 17th, 2006 at 3:25 pm
I am watching a wonderful play session with Bai and Su. They've been tumbling and having a grand ol' time! Su looked like she might have been stuck on some long branches that might have been a little too " bouncy" for her to move herself off of. Bai reached out, grabbed them and Princess Su made her exit! Talk about attentive to your offspring! My favorite animal has always been the elephant, but watching my former hometown Zoo's Pandas has been such an amazing experience. I love watching Mei and Tai too as they are in my time zone, which is great for early mornings. It will be interesting to see the transition of Bai and Su. Nature is truly an amazing and beautiful thing- although as humans with emotions, we might not always see it that way. Thanks to Suzanne, Ellie and everyone affiliated with these marvelous creatures for providing insight, education and access via the web. I do miss living near Park and Upas and being able to walk to the zoo in " Insane Diego" as the locals affectionately call San Diego. Keep up the great and informative work!
June 17th, 2006 at 4:07 pm
Boy, what a marathon play-fight session Bai Yun and Su Lin had this afternoon! Thank you camera person for letting us at home watch. Bai has seemed to be trying to get her daughter to play rough for some time, but Su has been in awe of her mom and hesitant to bite or fight with her, even if in play.
In regards to the eventual weaning of Su Lin, please consider taking longer than you did with Mei Sheng. I guess with Hua Mei you were very cautious and took it slow, but with Mei Sheng you went the other direction.
June 18th, 2006 at 2:56 pm
What an adorable play session — Bai Yun and Su Lin — around 3:30 PM today.
June 19th, 2006 at 6:38 am
Having set up a " google alert" with any news story with " panda cub" in it way back on July 9th, 2005, I have rarely missed a news event. Recently I received news of a new Panda Cam at Wolong allowing us to view the panda cubs between 11:00 AM and 11:20 AM Bejing time. That's a twelve hour time difference for me. Have any of you night owls been able to catch a glimpse of them? BTW…there are some very cute videos of them at the site.
This brings me to my question about keeping the panda's apart. The cubs seem to enjoy playing with each other so much. At what age in China do they finally separate the cubs?
I rarely get to see Su Lin playing but I watch Tai Shan all the time. Does anyone else immediately think " Snakes and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails" everytime they see him.
June 19th, 2006 at 7:01 am
Thanks for the nice shots of sweet-face Gao Gao munching on bamboo this a.m. Also, earlier Miss Su Lin looked like she was giving herself a thorough pedicure, leaning back on the more flexible part of some branches and propping her toes up against the thicker sections.
June 19th, 2006 at 3:13 pm
Jan #24…I am with you about Tai shan, he is all " boy!" I love watching him play with Mei Xiang. She seems to tolerate so much from Tai. I wish that Su Lin and Tai Shan could visit with each other! Wouldn't that be a wonderful sight to see. Tai would teach her real fast how to stand up for herself!! Being a big animal lover, I haven't ever enjoyed watching animals as much as I have Su and Tai. They act like (human) toddlers in every way. I have been watching both since their birth and what joy I have endured! I want them to stay baby cubs forever. Thanks to all the panda keepers that give us all the joy of watching and learning about the bears! I am a " panda cam addict!!!"
June 19th, 2006 at 5:50 pm
OK. I know all the panda fans out there probably have read the report on pandas on the brink of extinction may be unjustified by now. I saw pictures of our very own little Su Lin and Tai Shan playing with Mei Xiang in the snow! Talk about publicity for those beloved panda bears! =)
June 20th, 2006 at 7:26 am
i just had a chance to log on to the wolong web site. it wasn't time for the panda cam, but i did get to see some great pictures of the pandas playing with a soccer ball in tribute to the WorldCup. they also showed a few pictures of the cubs, which included Hua Mei's youngest. they also have a great deal of info about Wolong and the effort to save the pandas, i.e. breeding conservation and natural habitat. to Valerie and PWong you can see the
mountains of China which all pandas call ancient Panda home and they are beautiful. But for now i am back to watch my babies here. They make my day.
June 21st, 2006 at 8:43 am
Suzanne, thanks for the information about separating Su Lin and Bai Yun. With all the talk about weaning Su Lin and Tai Shan in the next several months, I was wondering about the panda kindergarten class at Wolong. Will they also be weaned from their surrogate moms and then isolated as Su Lin and Tai Shan will be? Or will they continue to be able to socialize with each other? Any info would be appreciated.
June 21st, 2006 at 11:38 am
suzanne, I am so thankful for people like you. I have learned so much and just how much our adorable pandas need our help. I am also glad that my job allows me to be on the site whenever i want as i don't have a computer at home. has anyone heard how Shi Shi is or when Mei Sheng will be leaving us. please keep the great info coming.
June 21st, 2006 at 1:49 pm
Paulette, I can answer one part of your question: The cubs in Wolong drink milk from bowls and don't have surrogate mothers. The keepers take excellent care of all the cubs and play with them, too. I was very pleased to see how much the Wolong staff members love the cubs and the adults. It's something that the people there are dedicated to and it's not " just a job" for them.
Everyone who works there has to put up with the isolation because Wolong is far away from cities. They must receive a great deal of pleasure from being with those lively cubs and taking care of the adults for it to be worth it, because the pay there is very low. I'm very happy to be able to say that everyone I met in China who had anything to do with pandas seemed to really enjoy what they were doing.
June 21st, 2006 at 7:46 pm
Suzanne, at one time I asked about the giant panda's teeth. The bamboo is so hard that, over time, it is only reasonable that damage is done to their teeth. I recently read that an older panda, in China, has now received the first dental work done on a giant panda. Since that dental work was so successful, other older pandas will receive dental repair work.
June 22nd, 2006 at 6:56 am
It would be nice if Mei Sheng could stay on display the rest of his time at the zoo.
June 22nd, 2006 at 10:19 pm
Suzanne, thanks so much for the update! I just came back from DC where I visited Tai Shan. I'm amazed at how much he has grown since I saw him in March! The volunteer told me that as far as she knows there are no plans to " artificially" separate Tai from Mei. They plan to allow it to happen naturally. It will be interesting to study the differences between moms and babies. Luckily, I get to travel to DC quite often (I'm from California) so I will be able to see Tai's progress in person. I plan to visit Su Lin later this summer!
June 23rd, 2006 at 3:15 pm
What a treat - from about 2:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Bai Yun, stuffed on bamboo, is resting on a log, Su Lin near by rolling and rubbing around on the log waiting for mom to wake up. Su Lin did get momma attention when she fell from the log. Bai Yun did open her eyes and turn her head to check on Su Lin. Su Lin scampered back up on the log and kept nudging momma every once in a while but Bai Yun still ignored her. Finally Bai Yun woke up and began to play with Su Lin. The play was on the log and then on the ground all around the area. How different the play is from Tai Shan and Mei Xiang. Su Lin and Bai Yun bite each other, which seems to be gentle nips. Su Lin wiggles and rubs against momma and momma in turn hugs Su Lin to her and rubs her against her body. By 3:45 - 4:00 p.m. Su Lin was tired and climbed into the tree for a nap.
Thanks so much to whoever was operating the pandacam. Is Suzanne still operating the pandacam on Fridays? The panda cam followed Su Lin and Bai Yun and zoomed in close, all the time, which made for a delightful experience for this pandaholic.
June 23rd, 2006 at 4:16 pm
Suzanne, I have a question concerning the fruitcicles that the pandas get: from what I have learned from your homepage, it is frozen fruit puree. For humans ice is supposed to be harmful for teeth because it can get little cracks from the temperature difference (at least this is what our European dentists tell us, I know that in the US you seem to handle this issue differently;-). What about the effect on panda teeth and what about the sugar content of the fruitcicles and the honey? Is there any evidence that giving sweet and cold things to the pandas does not affect their health?
Thanks for the great work on saving this adorable species and all the best from across the atlantic (I have been following closely Tai Shan`s great development from over here in Europe)
Irene
June 23rd, 2006 at 4:24 pm
Is there any way to " capture" the play sessions and other " cute" moments from the Panda Cam and repackage and put them on as a video clip? I seem to be missing all the Su Lin's cute times (Tai Shan is always handy for a laugh!) and the replay of the whole day is too fast and too jumpy. A separate video would be terrific! Thanks for all your hard work. Watching my " kids" is a big part of my day!
June 23rd, 2006 at 4:52 pm
I also enjoyed the play session Ellen #35 mentioned. Su Lin bit her mom at least once while she slept. Once Bai woke up, play began in earnest. In contrast to Tai Shan, Bai Yun has had to encourage her daughter to play at fighting. Her efforts are just beginning to pay off. We will probably see them playing a lot more in a month or two.
June 23rd, 2006 at 9:10 pm
Thanks for the re-cap, Ellen! I rarely catch these two beauties playing on cam…how lovely! Su Lin is so gentle and sweet in her invitations to play…Tai would have just clambered right onto Mei's head and started gnawing away!
June 24th, 2006 at 11:36 am
I so enjoy watching these adorable bears and following their progress; I also love reading the comments here from fellow panda-holics. Is there any possibility of having a chat facility where those who wish could 'chat' to one another about all things black and white, and where we could have the occasional opportunity to put questions to a panda expert in a live chat session? I would be happy to pay a modest subscription if necessary.
June 25th, 2006 at 1:07 pm
What a beautiful photo of Mei Sheng in the latest issue of ZooNooz and on the website. He is a very special little boy and will always be my favorite.
June 26th, 2006 at 8:33 am
What lies ahead for Mei Sheng? Doesn't he go back to China soon? Will he adapt to the climate easily over there? I will hate to see him go.
June 26th, 2006 at 12:09 pm
Been watching Mei Sheng on the Panda Cam this morning and enjoying this long interlude. Mei Sheng was my first intro of a baby panda so he has a very special place in my heart.
Will it be possible to give an update on our young guy? I, also, have the same question as Robin regarding his future with the SD Zoo & China.
June 27th, 2006 at 9:01 pm
Su Lin is sitting all by herself right now, in a sea of bamboo, calmly eating like a grown-up panda! Her mother is asleep on a low branch just above the lair, moving a little when she changes position. I had to watch for quite a long time before I could be sure that it was Su Lin. Finally Bai Yun moved enough so that I knew that it was true. Our little girl looks so tiny in the middle of all that bamboo, but seems very much at home as she snacks late at night.
June 28th, 2006 at 7:17 am
I just looked at the news section and what a great surprise, Su Lin's photo album. The pictures sure brought a smile and a tear to my eye they are so beautiful. It's amazing to see how much she has grown, from that little bundle of fur to our little princess all self assured. To all the panda staff thank you for brightening up a rainy day.
July 3rd, 2006 at 1:49 pm
As Su Lin and Tai approch their first birthdays, it makes me sad. It was such a short time ago that they were completely helpless. They have grown up before our eyes, literally. It won't be long before they are adults, only to be sent back to China. I know this is the natural succession, but it still makes me sad.