Pandas Live on

Amazing Asian Animals Park

A mega attraction “Amazing Asian Animals (AAA)” will be unveiled on April 30, 2009, at Ocean Park, Hong Kong.  Many of you have noticed that Ying Ying and Le Le, the two three year old pandas have been missing from the live webcams at the park.  The park staff are preparing them for their move into the new attraction.  With this new space for Ying and Le, Ocean Park will now plenty of room for them as they mature and produce offspring. Here is a description from a  news article.

 

"The Amazing Asian Animals Park is the first of its kind to integrate an outdoor and indoor animal exhibit in a secure environment. The Giant Panda Adventure area is its main highlight, with a design philosophy of traditional Chinese architecture fused with modern technology. It boasts of lush greenery, rock walls, and an exterior made with a “large span truss system” coupled with Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) which lets the sun shine through without the inconvenience of sweltering heat. This combination of elements allows the animals to live in an environment almost similar to their natural habitat. The two resident giant pandas are going to be joined in harmony with four red pandas and other rare species such as the Chinese giant salamander, Asian small-clawed otter, and Chinese alligator."

     

Looking at the concept drawings, it reminds of of walking into a domed botanical garden.  There is suppose to be a 'snow zone' for the giant pandas to play in the snow.  Most importantly, they will make use of providing conservation messages for people to learn and understand the threats that these animals are facing in the wild. They have planted" a special "Wishing Tree" for people to make a wish and, at the same time, help in the effort to save these animals and their environment.

Here are the two giant panda stars that will be charming all of the visitors as they enjoy the new Amazing Asian Animals attraction.  

Thanks to Xi Shan of flickr for providing the article,that was published by Manilla Bulletin the conceptual drawings were provided by Ocean Park Academy and the video by vikatswis of You Tube.

 

UPDATES: From China to U.S.A.

Low birth rate feared for quake zone pandas

China Daily reports on two articles that pertain to giant pandas. 

Damage to wild panda habitats in the quake-hit Sichuan province would affect breeding by the endangered species, although captive pandas' numbers were expected to increase this year.

"Wild pandas must store energy before moving to higher altitudes for reproduction between March and July, but most of the bamboo plants in the habitats were buried in the quake, making it difficult for wild pandas to find food," said Zhang Hemin, director of the China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center in the Wolong nature reserve. "This will affect their  reproduction.

"We are worried the birth rate will decrease this year," he said

The 8.0-magnitude quake last May left one panda dead, one injured and another one missing. After the quake, most of the captive pandas in the reserve were moved to the Bifengxia breeding base in Ya'an City and some zoos elsewhere.

Only six pandas, each about 18 months old, are living in prefabricated houses in the reserve.

Thanks to hugwildlife of You Tube for providing this article.

Zoo in SW China to Microchip endangered animals

  

In their second report,  zookeepers in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming, Yunnan Province are implanting digital identification chips in animals for better management and protection.

    The stitching-needle-sized chips, provided by the State Forestry Administration, contain each animal's name, age, gender, species, birth date and birthplace, blood type and DNA information, said Li Youlong, head of the Animals Management Department with the Yunnan Wild Animals Park.

    The chips will be injected into the necks, ear roots or tail roots of about 200 animals that are under Class A or B state-level protection in the zoo, such as Siberian tigers, African lions, hoolock gibbons and black swans, Li said.

"You won't see the chips," he said. "It'll help us better manage the animals, especially endangered animals."

    Zookeepers began implanting the chips Monday and are expected to finish by June, Li added.

    The Yunnan park has more than 10,000 animals from more than 110 species.

    The State Forestry Administration has ordered all zoos to implant chips in 17 species, including tigers, lions, elephants, giant pandas, bears, golden monkeys, cranes and swans.

Editor: Zhang Xiang Yong Ba returns home for healing This is a important follow-up story that I never got around to posting.  You remember the story of #1 female panda, Yong Ba, that received all of the international attention several months back?  People were concerned she wasn't receiving the proper care.  We first posted about her on  January 8, 2009 and then showed some new videos of her on January 28, 2009. Now we want everyone to know, that Yong Ba has been moved to the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) Ya'an Bifengxia Base for healing. She arrived on April 9, 2009.  Here is the information from the Wolong Panda Cub on her return. "Recently, the State Forestry Administration has organized some doctors and nurseries from different hospitals of Shenzhen to make physical examination for 1#. The result of the examination shows that its internal organ meets the physical index of the old giant panda and its ascites decreases. It is in fine conditions with good spirit and appetite. The scratching of the right hind leg has been controlled with curing. As 1# is advanced in years, it needs a long time to heal the wound. Besides, the summer is approaching in Shenzhen. It is not good for the healing, either. Therefore, the experts group suggests 1# get back to Sichuan for curing. CCRCGP pays high attention to this and makes good preparation for welcoming 1#. After getting back, it will live in CCRCGP Ya'an Bifengxia Base for curing. CCRCGP also works out a sound treatment plan for it and sets up a professional veterinary team with the leading of Mr. Tang Chunxiang, senior veterinary and Director Assistant of CCRCGP.   CCRCGP also arranges the experienced keeper He Fuzhi to take care of it and makes a scientific nutrition supply plan to guarantee its nutrition. What's more, CCRCGP arrange an enclosure next to the Panda Hospital for 1# to live in. The enclosure is quiet and comfortable with an air-conditioner. It also includes a playground with the area of over 200 sq. m.. The enclosure provides a better condition for the curing. Thank the organizations and individuals who care about giant panda 1#. CCRCGP will try its best to take good care of it and heal its wound. We also hope it can get well as soon as possible." National Zoo provides Mei Xiang with peace and quiet

The National Zoo has posted a news alert: 

Visiting the pandas? You can see the Zoo's male pandas outside from early morning until 3 p.m. each day.The Panda House will be closed until further notice. We don't know whether Mei Xiang is pregnant but due to her her early estrus and the Zoo's large spring crowds, Zoo staff made this decision to give her a quiet environment. Thanks for your understanding. 

 

Here is a beautiful photo of Mei Xiang, thanks to RoxandaBearof flickr. You can read a new update about Mei at the National Zoo's website. We wish Mei, the staff at the zoo the best of luck.

Adelaide Zoo construction photos

A big thanks goes out to Duncan Bainbridge, Communications Manager of Hassell.  The company that is building the new giant panda exhibit at Adelaide Zoo in Australia for these current construction photos.  The project is really beginning to take shape.

Be sure to click on the photos to see them in their original size.

        

 

Wang Wang and Fu Ni get Australian visitors/ UPDATED!

Wang Wang

Adelaide Zoo chief executive Chris West, will be going to China to see the two pandas that will be inhabiting the new panda habitat at the Adelaide Zoo.

Fu Ni

ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) reports, on Sunday, Chris will have his first up-close encounter. "We want to be sure that they are as charming and as beautiful as we think they are, and we're also going to be meeting Chinese colleagues who work in conservation and research," he said.

There is a audio recording of his interview and a map showing where Adelaide is in Australia.  Click on Giant Pandas bound for Adelaide

Here is the virtual video of the new panda habitat that is under construction. Thanks to hugwildlife of You Tube for sending us this article.

 

UPDATE!

 

Adelaide Now reports Zoos SA chief Dr Chris West and president Heather Caddick fed female Funi and watched male Wang Wang. They have travelled to Bifengxia Giant Panda Base in Sichuan, China, to see the pandas and talk with keepers about their care before the pandas' relocation here in September. Both had to see Wang Wang from outside his enclosure as the 110kg panda, aged 3 1/2 years, is too strong for up-close encounters. Dr West said they were able to visit Funi, 2 1/2, with five other pandas in the enclosure. "We had a real treat. It's very unusual but we were able to go in and feed her some bamboo, say hello and gently touch her on the head, which gives you very good luck," he said. Adelaide Zoo staff only had seen photographs of the two pandas.

"It's sad, coming from a grown-up but when I went to bed (Saturday night) it was like the anticipation of Christmas when you're a kid," Dr West said. "I think people will fall in love with them." Chinese zookeepers were updated on work to build the pandas' enclosure at Adelaide. Concrete slabs have been laid for their airconditioned day rooms and prototypes of artificially-chilled rocks have been developed to keep them cool in summer. Wang Wang and Funi will stay for 10 years.

It's up to us

Thanks to Zoo Atlanta for the photo of 7 month old Xi Lan.

Go to NASA, Visible Earth

WWF: World Wildlife Fund

This looks familiar. Remember when the World Wildlife Fund staged the panda dolls in France?  Well, this is a different set but with the same goal. These pandas are sitting quietly, but with great presence in Rome.  It is part of a campaign to bring awareness to people around the world of how very few giant pandas are alive today. 

Here is the photo from France.

This display of 1,600 paper pandas represents the total number of pandas that are living in captivity and in the wild combined!  So, we have alot of work to do. Check out the list of organizations that are placed at the top/left of this blog page and be proactive in helping to keep giant pandas from going extinct.   Thanks to Xi Shan of flickr for the article that was in the L.A.Times.

Wolong Panda Reserve starts its rebuilding

Well, it was all over the news yesterday.  China is ready to begin building the new wolong panda breeding center after suffering severe damage from the 2008 earthquake.

It will be built in the remote town of Genda, China.  This is just northeast of the current Wolong location and is still located within the Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve.  The one-square kilometer base will be able to hold about 200 pandas.

The investment will be approximately 2 billion yuan (290 million U.S. dollars).  Many options were reviewed for placement of the new base.  Zhang Hemin, head of the Wolong reserve, said that this plan was the best by far.

The plan was drawn up by the wolong reserve, Beijing University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences

In addition, a panda disease control and prevention center would be built in Dujiangya, a city near the Sichuan provincial capital of Chengdu.  In the future, pandas in any breeding base in China would be transferred to Beijing for treatment in case they contracted infectious diseases.  

Here is a map of Sichuan Province and I have circled the area that we are talking about.  If you look at the very lower left of the map you will see where Sichuan sets within China.  Information obtained for this article was from Xinhua.net

Mei Xiang getting ready

If you can imagine a female giant panda living wild in the mountains of China, getting ready to give birth to a cub. She has to find a small, safe enclave to have her cub in for their protection against the elements and predators.

They generally choose hollowed out trees or openings in the rocks like a cave or just burrow up next to a large boulder.  Just as long as they are protected and hidden away.

Instinctively, even though Mei doesn't have anything like that at the National Zoo, she will still look for a small confined space to have her cub. 

Mei has chosen one of the smaller rooms that sits just off from the main room where the public generally can see the pandas.  She will build a nest of sorts made with strips of bamboo that she tears off from the stalks. She has started doing this and here are some of the screen captures that Samoyeddawn was able to get last night.

It won't be long and the National Zoo will go on pregnancy watch, where the live web cams will be monitored 24 hours a day by volunteers who will record important data and watch over Mei while she is going through her pregnancy or psuedopregnancy.

Thanks to Samoyeddawn of flickr for these screen caps and the special animation.  Start setting some time aside now to watch this wonderful miracle of nature live from the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

 

Animation of Mei in her den