Heather Roberts, Mei Lan's former keeper at Zoo Atlanta is now back in Atlanta after escorting Mei Lan to the panda base in Chengdu, China for her new life there. Here's what she told Howard Pousner of the Atlanta Journal Constitution:
"Zoo Atlanta keeper Heather Roberts, who accompanied Mei Lan on the long journey and helped in her transition for two weeks, says it was rocky at first because they were both jet-lagged. Mei Lan was initially off her feed and not wanting to participate in training. "Of course, we didn't expect her to get there and go ‘Woo-hoo!'" Roberts said.
But Mei Lan started adjusting within a week, and is now getting outdoors, where she sunbathes, snoozes and, of course, feasts on bamboo.
Now back in Atlanta, Roberts is still adjusting herself. Every now and then, she'll start to think that it's time to freshen up Mei Lan's space or will look for her on the habitat's camera.
Said the keeper: "I still haven't gotten into the groove of, ‘Oh, we only have three pandas now.'"
That excerpt was at the end of the article, you can read the complete article below. Thanks also to bob2cleo for the wonderful photos of Xi Lan, Yang Yang and Lun Lun.
The sign on the Panda Veranda, outside Zoo Atlanta’s giant panda habitat, proclaims, “We have a new baby!” Note to zoo: Call the sign painter. That “baby” -- Xi Lan, born Aug. 30, 2008 -- is a cub happily on his way to becoming a chub. The less famous little brother of the much-beloved and recently exported-to-China Mei Lan just finished being weaned, after 15 days of gradually increased time apart from momma Lun Lun, on Monday. Now that she’s free of milk-producing duties, Lun Lun's body can prepare for possible mating with two-time dad Yang Yang. Meanwhile, at 18 months old, now-independent big boy Xi Lan tips the scales at 80 pounds and is growing, and growing more destructive, by the day. On Zoo Atlanta’s ever-popular panda blog, one of Xi Lan’s keepers recently dubbed him “The Tree Slayer” because he’s separately broken a bush and a tree in half by climbing atop them with his incredible bulk. “Hope he does not decide to take on each and every tree out there and leaves some for shade and habitat appeal,” keeper Kate Roca blogged.
But seriously, for all this talk about what a bruiser Xi Lan’s becoming, one panda visitor earlier this week did seem onto something when she eyed the cub in the largest of the three glass-enclosed “day rooms” and proclaimed, “Aww, she looks lonely!” Though Xi Lan was going from door to latched door in the habitat, appearing to the unknowing eye to be a bit anxious and unsure what to do with his lonesome self, he wasn’t missing Mom, a zoo volunteer was quick to reassure. Nope, he was probably looking for his keeper, hoping the missing human would replace his blah bamboo with something more flavorful. Indeed, almost on cue, a keeper opened the adjoining day room and tossed in slices of sweet potato and apple and a few nutritional biscuits, and heaved in some new bamboo. When the door between the two rooms was opened so that Xi Lan could go graze, the cub was on it like white (not to mention black) on rice. Cute as Xi Lan is, the real focus now shifts to Lun Lun, who Zoo Atlanta hopes will grow a big belly of another sort -- one with another baby giant panda inside it.
Pappa, Yang Yang
Giant pandas breed only once a year, usually in spring. Lun Lun’s hormones are already being monitored on a weekly basis. They are baseline at the moment, which is expected for a giant panda mom who’s been caring for a little one for 18 months. They usually take 40 to 50 days to have an estrous cycle after a cub is weaned, so mammals curator Rebecca Snyder expects Lun Lun’s fertile period to fall sometime in April. As Lun Lun, 12, gets closer to ovulation, hormonal tests will be done more frequently -- twice weekly and then daily. A reproductive physiologist either from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Mei Lan’s new home, or Washington’s National Zoo will assist if natural breeding isn’t successful and artificial insemination is required. A female giant panda’s “fertile window” is believed to be between 24 and 48 hours.
Both Mei Lan and Xi Lan are products of the artificial process, when Lun Lun rejected Yang Yang each time. “I’m not as hopeful as I used to be,” Snyder admitted. “We’ll certainly give them a chance, and I’d be ecstatic if they mate on their own. But in the last two cycles, Lun Lun, for whatever reason, is not even letting him get close. ... In previous years, she was more interested, and why that has changed, I don’t know.” The last couple of years, Lun Lun barked and moaned at Yang Yang and, if he still got near, swiped at him with her claws. But Snyder also said Yang Yang could help matters if he were more, um, motivated. “He gives up more quickly than maybe other males would,” the curator said. “I’ve seen other males that are far more aggressive, that wouldn’t back off when she’s like that.” Undaunted, Yang Yang is already showing behaviors associated with an upcoming breeding season, being more physically active, leaving more scents and vocalizing more. Though Zoo Atlanta has had two breeding successes, Snyder says there’s “no guarantees” even with artificial insemination. “There’s a lot that could go wrong that we don’t have any control over,” she said. “I mean, she just might not conceive.” If not this year, there’s always next spring.
Beautiful Lun Lun
Typically giant panda females can reproduce until they’re 20. Both parents are products of excellent gene pools, which is why Mei Lan, 3, finds herself a new resident of the Chengdu giant panda base. Chinese officials hope that next year, after she's acclimated and matured more, she will help propagate one of the world's most imperiled species. Zoo Atlanta keeper Heather Roberts, who accompanied Mei Lan on the long journey and helped in her transition for two weeks, says it was rocky at first because they were both jet-lagged. Mei Lan was initially off her feed and not wanting to participate in training. "Of course, we didn't expect her to get there and go ‘Woo-hoo!'" Roberts said. But Mei Lan started adjusting within a week, and is now getting outdoors, where she sunbathes, snoozes and, of course, feasts on bamboo. Now back in Atlanta, Roberts is still adjusting herself. Every now and then, she'll start to think that it's time to freshen up Mei Lan's space or will look for her on the habitat's camera. Said the keeper: "I still haven't gotten into the groove of, ‘Oh, we only have three pandas now.'" Zoo Atlanta 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily. Admission: $19.99; $14.99 ages 3-11. 800 Cherokee Ave. S.E., Atlanta. 404-624-9453, zooatlanta.org.
