Pandas - Georgia / Atlanta Zoo

[maggieblue]

Wonderful news.  I was lucky enough to see the little guy 3 times today when I checked in. Once getting a bath from mom, once on the hay, and once tucked up under mom's chin and squirming around.      Someone once described the panda mom as having to parent wearing oven mitts and I have to say that every time I see the huge mom trying to move around her very tiny offspring I think about that.

[eagle63_1999]

Oh yes, some looking forward to is the right word, once they become mobile things get so much more interesting.  They are a lot of fun to watch.  Looking forward to that day. But for now we will just have to wait until the staff feels they are out of the woods for the little fellow before we start seeing him on the webcam.

[maggieblue]

The cub is continuing to gain weight and appears healthy.  Hopefully this means that Zoo Atlanta will feel comfortable enough soon to put the webcam back on a view of Lun Lun and the little guy.  There is a new picture that you can see in the panda cub photo gallery page.  Very cute.  The black eye patches and ears are becoming noticeable.  He already has long sharp bear claws.  If anyone is wondering why he is a pink colour and the previous cub, Mei Lan, looked white at this stage, it is because Lun Lun has been eating what they call leaf eater biscuits that are a bright pink colour.  When she licks the cub the result is a pink cubbie. Panda moms normally don't eat for many days after the birth so the pink doesn't normally appear until later and isn't usually this noticeable.  They usually have pink at the back of their neck where mom is picking them up in her mouth.  The cub isn't mobile and will rarely be visible so we aren't missing out on too much at this stage.  The real fun starts when they are a few months old and mobile.  Something to look forward to.

[carly]

Awww..I just checked the progress of the little cub and they've got a picture of him posted today..what a little cutie!!  He's gaining weight and doing well!   

[allikat]

Apparently there were a few questionable moments after paying close attention to Lun Lun and her new baby "boy" cub!  The veterinarians decided after watching the behavior of the cub to put the newborn in an incubator to monitor him!  So far good news!!  The mother and cub have been re-introduced in the den, however the specialists will continue to monitor and observe their behavior for the safety of the newborn cub as well as the mother!  In case anyone missed the live birth, go to:

www.zooatlanta.org/animals_videos.htm  (it's the Giant Panda Birth 2008)

It's an absolutely beautiful experience!!!!  A must see!

P.S.  Turn the volume down before as Giant Pandas vocals are loud!

[sami]

Just missed the excitement! I checked the cam last night, a few minutes after the birth. Couldn't tell what Lun Lun was doing, but from the pics this morning, she was holding the cub. As they say, timing is everything. If only I'd checked ten minutes earlier!

[carly]

Okay I know nothing about Pandas except that they are really, really cute so I went to check out the links and so glad I did - thanks to both of you!  The little baby is sooooooooo tiny!!

[eagle63_1999]

Yes I just learned that YIPEEEEEEEE!  Now another kid to watch grow

[maggieblue]

Whoohoo! Panda Lun Lun has just given birth 

[eagle63_1999]

I checked the website tonight and seems the Panda Bear in Atlanta is indeed pregnant.  When there is nothing else to watch I watch Panda Bears

http://www.zooatlanta.org/animals_giant_panda_cub_updates.htm