Pandas - Georgia / Atlanta Zoo

[carly]

New pics from yesterday of Xi Lan - she's still uploading so keep refreshing and there are a few pages of em..guaranteed to melt even a phanatic's heart!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58141177@N00/

[carly]

I don't usually watch the Memphis zoo pandacam but I might have to add that one to the list too.  The zoo waited all spring, summer and fall for the young female to go into estrus.   

I know!!  First Yaya, then Mei with the early estrus and you just know that Bai will get pregnant again given Gao's track record!!  It's going to be a busy Spring!!!  I do hope that yaya and mei are both pregnant tho, from what I read yaya lost a fetus last year (but she is still young by panda standards) and mei hasn't had any luck since Tai was born.  It's going to be Pandamonium and Phanatic city!!

[maggieblue]

I think that all of us pandaholics will be in big trouble if there are cubs this spring to compete with the peregrines for attention.   
I don't usually watch the Memphis zoo pandacam but I might have to add that one to the list too.  The zoo waited all spring, summer and fall for the young female to go into estrus.  Keepers reported that it fimally happened at Christmas.  No reports so far to tell us if there is a chance of a cub there. 

[carly]

Heh..Maggie, I've been watching Zhen & Bhai as well and Tai also.  I'm addicted to pandas now.  Between pandas and peregrines, I don't know how I'm ever going to get anything else done..lol 

[carly]

This one is cute too, has sound so be ready - people chatting.  I love the way he tries to resist mama with his little paws..hehe...mama wins this one!

http://flickr.com/photos/13551606@N08/3247806420/

[maggieblue]

Rumour has it ...that panda cam will be back up early next week, keep your paws crossed and keep checking the Atlanta web site  

Yeah!  Thanks for the news Carly.  That will be a great Valentine's gift.

In the meantime I have been checking in on the National Zoo and San Diego pandacams.  If you haven't seen the news, Mei Xiang surprised everyone by going into estrus in early January.  There is a video update on what happened and the AI procedure.  Mei was a wonderful mother to Tai Shan so paws crossed that she has a cub this year after several pseudopregnancies.  

There has also been a lot of activity in San Diego as the weaning process is underway for Zhen Zhen.  This will probably be the last week to see Mom Bai Yun and her cub together. Zhen has been a very independent little cub but this morning seemed a little agitated that she couldn't find a way to open the door separating her from mom.  Here is the cam link for anyone who hasn't watched them.

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/pandacam/index.html

[carly]

Rumour has it ...that panda cam will be back up early next week, keep your paws crossed and keep checking the Atlanta web site 

Maggie: That video is great, I watched it over and over and over!  I have been all over flickr and there are tons of pictures and videos from people that have been visiting the pandas weekly to keep us updated on Xi Lan's antics..can't wait to see his cute little face again on the cam!

[maggieblue]

Still no webcam, however here is a fun video of Xi Lan climbing into the water drinker    Guaranteed to bring a smile to your day  

http://www.flickr.com/photos/simon99/3236613465/

[birdcamfan]

I think Darwin had something to say about this...survival of the fittest or smartest or least inebriated or something like that.

[sami]

Wasn't there someone not long ago who climbed into a panda enclosure because he had always wanted to hug or pet a panda? Got bitten on arms and legs for his trouble. Can't remember where I read it........

[carly]

Still no word on the return of the panda cam however one of the ladies has been going to the zoo on weekends and she's posted some awesome pictures/videos of the Yang family including little Xi Lan.  He's walking so well and he is even trotting in one of the videos..he's gotten so big!!

Here's the link to her flickr site if you need a panda fix...to hold you over.  Some excellent pics, I love the shots of daddy Yang..he's quite the goofball..hehe!  Enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58141177@N00/sets/

[Loriann]

no exclosure will keep humans out if they are a) so inclined, b) foolish, or c) inebriated.

some boys are dumb.. lol.. notice its never a WOMAN who feels the need to cuddle up to the poo-bears.. lol

The zoo does not need to alter the enclosure in any way.. it's actually well done, and what i meant by the comment that it was not far down in was that you could get up close and personal with the bears WITHOUT getting TOO up close and personal.. you have a wonderful view of them from just above them.

I think he should be charged with something.  If was easy to 'accidently' fall in , then it would happen more often.. everyone has to be responsible for their own actions... and it needs to be an example for others to maybe think twice before climbing in for a hug..

again..poor bear... needed to go clean his teeth with bamboo to get the dumb-a$$ out of his teeth...

[carly]

Poor bear has been punished enough. Probably took POUNDS of bamboo to wash the taste of dumb-a$$ out of his mouth !

ROTFL!! 

[The Peregrine Chick]

Nothing is going to happen to Gu-Gu apparently - and nor should it.  And the zoo isn't making any changes to the enclosure - nor should they.  The enclosure works to keep the bears from roaming into danger but no exclosure will keep humans out if they are a) so inclined, b) foolish, or c) inebriated.

Interestingly, this young man is the only one of the three people who have been bitten by pandas at the zoo in 50 years whose presence in the pen was accidental (the others climbed) and yet there is still the possibility that he could be charged by the police.  Figure the nerve and tendon damage and the resultant publicity/notoriety is probably enough in this case.  And Gu-Gu apparently is unfazed by the whole incident.

Everyone was pretty lucky all told ...

[Loriann]

Not the bears fault. he didn't order any food to be delivered.. ( chinese take-out or otherwise   )  any dumb-a$$ who jumps in with a 'wild' animal deserves what he gets.  I saw pictures of the 'attack' and the enclosure, and its not a very far jump down into the pen.

Poor bear has been punished enough. Probably took POUNDS of bamboo to wash the taste of dumb-a$$ out of his mouth !

lol