Panda News from around the world
  • National Zoo Pandas: Funded till 2015

    The Washington Post is reporting that the National Zoo in Washington DC has been promised $4.5 Million over the next 4 years so they can continue their Giant Panda reproduction program.
  • Yong Ba Passes Away

    I am very sad to report that Yong Ba has passed away at 11am on the 4th December.

    Yong Ba is thought to of been born in 1983, She has given birth to 11 Cubs with 10 of them surviving include one of my "little girls" Jin Zhu who I looked after briefly in 2008.

    She was captured on 26th September 1992 in Baoxing and has travelled around China to different zoos and parks.
  • The Edinburgh Pandas Have Been Confirmed.

    I have just received an official notification from the Edinburgh Zoo, stating that Tian Tian and Yuan Guang will be arriving this Sunday, 4th December 2011.

    Press Release:-

    NEWS RELEASE

    The Pandas Are Coming!

    UK Arrival Date for Giant Pandas Officially Confirmed
    as Sunday 4 December

    Following months of global anticipation and excitement, the arrival date for Scotland’s first pair of breeding giant pandas has been confirmed as Sunday 4 December.
  • Edinburgh Pandas Get Their Own Tartan

    Yang Guan and Tian Tian the two pandas who will be arriving at Edinburgh Zoo any time now, have been given their own Scottish Tartan.

    The Scottish tartan goes back hundreds of years as a way of identify members of a clan. The new panda Tartan is primarily made up of black and white the colours of the panda with some gray to soften it, there is also red which symbolizes China, and green to represent bamboo the pandas main food source.
  • My Adopted Son An Di

    A good panda friend of mine Chet Chin, recently visited, Bifeng Xia and asked the keepers there to point out Mei Qing's Son to her, then moved him slightly from the rest of the group and she took some photos of him. I thought you might want to see how he's grown.

    Many thanks to Chet for thinking of me and going to the trouble of taking a photo of him.
  • Qing He at Chengdu Gives Birth

    On the 4th August 2011, Qing He at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, gave birth to a healthy male Panda cub.
  • Qi Zhen at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding Gives Birth to Twins

    Qi Zhen a 12 year old Giant Panda gave birth to twins on the 4th of August 2011.

    The first was born at 8:07 am local time who is a female weighing 152g and the second a male born at 10:26 am with a birth weight of 122g.

    These are the first twins born at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding this year.

    Both mum and siblings are doing well.

    Well done Qi Zhen, and all the staff at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

    It appears we are well and truly in to panda birth season.

    I look forward to bringing more updates of panda births.
  • Mao Mao Gives Birth at Chengdu

    At 5:07 am local time Mao Mao the giant panda who was used for the basis of the 2008 Olympic Mascot Jing Jing gave birth to a 170g Giant Panda Cub.

    Mao Mao gave birth to twins in 2008 and had difficulty in nursing the cubs, this time she has shown good parenting skills.

    With this birth the total number of Giant Pandas at the Chengdu Panda Research Centre to 98.

    Well done to Mao Mao and all the staff at Chengdu Panda Research Centre.
  • Photos of Atlanta's Returned Panda Mei Lan In Chungdu

    Panda House the blog of Chengdu's Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding have released some new photos of Mei Lan, the Giant Panda who was born in Atlanta USA and now lives in Chengdu. There's alot of photos here, but head over to the reference link to see even more.

    The site is in Chinese, just enjoy the photos.

    She has became one beautiful young panda lady.
  • Photos of my Adopted Panda Son

    I've received some new photos of my adopted son 'An Di'.

    He's almost 11 months old and is getting quite big now.
  • Two More Cubs For Wolong Wild Training Centre

    Xi Xi or Qian Qian has given birth to twins at the wild training base in Sichuan, China.

    Xi Xi was born in 1998, and is a 'hero' mother with these cubs bringing the total to 6.

    The first cub was born at 6:55 in the morning and the second was born at 8:04. The staff removed a female cub, as Giant Panda mothers do not usually bring up 2 cubs in the wild and she would of likely of been left to die.
  • Wild Pandas Still In Danger of Starvation

    It is almost three years since the devastating earthquake hit China on May 12th 2008. Soon afterwards was the rainy season which caused massive mudslides, covering large areas of bamboo in think layers of mud. In some places these bamboo forest are still to recover.

    The effect of this means that our favourite animal is having a hard time in the wild, this was brought to light in April when two wild pandas were rescued with extreme starvation, and without the help of the villagers who raised the alarm and the quick response of experts from Bifeng Xia would surely of died.
  • Alison MacLean Meets Her New Charges.

    Alison MacLean and two other keepers from Edinburgh Zoo have made their first visit to China to receive training on looking after Giant Pandas.

    She said: “It’s a real honour. I’m extremely excited to be working so closely with these precious bears.”

    "The training is very similar to how we work with the bears currently at Edinburgh Zoo and I find it essential in caring for such animals. It enables us to work closely and safely with the bears and means we can spot any physical changes quickly."
  • Atlanta 2010 Cub Names PO

    Zoo Atlanta has named their Panda Cub Po after the Panda in Kung Fu Panda.

    I can't say how disappointed I am in hearing this. We now Have two Po's Born in 2010. With the other one being one of the Spanish Twins.

    This is all down to money, I know it's difficult for Zoos to get Sponsorship at this difficult time, but to me this seems so wrong.

    What do you think?
    Has Zoo Atlanta Sold Out? Am I wrong? Leave your view in the comments
  • A Video of my Adopted Son An di

    One of my Panda friends (Annette Yuen) visited BFX recently and took some photos and video of my adopted son for me. She's allowed me to share the video with you, he's so adorable I'm a proud Panda Father.
  • Spring is in the Air For Mei Xiang and Tian Tian of Washington DC Zoo

    The National Zoo in Washington DC have stated that Mei Xiang and Tian Tian have been given the privacy of the panda pavilion, as Mei Xiang has come in to season.

    The pair did attempt natural mating but it seems that it was unsuccessful so specialists from China suggested that Mei Xiang should be Artificially Inseminated with previously frozen semen from Tian Tian. This procedure was applied twice.
  • Atlanta 2010 Cub 100 Day Naming Celebration

    Zoo Atlanta have set the date of when their cub born in November 2010 will be named as Tuesday February 15 2011.

    I'll provide more details as they become available.
  • Special Zoo Atlanta Coffee and Cub Conservations

    If you're free this Saturday Morning and live near Zoo Atlanta, then you might want to book a space at a special event "Coffee and Cub Conversations" where you can meet the folk who look after the latest bundle of Panda fun at Zoo Atlanta.
  • 5 More Years

    The royal couple of pandas at the Smithsonian Zoo, Washington DC have been granted a leave of stay for another 5 years.

    Which means that the couple will stay until December 2015.

    It is hoped that the pair will breed again after their first son Tai Shan born in 2005 went to China in February 2010 under terms of the loan agreement between China and the zoo.
  • The 2010 Bifengxia Giant Panda Cubs

    On the 19th November 2010 the CCRCGP at Bifengxia hold a double ceremony to show the 16 Giant Panda cubs born there in 2010 and the re-opening of old Leopard Mountain which is now to be known as the panda returnees paradise park.

    The new park contains a set of 3 pens containing 7 villas which can accommodate more than 10 sub-adults. This is where Zhen Zhen and Sulin were moved to as mentioned in a previous post.

    When I was there, there was only 2 pens, so I'm assuming that another one has been built. I will try to get some more information about this.