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New pandas at Bifengxia

Whilst I was working in the base news came through that two more pandas had been born.

Another pair of cubs was born in Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding on September 2 morning! The births have increased the Base's number of captive bread pandas to 82.

This time it's the five- year old prototype panda of the "Fuwa" Jingjing, one of the Mascots of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, become the mother.

The panda named "Kangkang" (also "Fuwa") delivered a twins respectively on the night of Sep. 1 and the morning of Sep. 2.

Chester Zoo (UK) gives extra funding to Quake hit Pandas

CHESTER Zoo has come to the aid of a vital Chinese research base which was hit by a devastating earthquake.
The Sichuan Province area of China was left shattered by a huge earthquake in May this year; the largest natural disaster in the country in nearly 60 years.

Measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale, the earthquake led to the deaths of more than 70,000 ADVERTISEMENT people.

The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, which has been financially supported by Chester Zoo for a number of years, suffered some structural damage.

Taiwan zoo to get pandas in November

Officials at Taiwan's biggest zoo said Wednesday they hoped to welcome a pair of giant pandas from rival China as early as November, a move expected to draw millions of tourists to the capital.

Taipei's Mucha Zoo, which was chosen last month to house the endangered animals, has now applied for an import license to bring the pandas to Taiwan as soon as possible.

"Considering the climate, November-December is the best season to move the two giant pandas here," zoo spokesman Chin Shih-chien told AFP.

New pandas at Bifengxia

Zhu Yun, also gave birth whilst I was working at Bifengxia.

At 14:27 and 19:07 of September 3, 2008, the captive giant panda Zhu Yun gives birth to two cubs. China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda has one more pair of twin cubs.

Sad News

The panda cub born in Japan died 3 days after birth.

The sex and the cause of the death is not yet known.

Keepers have been trying for 2 decades to deliver a healyth panda cub but as of yet have been unable to do so.

New Panda for Atlanta coming soon?

Officials at Atlanta zoo have said that Lun Lun is pregant, and is due any time.

Veterinarians were able to do an ultrasound on the 230-pound bear around 4 p.m. and saw a fetus in the right horn of her uterus, said Dwight Lawson, senior vice president of collections, education and conservation for the zoo.

Zoo officials have been on pins and needles since beginning around the clock panda watch Aug. 9. They artificially inseminated Lun Lun in April with semen from zoo mate Yang Yang, the panda father of the pair’s daughter Mei Lan, who was born in September 2006.
Zoo Atlanta

Tv Show about Wolong Panda Research Centre

For those of us in the UK, Animal Planet is due to start a new series on the pandas at the Wolong Breeding Centre.

Starting Tuesday, September 9th, 20089:00pm to 10:00pm.

Follow the reference for the complete list on when it's on.

(My other half had better set up SKY+ to record this whilst I'm away. :) )

New panda cub for Japan

At the 26th of August 2008 at 3:46 p.m., a keeper at Oji zoo noticed Dan Dan licking and holding a newborn cub.

More panda cubs born at Chungdu

I've received a report that 3 new baby pandas were born over the weekend. The report only provides information about a pair of pandas born to Chengji on Saturday and mentions another cub, but doesn't say who the mother is.

Does anyone have anymore information? If so please send it in.

Zoo Atlanta Panda May Deliver Twins

With predictions that Lun Lun, Zoo Atlanta's female giant panda, could give birth in a week to 10 days, the zoo's panda watch team is preparing for twins.

The connection between Atlanta and China is more than just the interest in the Olympics. Zoo Atlanta and the panda research center in Chengdu have long been working closely together to ensure the survival of the giant panda.

Just last week, the Chengdu Center's foremost expert in the care of twin panda cubs arrived at Zoo Atlanta.

"We've got three cameras in the den with her, currently," said Zoo Atlanta panda keeper Kate Roca. "It allows us to see what she's doing from all angles."

The overnight panda watch shift for Kate Roca is just about over. She was on panda watch two years ago when Mei Lan was born. And while possibly pregnant Lun Lun is now sleeping 90 percent of the time, Kate stays focused.

"I wouldn't have asked to do this if it wasn't the thrill of the job," she said.

This time, Kate and the Zoo Atlanta panda watch team are seconded by Yang Kway Shing -- an expert in twin panda births from the Chengdu Panda Center.

At Zoo Atlanta's panda nursery, you will notice there are two incubators. That's because historically in about half of the panda births, the mom gives birth to twins. This year about 80 percent of the panda births have been twins.

Zoo Atlanta has been put on notice by their partners in China to be ready for twins.

"Usually the mom rejects one of the two twins," said Zoo Atlanta president and CEO, Dennis Kelly. "That's very normal in nature. She doesn't have enough energy to take care of twins. But with the Chinese we've come up with a scheme that saves the twin, the rejected twin, almost all the time."