Panda News from around the world
On the 1st of August 2010 Shui Xiu gave birth to twins at Bifengxia. Shui Xiu was injured in the wild and lost a front paw. She was captured in 2008 and sent to Wolong where she was nursed back to health. She has now given birth to her first cubs in captivity.
Cao Cao one of the four pandas that have returned to Wolong to their semi wild training area gave birth to a panda cub in the morning of August 1st. Staff are watching the mum and cub closely but are interfering with the bringing up of the cub, as it is hoped that the cub might be returned to the wild in the future.
Fifteen year old Giant Panda Fei Fei give birth to a cub in the early hours of 30th July 2010.
This cub is the 6th for Fei Fei. She has a strong maternal instinct with her cubs after birth, and maintains the best position for keeping it warm and to be able to feed.
Congratulations once again to everyone at Bifengxia.
After the sad news of Shui Ling, I'm happy to report that Shui Ling's mother has given birth to a cub.
As Long Xin is a good mother staff have kept the new born with her so unable to determine sex and birth weight.
It looks like we're on a roll now, with panda births coming thick and fast.
I've added a new block on the right which displays the last 6 births in 2010. Click on an image details on the cub.
To see a full list of this years babies go to http://pandanews.org/cubsof/2010
I'm very sad to report that Shui Ling has died just weeks before her 3rd birthday.
It's been reported that she had died of Mesenteric Torsion which is where the intestines get wrapped up and blood supply to them gets cut off causing the intestine to die and rot.
The symptoms are very hard to spot until it is too late, then the animal dies of shock.
Shui Ling is the daughter of Long Xin and younger sister of Fu Ni one of the pandas who was sent to Adelaide. Long Xin has had a total of 7 cubs so far.
Members from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the China Wildlife Conservation Association met in Beijing to sign agreement which see a pair of Giant Pandas going to Japan in February 2011.
After the demise of Ling Ling in 2008 the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Japan has been without pandas.
Er Yatou a seventeen year old Giant Panda at the Chengdu Research Centre gave birth to a male cub on Monday 26th July.
Er Yatou was born in 1993 this cubs her total of cubs to eight.
I think that there will be quite a few more births in the following weeks.
I will try to let you know as soon as I find out.
8 year old Giant Panda Ju Xiao gave birth to twins on July 27th 2010, The second twin was removed and believed to be a boy with a birth weight of 135 grams.
These are the first cubs for Ju Xiao. She was mated with Wu Gang both naturally and by Artificial Insemination on March 22.
Both cubs and mother are doing well.
Congratulations to everyone at BFX (Bifengxia, Sichuan, China)
I reported recently that Quan Quan at Jinan Zoo died suddenly, Specialists from the Wolong Panda Centre were quick to fly to Jinan and examine Quan Quan's body.
They have determined that she died from gas poisoning and the police have conducting an investigation.
The Giant Panda reintroduction programme has took another step forward with four pandas who are expected to be mothers this year being transferred to a special facility, where they will be left to give birth and bring up their cubs in a semi wild environment without interference from humans.
All four Giant Pandas are wild born so have natural ability to survive in the wild. All but one has been a mother before.
Quan Quan a 20 year old giant panda passed away without warning on the 22 of July at Jinan Zoo, China.
The cause of her death is yet not known, She will be given an autopsy to find the cause.
Quan Quan was a wild born panda captured in 1993. She was mother to 6 pandas: Xi Mei, Xiang Xiang, Fu FU, Xin Yue, Tong Tong. Xi Mei is the only panda of Quan Quan who has given birth.
Thanks to Chet for sending me this story.
The Giant Panda Research Centre at Bifengxia (BFX), Sichuan, China has been without power for a couple of days and it will be a few more days until full power is restored.
BFX is built on a remote mountain two hours drive away from Chengdu. It appears that the main power supply has destroyed. Staff from the electricity company are working around the clock to repair the supply.
Currently BFX is using multiple generators to provide emergency to run the incubators for the new cubs there and other equipment needed to look after the Giant Pandas there who are due to have cubs any time.
Jiao Zi given birth to cubs at Chengdu Giant Panda Research Centre.
Chengdu is off to a flying start this year, as they only had four cubs last year due to tired mothers.
Lets hope it will be a bumper crop of Giant Panda Cubs this year from all Research Centers and Zoos