Panda News from around the world
FedEx has donated $600,000 to support projects in Sichuan to replant the bamboo forests in Giant Panda habitat.
The money will go to Conservation International, who plans 10 community conservation projects that were servilely damaged in the earthquake of 2008. The money will also protect the Yangtze River watershed.
At the 9th Tokyo International Anime Fair, details have been released of a new Panda Hero. Panda Pandey (Translated by google, so might change). His first film Panda Story is due to be released world wide late in 2011. There will also be an animated tv series and a theme park (Details are a little confusing, but will keep you updated.)
The film cost 350 million Yuan, which the most expensive Chinese made film.
(I'll try to find some more information, as the translated text is very difficult to understand)
Yuan Yuan the female of the breeding pair that was sent to Taipei Taiwan in 2008, has showing signs of being estrus. This is the first time that she has displayed signs. Unfortunately Tuan Tuan is showing no signs of wanting to mate with her.
Whilst they are of the same age, females become sexually mature at a younger age than males.
Staff will put the pair together to see if a mating will occur but a cub is not expected this year.
On Match 24th 2010 Coca-Cola China took out a life long adoption on the first pair of pandas born in Chengdu after the earthquake in 2008.
Pandas are notoriously difficult to find in the wild, their presence in the are can usually be seen, with half eaten bamboo scattered around and of course their deposits. Pandas have a great sense of smell and hearing and any signs of humans and they're gone.
The earthquake on May 12th 2008, was right in the middle of pregnancy period and it was feared that many of the pandas in the wild would of aborted their pregnancies due to the fear and stress of the quake, and the problems of finding food soon after.
On March 14th 2010 Fei Fei and Lu Lu, in the new breeding ground at Bifengxia completed a successful mating.
Fei Fei has been bleating and playing in water plus other signs that she was coming in to estrus. Researchers that she and Lu Lu would be a good match for an offspring to ensure a continued mix of genes. The pair were introduced and mated successfully.
Lets hope that in the following days and weeks many more matings take place and a bumper crop and panda cubs will be produced this year.
Japan born Xing Bin has flown to Chengdu to start his life as a breeding panda.
Xing Bin is 4 years old, and as required by China that all cubs born outside of China, must go to China before they become full adults to take their place in the breeding programme.
After the horrific earthquake that shook China on May 12th 2008, all the pandas at Wolong Panda Research Centre were moved out, as the Centre was destroyed.
Two of the refugees were Wei Wei and Xi Wang were sent to Wuhan Zoo, who took them in at short notice and have been looking after them since then. It has now been decided that as a thank you for coming to the aid of Wolong Research Centre, the two will now permanently live there.
The presentation ceremony is due to take place on May 12th 2010, the second anniversary of the earthquake.
March 9th 2010 Tai Shan the darling from the National Zoo, Washington DC, America has left quarantine with a clean bill of health and moved in to his new home.
Kouhin (Xing Bin) the nearly 5 year old Giant Panda born at Adventure World Japan, will be sent to Chengdu, the home of his parents on the 15th March 2010.
Two of his older siblings Ei Mei and Yu Hin have already gone to Chengdu and are part of the breeding program.
The Wolong Panda Club, has said that Tai Shan will come out of isolation on March the 9th 2010, and will be on display in Leopard Mountain Villa Number 5.
The villa has about 30 meters square of indoor bedroom and about 1,000 meter squared of outside enclosure.
Staff said that Tai Shan is in very good physical and mental condition and has increased his weight whilst in isolation.
I think there will be some kind of ceremony when he moves to his new home.
The Commercial Appeal is stating that Ya Ya the female giant panda at Memphis Zoo, is not pregnant. A ultrasound that was performed last week, showed a tiny fetus and a small heartbeat, but another ultra sound carried out recently shows the fetal sack is empty which means that Ya Ya had a miscarriage.
My sincere condolences to Ya Ya and the whole Giant Panda team. I hope you will have better luck next time.