On 24th July 2009 Hai Zi a 15 year old panda gave birth.
Hai Zi is already the mother to 3 other cubs.
This brings the total of cubs at BFX to 8 for this year, with 4 of them born within 3 days of each other.
You You, (One of the pandas I looked after whilst I was at Bifengxia) has given birth on July 23rd.
Researchers at CCRCGP have been trying for a while to artificially inseminate a panda with sperm that had been frozen. Usually the revived seaman is not very fertile, but continuing efforts have increased the vitality of sperm to 80%.
You You is the first panda to give birth after being artificially inseminated with revived sperm.
Well done You You, and to everyone at BFX.
I've been getting reports that two more pandas have been born at Bifengxia, but I am currently unable to confirm the details. Does any one have any more details?
Some photos of the eclipse at Chengdu Giant Panda Research base.
A new book written by Judy Chen Qing, the chairwoman of the Ocean Part Conservation Foundation Hong Kong.
The story is about her and her relationship with Qing Qing a 2007 born panda cub she adopted. Qing Qing was based at Wolong when the May 12th Earthquake happened, and went missing for a while. The book tells what happened and how Judy felt.
The book is going on sale in Hong Kong soon. With all royalties going to a fund to help rebuild the panda facilities in Sichuan.
The "New Scientist" has a report that logging in the giant pandas homeland not only removed bamboo for them to eat but also dens where they can give birth.
With the removal of the old hollow trees female pandas are having to find caves in which to den. Which are much more likely prone to flooding, causing the mother to flee to find another location, taking their cub with them.
In the morning of July 19th "Li Li" at Chengdu base gave birth to healthy twin girls. Weighing 122 & 100 grams.
This is the first time that "Li Li" has successfully given birth to healthy twins. "Li Li" has been ill since she was young but recent improvements in medical knowledge has helped her to get better and to become mother.
Hello Everyone,
Can you read me?
Hopefully the fancy computer internet magic should now be working.
If anyone can't read this please let me know :)
WELCOME...
to the new home of Panda News.
Have a look round make yourselves at home.
The site is still (and I guess will always be) a work in progress, I'm sure a few "features" will appear in the next few weeks as we fine tune the web site.
Please add your comments to this post on your feelings about the new site.
DO you like it / hate it / don't care / it doesn't work let me know.
In the evening of Thursday 9th July a 5.8 earthquake hit Yunnan province in southwest China. Leaving one dead and over 300 injured.
One of our readers Chet has been in contact with the Panda Club and reports that the pandas and keepers at Kunming Zoo near Yunnan have not been effected.
Hua Mei ang Gong Zhu have given birth to a single cub each.
More details later.
Thanks to Chet for finding this.
July 6th marks the first birthday of An An and Ping Ping the first pandas to be born in 2008. They are the children of Gou Gou who was transferred to Bifengxia from Wolong after the earthquake on May 12
The staff at Bifengxia hold a birthday party for them.
Today marks the first anniversary of Shi Shi a very important panda.
I have been asked by Chet if I would mark this occasion with a couple of posts she made about him. Over to you Chet
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