Panda News from around the world
The Bangkok post and China View is saying that Thailand's government will start negotiations with China to be allowed to keep the panda cub born on May 27th 2009 for longer than the two years which is currently under contract to do.
If I remember correctly (I'm sure someone will set me right) Mei Sheng stayed longer than two years after he was born, so Thailand could get to keep the new princess for a little longer.
Thailand's Zoological Park Organization has been assigned to conduct a study to see whether a permanent panda reproduction research centre is feasible.
Video of the new panda at Chiangmai
"Zhu Zhu" and "Le Shui", two pandas from Chengdu arrive at Zhazuo Forest Zoo, Guiyang in time for the Dragon Boat Festival.
They will be there for a year as part of a loan agreement between Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding and Research Centre and Zhazuo Forest Zoo
The Canadian Press is reporting that the panda cub born in Thailand is a girl. Experts from China have flew over to examine Lin Hui and her new cub. Lin Hui seems to be a natural mother giving lots of care and attention.
The experts who were watching Lin Hui say that she is displaying behaviour that signifies that she may have another. Only the next couple of days will tell if there's another one.
Tuantuan and Yuanyuan, the two pandas of Taipei zoo have been given their own version of "Zongzi" a traditional dish served for the dragon boat festival.
The pandas dis contained bamboo, carrots, apples mixed with sticky rice and wrapped in bamboo leaves.
Brilliant News the CCRCGP Chinese blog is reporting that the first panda of 2009 has been born at Chiang Mai Zoo, Thailand on May 27th.
I'll update this post later with more information when I have more time, just wanted to let you all know the great news. Lets hope this is the start of another bumper year of panda cubs and we can beat last years total of 32 healthy pandas.
UPDATE Currently the sex and weight is unknown. The cub was born at 10:10 am without any complications.
On May 19th staff of the National Zoo in Washington confirmed that Mei Xiang is not pregnant. Staff have been keeping a close eye on her and the indoor part of her enclosure has been closed so she could have some peace and quite to give birth.
On April 20th Mei's urinary progesterone began to decline. When this levels out then either a cub is born or the end of the pseudopregnancy. Pandas are well known for having false or phantom pregnancies when they ovulate but do not conceive. This was Mei Xiang's 5th but she has had one cub Tai Shan in 2005.
On May 18th 2008 the Panda hall ar Harbi Forest Zoo was formally opened and Xiao Jaiozi went on display. Xiao Jaiozi arrived in Harbin two weeks ago and has been settling in and is now eating his way through 50kg of bamboo a day.
Xiao Jaiozi has been loaned for one year in partnership between Harbin North Forst Zoo and the evening news programme of Helongjian TV.
On May 18th 2009 "Leopard Mountain District no 2" was officially opened. The area was built last year to help accommodate the extra pandas that were evacuated from Wolong after the earthquake on May 12th 2008. The project was completed at the end of 2008 and been in use January 2009.
The area was opened by China's Wolong National Nature Reserve Authority deputy director Li Desheng. (Can any one help with this bit, googles translation has got me confused)
After the terrible earthquake that struck China on May 12th 2008, tourism in the surrounding areas fell dramatically and some zoo's saw their income half.
It now looks like tourism is now back on the mends especially in Ya'an now home to the largest collection of captive Giant Pandas. Bifengxia (Green Peak Canyon) north of Ya'an received the largest number of pandas from Wolong when it was destroyed by the earthquake.
For fans of Kung Fu Panda the hit animated feature that was release in 2008, Nickleodeon has announced that it will be making the film in to a series. Nickleodeon has already transformed the Penguins of Madagascar in to a hit. The series to due to start from early next year.
Bai Yun has been moved to the "classroom" area off exibit so that keepers and volunteers can keep an eye on her to see if she's pregnant.
Zhen Zhen has been moved to the left-hand enclosure. Su-lin and her father Goa-Goa will be rotated every 2 weeks in the right-hand enclosure. It is hoped that later this year the "howdy door" between the enclosures will opened so that Zhen Zhen and her older siter Su-lin can interact with each other.