Panda News from around the world
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."
A report from MSNBC on how the pandas are coping after the quake.
Video and Still Pictures
The eight pandas who left Wolong to go to Beijing for the Olympics will be staying until their homes are rebuilt, which will be in the new year at the earlest.
Thursday's Legal Affairs Evening News quoted Zhang Jinguo, deputy chief of the Beijing Zoo, as saying that the bears, aged one to two, had all put on 1.5 kg to 2 kg during their stay in the zoo.
"They are fully adapted to the climate and life here in Beijing," said Zhang, who added that rebuilding their home at the Wolong base was another reason they had to stay. They were originally supposed to go home in October.
If Everything goes as planned, China's lovable panda will be making its way to Malaysian shores soon.
For those of you living in and around the Albion District Library, there are showing A National Geographic Video "Secrets of the Wild Panda" on September 3, 2008 at 12:15pm.
Albion District Library is located at 501 S. Superior Street in downtown Albion. Call 517-629-3993 for information or visit www.albionlibrary.org
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SeaWorld and Busch Gardens have given $10,000 to the Chengdu Panda Research Centre to help with efforts after the quake on May 12th.
Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan the pandas chosen to move to Taiwan, have gotten one step closer to miving homes, after a panel of Taiwanese government experts chose the Mucha Zoo in Taipei to eventually house the pandas, over the private Leofoo Safari Park in northern Hsinchu county.
The pair of pandas are seen to help reunite China and Taiwan.
It's been reported that Mei Xiang is not expecting, she had a pseudopregnancy or the loss of a developing fetus.
This is the second year that Mei Xiang has been artificially inseminated but has not developed in a full pregnancy.
There is still a small chance that she could she give birth, as panda pregnancy is very difficult to predict.
Found this whilst stumbling , does anyone know who took it or anything?
Zoo keepers are on 24-hour birth watch for a new giant panda at Zoo Atlanta. They expect 10-year-old giant panda Lun Lun to deliver a cub in the next few weeks.
Lun Lun showed a decrease in appetite and became lethargic last week. Keepers say the changes are normal for a female giant panda entering the final phase of pregnancy.
Lun Lun's first cub named Mei Lan was born on Sept. 6, 2006. Zoo Atlanta is one of only four zoos in the U.S. exhibiting the endangered species.
There is an opinion piece over at Discovery Magazine, on whether pandas are taking funds from other animals which are in more danger of extinction.
Have a read, leave your opinion in the comments.