New Panda? OT

The Memphis zoo has a couple of Panda bears on loan from China. They tried
to get the bears to do what comes naturally but apparently they weren't very
enthusiastic about it. (No wonder they are endangered!) So last weekend
the inseminated the female twice and have hopes of bringing a new baby bear
into the zoo this year. Will take a while to find out if it "took" but the
zookeepers and vets have high hopes for success. Would be very sweet to
find a baby Panda born in the U.S. this year.

jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt...

I recently saw a program about a baby panda, born in the US, and on loan
for 2 years, after which it would go back to China. The baby was incredibly
cute. To me it looked like a walking stuffed animal.

Martha...

On Animal Planet.

The real one is just a perfect cutie. The day I was there he kept
nagging his mother to roll him down the hill. Over and over again!

jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt...

The one on Animal Planet wasn't real?

Martha...

Oh yes, it was a history of this one from birth.

What was his name again? Tai something.

Martha...

Tai Shan

Kreisleriana...

Was that the little cutie in the National Zoo? Yes, he's too much!
My nephew keeps tabs on him through the Zoo's website PandaCam. I saw
the Animal Planet program about his birth, too, and was laughing at
how the team of zookeepers, vets and scientists were all cooing and
squealing about him. ;)

Theresa

Make Levees, Not War

Panda's can eat about 40 lbs of bamboo in a day. I have to wonder where
they get it since bamboo isn't indigenous to the Memphis area... must have a
hothouse someplace on the zoo grounds.

Kreisleriana...

I was looking at your posting too fast, and I knew it was from Jill,

Julie and Sam...

We had a baby Panda bear born this past year at the Atlanta Zoo. Her
name is Mei Lan (Atlanta Beauty). She has been one of the most popular
news items of the past year. She made her public debut last week (I
think). It was estimated that on peak days the zoo could expect more
than 13,000 visitors per day as opposed to the norm of 3,500. I've been
watching the Panda Cam since she was born - they are so tiny when they
are born! I want to see her but I'm not going until the crowds thin out
a little.

She is one of three major animal events that have been followed by the
Atlanta Journal Constitution lately prompting someone to call the AJC
the Animal Planet Constitution. A Beluga whale named Gasper died about 2
weeks ago at the aquarium. Gasper was a favorite of everyone because he
would swim up to the glass of the aquarium and blow bubbles at the
public. He came from a small circus/zoo in Mexico and had a skin
infection when he arrived. It was later found that he had osteomylitis
and after months of special care he was finally euthanized. Then last
week a favorite whale shark named Ralph died suddenly.

so I seemed to see "Persia can eat about 40 lbs of bamboo a day." A
startling statement to say the least. ;)

Baby Pandas are outrageously cute.

Theresa

Make Levees, Not War

jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt...

Bamboo doesn't do too badly in the reproduction department, although I
guess if there are enough pandas, they can eat it faster than it can grow.
Without a panda around, bamboo can completely take over an area.