20-Apr-23, 05:48:12 AM
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Other Nature Related Information / Other Nature Web Cams / Re: San Diego Giant Pandas
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on: 25-Nov-09, 07:58:22 PM
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 Exam 13: Development Spurts
Posted at 2:46 pm November 24, 2009 by Yadira Galindo
Am I really this cute?
Although I was present at last week’s panda cub exam, I had missed the previous two. In those two weeks I missed his first teeth and his first steps. Oh, the agony of missing such milestones! Couldn’t he have waited for me? Ha, ha. See video
I knew his teeth would emerge any day, so it didn’t surprise me when my coworker, Jenny, came bouncing in, chipper about seeing the cub for the first time and with the news of his latest developments. When I returned to the exam room last week, Yun Zi had one additional tooth and had gained another pound: not as earth shattering but still wonderful to see my little guy again.
This morning, during his weekly checkup, he gained 1.3 pounds (0.58 kilograms) since last week, making him a whopping 14.5 pounds (6.6 kilograms). The vets say he’s a little shorter in length than Hua Mei, Mei Sheng, Su Lin, and Zhen Zhen were at this stage, but he’s heavier! Not surprised. When I saw him today I thought, “Wow! I think keeper Kathy needs an extra set of hands to carry that robust little guy through the door.” His round figure is deceiving: looking at him in person, you would think he weighs even more.
When he opened his mouth to nibble gently on Kathy’s hands, you could see his canines are much more pronounced now. However, what surprised me most was the sudden explosion of teeth. He now has 12 teeth, including all four canines and a molar and premolar on each side of his mouth (top right, top left, bottom right and bottom left). No wonder he kept nibbling on Kathy: he is really teething now. He received the last of his distemper vaccines, and this time his reaction was a loud exhale of air. That’s it! He’s a big boy now.
The cutest part of the exam was how much “walking” he was doing. Kathy wasn’t letting him get far since he was on a table. He is still wobbly on those legs, and he exaggerates each movement, lifting his paw high up as he tries to take a step forward. It looks like he’s prancing or even waving. Next week, the team is thinking they may move the exam to the floor where he can begin to move around more. And this is when the real fun begins. Somebody please wrangle that panda cub! Video of exam below:http://www.sandiegozoo.org/videos/?bcpid=4552241001&bclid=1631259758&bctid=52465054001 |
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Anything Else / Totally OT / Re: Thanksgiving
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on: 25-Nov-09, 12:29:11 PM
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I am thankful for ALL of our dedicated watchers in Rochester, Toronto, on Lake Ontario, and on ...
I am thankful for Aafka for all of her stork updates, photos, puzzles, and BD Greetings ....
I am thankful for Carol and Brian and their Easter Sunday heroics .....
I am thankful for Shaky and everyone who both keep this board running and put up with our crap ...
I am thankful for Donna for finding all of the interesting tidbits to keep this board interesting ...
I am thankful for the friendships that have developed from the board ...
I am thankful for all of the gifts (which you and our beloved falcons are a part of) that I have been Blessed to receive.
Thank You All and Amen! Janet  Me too! Your words perfectly express how I feel.  Thank you everyone!
Dot in PA   Kris |
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7332
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Other Nature Related Information / Other Nature Web Cams / Re: San Diego Giant Pandas
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on: 17-Nov-09, 04:34:35 PM
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  Panda Cub Receives Name
Posted at 11:31 am November 17, 2009 by Yadira Galindo
There was pandamonium at the San Diego Zoo as we prepared to finally reveal our 104-day-old giant panda cub’s name. For days people kept asking, “So what is his name?” Being one of a handful of people who knew the name at the close of the voting period, I simply smiled and said “You’ll have to wait until the naming ceremony.” I admit, it was a bit of a smug smile. You know the one…the one you can’t hold back when you have a secret that everyone wants to know.
So what is it? It was a close one. All five names could easily have been the one. We all know the little guy is an “extraordinary bear.” Those of us who live in San Diego would have loved to have him named after our beloved city, since it is quite blissful. As his personality finally begins to emerge, and this cub is finally showing that he, too, will be rambunctious, little dragon would have been fitting. But I think we are the ones that are “eternally blessed” for having been able to witness the birth of this rare bear, so this name wasn’t quite right for him, in my opinion.
In the end, the name that was bestowed upon this bear is one that pays tribute to an extraordinary mother, Bai Yun. Mama bear’s name means “white cloud.” And so, our little guy is from here on out to be called Yun Zi or “son of cloud.”
The Chinese name, Yun Zi, was revealed at a ceremony at the Zoo’s Hunte Amphitheater. Dr. Ron Swaisgood, co-head of the Zoo’s Giant Panda Conservation Unit, shared the history of the giant panda at the Zoo, from Bai Yun’s arrival in 1996, the birth of her five cubs here in San Diego, and an update on our newest panda.
We were pleased by the presence of the deputy consul general from the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles, Mr. Sun Weide, who spoke a few words about the partnership between the San Diego Zoo and our colleagues in China. Berit Durler, president of the Zoological Society of San Diego, thanked our guests for supporting our efforts in panda conservation.
It is because of the support that all of you have provided to us that we asked for you to be involved in naming our little guy. We received 6,331 names. Once we narrowed the names down to 5, we allowed just one vote per person or family at the same computer during the four-day voting period. We received 17,521 votes. That’s quite a commitment!
Here is the breakdown of the vote:
Yun Zi: son of cloud 28%
Xiao Long: little dragon 26%
Xiong Wei: extraordinary bear 20%
Yong Xiang: eternally blessed 14%
Fu Sheng: blissful San Diego 12%
Yadira Galindo is a senior public relations representative for the San Diego Zoo.
Note: A big day for Yun Zi, as he also had his 12th exam this morning. Son of Cloud weighed 13.2 pounds (5.98 kilograms). More images are available in our Panda Photo Gallery.Posted in Default, General, Giant |
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