TWO BIG BIRTHDAYS FOR GIANT PANDAS AT THE SAN DIEGO ZOO
Released on: August 3, 2008, 7:58 pm
Press Release Author: The San Diego Zoo
Industry: Environment
Press Release Summary: Sisters Zhen Zhen and Su Lin Celebrate Their Birthdays with Cake and Presents
Press Release Body: The San Diego Zoo was panda-party central on Sunday. In celebration of giant panda Zhen Zhen's (pronounced jun jun) first birthday) and her sister Su Lin's third birthday, animal care staff arranged for the duo to have cake and presents in their exhibits.
While they are used to sharing the spotlight in the Zoo's Panda Canyon, the pandas didn't have to share their birthday cake. Each of the girls received a tiered ice-cake with treats frozen inside and a honey glaze on the outside. They also received gift boxes painted by children in the Zoo's summer camps.
"Both of these girls are just fun to watch," said Lisa Bryant, San Diego Zoo lead keeper. "They really enjoy receiving ice treats and working around the ice to get to the carrots, apples and bamboo inside. The challenge of opening the gift boxes and seeking out food inside is similar to the foraging they would do in their native habitat in China. "
Zhen Zhen's first birthday is a significant step in the maturation process of a panda: she is beginning to eat solid foods, including leafy bamboo, and reduce the amount of nursing with her mother, Bai Yun. A panda is typically weaned at 18 months old.
In the wild, pandas like to be by themselves most of the year. The only time pandas are together is when a mother is nursing her young or during the very short breeding season, when a male will look for a female to mate with.
At 3 years old, Su Lin is a sub-adult panda and completely independent from Bai Yun. The third birthday is a significant milestone for giant pandas on loan from the People's Republic of China. When the Zoo's pandas reach this age, the Zoo is notified of the panda's next destination. Su Lin will be full-grown when she is 4 years old and can begin mating as early as 5 years old.
Bai Yun is 16 years old and has given birth to four cubs at the San Diego Zoo. The first cub, Hua Mei was born Aug. 21, 1999, and has the distinction of being the first surviving giant panda ever born in the United States. The second cub, Mei Sheng, was born Aug. 19, 2003. Both Hua Mei and Mei Sheng have since returned to China, where Hua Mei has contributed to the conservation of the species by giving birth to three sets of twins. Su Lin and Zhen Zhen were born Aug. 2, 2005 and Aug. 3, 2007, respectively.
Zhen Zhen and Su Lin's father, Gao Gao, also resides at the San Diego Zoo and takes turns with Su Lin spending time in the exhibit.
In an effort to reverse the decline of wild panda populations, the Zoo, working with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) and the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens (CAZG), has committed significant resources to the long-term study of giant pandas in zoos and to conservation efforts in the wild. It is estimated that there are 1,600 giant pandas left in the world due to habitat destruction and fragmentation, bamboo depletion and poaching. The San Diego Zoo contributes more than $1 million each year to China, part of which is designated for wild habitat protection projects.
The 100-acre San Diego Zoo is operated by the not-for-profit Zoological Society of San Diego. The Zoological Society, dedicated to the conservation of endangered species and their habitats, engages in conservation and research work around the globe and is responsible for maintaining accredited horticultural, animal, library, and photo collections. The Zoological Society also manages the 1,800-acre San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park (more than half of which has been set aside as protected native species habitat) and the San Diego Zoo's Beckman Center for Conservation Research. The important conservation and science work of these entities is supported in part by the Foundation for the Zoological Society of San Diego.
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