Giant Pandas at Zoo Atlanta ~ Lun Lun-Yang-Ya Lun & Xi Lun Family

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Giant Pandas at Zoo Atlanta ~ Lun Lun-Yang-Ya Lun & Xi Lun Family

Post by queenie » Sun Feb 25, 2018 10:29 am

2018-01-31_012031b.jpg
^ Mama Lun, Xi Lun & Ya Lun ~ ^ click bigger
2018 Live cam: http://zooatlanta.org/panda-cam/

Meet the Pandas
~Lun Lun (pronounced loon loon) Date of birth: August 25, 1997
Sex: female Weight: 105-115kg (231-254 lbs)
Place of birth: Chengdu, China
~Yang Yang (pronounced yahng yahng) Date of birth: September 9, 1997
Sex: male Weight: 120-140kg (265-309 lbs)
Place of birth: Chengdu, China
~~~~~~These Cubs Mei Lan, Xi Lan, Po, Mei Lun & Mei Huan (twins) are all in China >
~Mei Lan
(pronounced may-lahn) Date of birth: September 6, 2006
Sex: thought to be female but male Place of birth: Atlanta, U.S.A ~ returned to China February 2010 with Tai Shan
~Xi Lan (pronounced shee-lahn /aka X-Man) Date of birth: August 30, 2008
Sex: male Place of birth: Atlanta, U.S.A ~ returned to China May 2014 with Po
~Po Date of birth: November 3, 2010
Sex: female (first thought to be male) Place of birth: Atlanta, U.S.A~Resident of Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding since May 15, 2014 (Officials at Zoo Atlanta and DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. have issued a joint announcement that the only giant panda cub born in the U.S. in 2010 has a name: Po. The name is a tribute to the lead character, Po the panda, in the upcoming DreamWorks Animation film, Kung Fu Panda 2, which will be distributed by Paramount Pictures starting on May 26, 2011 ~ after in China his name was changed to Ah Bao some places A Bao)
~Twins~Mei Lun (pronounced may loon) & ~Mei Huan ( pronounced may hwaan)
Sex: females, but thought at first to be males * ~Born: July 15, 2013
Place of birth: Atlanta, U.S.A
< (twins given names from a Chinese idiom meaning "something indescribably beautiful & magnificent" ~were handed back to China November 2016, under the rules of the "panda diplomacy" program under which China loans the endangered animals to other countries as a gesture of friendship ~ * blood tests to determine if really males this time, but they tested females)
~~~~~~These 2 Twin Cubs Are Still At Zoo Atlanta >
~Twins~Ya Lun (pronounced yah loon) & ~Xi Lun (pronounced shee loon )
Date of births: September 3, 2016
Sex: females Place of birth: Atlanta, U.S.A~twins born 47 minutes apart in the morning of September 3, 2016, Ya Lun and Xi Lun are the sixth and seventh offspring of Lun Lun, 20, and Yang Yang, 19 at their births. The pair, whose names together mean “Lun Lun’s elegant and happy daughters” * blood tests done to determine they are females
Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they? ~ ASV Matt. 6:26
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Re: Giant Pandas at Zoo Atlanta ~ Lun Lun-Yang-Ya Lun & Xi Lun Family

Post by queenie » Sun Feb 25, 2018 10:44 am

First Cub is Mei Lan for Lun Lun & Yang Yang {& moi :rh: }
mei lan 1st 6mos..jpg
^ click 2X biggest
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(Newser) – Atlanta's Panda cub Mei Lan celebrated her first birthday yesterday, and her keepers invited local fans and Chinese dignitaries to her party. The guest of honor napped through the hoopla, even when the zoo president called the big day "one of the most significant" in the zoo's 118-year history. The festivities drew birthday wishes from as far away as London. ~ "The spirit of Atlanta's beautiful peach shines like a beacon of light across the ocean," wrote one well-wisher from England. "She's my baby," said an Atlanta man in explaining why he'd taken the day off from work. "I suppose for anybody in Atlanta, she's their baby, too."
(^this was reported when everyone thought he was a girl
1. photo is of youtube video list on cam of him & how I saw him 1st at ZA in his little bucket, over 81K views ) 2. 1st Birthday
panda cam and male.jpg
^ click 2X biggest it was determined in China Mei Lan is a boy, but plans for him didn't change, from ZA 3. & 4. photo announced (ex. his name can be male also)
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Zoo Atlanta held a birthday party for giant panda Mei Lan, who turned 2 on Saturday. The panda, who weighs about 115 pounds, got the royal treatment from the zoo and the large crowd.
^The Atlanta Journal Constitution
mei lan turns 2.jpg
^ click 2X biggest
Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they? ~ ASV Matt. 6:26
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Re: Giant Pandas at Zoo Atlanta ~ Lun Lun-Yang-Ya Lun & Xi Lun Family

Post by queenie » Sun Feb 25, 2018 11:43 am

Lun Lun had a lot of fun playing with her 1st cub Mei Lan ~ & they were the subject of many fans' videos, this is from one of mine, Mei Lan's New Car
mei lans new car.jpg
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Mei Lan & Tai Shan flew to China together
mei lan tai go on fed ex.jpg
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Panda Ambassador Mei Lan ushers in Chinese New Year by launching Earth Hour 2010 to the world
~ they trained her to stand and reach for a cake, attached to the light-switch string to turn off the lights 1st for the Earth Hour around the World
mei lan ambassador.jpg
click 2X biggest
Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they? ~ ASV Matt. 6:26
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Re: Giant Pandas at Zoo Atlanta ~ Lun Lun-Yang-Ya Lun & Xi Lun Family

Post by queenie » Sun Feb 25, 2018 11:44 am

Xi Lan (aka X-Man) 2nd Cub to Lun Lun & Yang Yang
Xi Lan on display.jpg
^ click 2X biggest ~Zoo Atlanta has put giant panda cub Xi Lan on display. Here the baby's mother Lun Lun holds her cub. [email protected]~ Atlanta Journal Constitution
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xi lan collage.jpg
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2018-02-21_171530b.jpg
^ click 2X biggest :rh:
Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they? ~ ASV Matt. 6:26
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Re: Giant Pandas at Zoo Atlanta ~ Lun Lun-Yang-Ya Lun & Xi Lun Family

Post by queenie » Sun Feb 25, 2018 11:44 am

cont. Xi Lan
An explanation of how 4 out of 7 of the cubs were mistakenly gendered, and why blood testing DNA is now important. There is a another scientific explanation in Po's post below this one.
Yes, Xi Lan is really a male
Posted by Jeroen Jacobs | Date: 2012 06 02 | In: Zoo Atlanta
Zoo Atlanta Carnivore Keeper Heather wrote an update on Xi Lan:
In case anyone continues to worry that Xi Lan may not be a male – rest assured! His testicles are now visible to the naked eye. During his most recent physical, we were able to palpate them, but they were not visible externally. It has just been in the last day or so that we have been able to see them. This is normal for giant panda males and one of the reasons it can be challenging to correctly identify their sex when they are young. So, even though Xi Lan is not a baby anymore, he still has hit another milestone in his development.
Further news about Xi Lan is that he received a diagnostic exam this week because he has been lethargic, not eating well, and has had some nasal discharge. The exam revealed that his nasal cavity is irritated. We don’t know what caused this, but he is receiving medication and has responded well to the treatment. He’s eating well now and acting more like his fun-loving usual self.
Source: Zoo Atlanta ~
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Po & Xi Lan arrive at Chengdu and go into quarantine.
po and xi lan quarantined collage.jpg
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Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they? ~ ASV Matt. 6:26
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Re: Giant Pandas at Zoo Atlanta ~ Lun Lun-Yang-Ya Lun & Xi Lun Family

Post by queenie » Sun Feb 25, 2018 11:45 am

Our 3rd Cub Po ~
The name is a tribute to the lead character, Po the panda, in the upcoming DreamWorks Animation film, Kung Fu Panda 2, which will be distributed by Paramount Pictures starting on May 26, 2011
~ after in China his name was changed to Ah Bao some places A Bao
2018-02-20_233409.jpg
^ click 2X biggest
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Update on giant pandas Po, Mei Lun and Mei Huan
Friday, December 13, 2013
Officials at Zoo Atlanta have received surprising news regarding giant pandas Po, Mei Lun and Mei Huan. DNA testing has confirmed that all three bears are female.
All three giant pandas were originally sexed as male by colleagues from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, but it is not unusual for young giant pandas to be sexed incorrectly. Prior to the time they are at least 3 years old, there are no obvious external cues as to their sex.
There are no plans to change Po’s, Mei Lun’s or Mei Huan’s names, and the news that they are female will have no impact on their care or their future importance to the world’s population of captive giant pandas.
Po, 3, is the third offspring of Lun Lun and Yang Yang. Mei Lun and Mei Huan, 4 months old, are the only twin giant pandas in the U.S.
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2018-02-20_191427.jpg
^ click 2X biggest
Cake & colored ice blocks were scented
with cinnamon & mouthwash
po 1 year bday.jpg
^ click 2X biggest ~ Atlanta Journal Constitution
Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they? ~ ASV Matt. 6:26
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Re: Giant Pandas at Zoo Atlanta ~ Lun Lun-Yang-Ya Lun & Xi Lun Family

Post by queenie » Sun Feb 25, 2018 11:45 am

Twin Cubs Mei Lun & Mei Huan are the 4th & 5th Born to Lun Lun & Yang Yang
Mei Lun and Mei Huan from Zoo Atlanta in the United States took first place for “Panda Cub of the Year 2014” ~ Giant Panda Zoo Awards. Lun Lun and Yang Yang’s fourth and fifth offspring are the new stars of Zoo Atlanta, and are the first twin panda cubs in the United States to survive. Second place went to Yuan Zai, the first panda to be brn in Taiwan. Third place was awarded to Fu Bao, the third surviving son of Austria’s pandas Yang Yang and Iong Hui.
1. The twins when they were just days old 2. Twin cubs Mei Huan (left) & Mei Lun, the 1st pair of twin giant panda cubs to be born in the United States and survive. 3. & 4. Born in July won't be on public view until late Fall. :hug:
1. 4 of meis.jpg
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1. Mama Lun Lun grooming/bathing Mei Lun 2., 3., & 4. a lot of hugging ~ they have always been so close to each other. :huggie:
2. mei lun huan collage hugging.jpg
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The Zoo & Fans had a big Chinese-Style send-off to China, for the girls :grhug: ~ hanging out together and with Mama at Zoo Atlanta.
3. meis going china collage.jpg
^ click 2X biggest
Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they? ~ ASV Matt. 6:26
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Re: Giant Pandas at Zoo Atlanta ~ Lun Lun-Yang-Ya Lun & Xi Lun Family

Post by queenie » Sun Feb 25, 2018 11:45 am

Twins Ya Lun & Xi Lun Our 6th & 7th Cubs ~ They only are still at ZA with Mama Lun & Daddy Yang
and the 5 Cubs above are all in China

Their Birth from Zoo Atlanta,
and video covered on this Television Station
twins births.jpg
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At a month old on cam nursing and raising it's head
10-2-16 xi lun ya lun.jpg
^ click 2X biggest ~ my s'caps from ZA cam around ZA photo
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Their 1st Birthday ~ Mama Lun always participates, especially with the sugar cane candle
1st birthday luns and lun.jpg
^ click 2X biggest~ "Good-bye sugar cane candle"
Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they? ~ ASV Matt. 6:26
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Re: Giant Pandas at Zoo Atlanta ~ Lun Lun-Yang-Ya Lun & Xi Lun Family

Post by queenie » Sat Mar 03, 2018 4:36 pm

cont...Little Luns' 1st Birthday Party
mama eating sugar cane candle.jpg
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Mama Lun eating her favorite=the "Little Luns' " sugar cane candle & looking at the other one, with cub
thinking, "Is she going to eat that one too?"
:ohmy:
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Mama Lun's 20th Birthday {8/25/17} Party
lun lun 20th birthday.jpg
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The 4 still at Zoo Atlanta ~ Mama Lun, Daddy Yang, Ya Lun & Xi Lun
all4b.jpg
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Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they? ~ ASV Matt. 6:26
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Re: Giant Pandas at Zoo Atlanta ~ Lun Lun-Yang-Ya Lun & Xi Lun Family

Post by queenie » Sat Mar 03, 2018 4:52 pm

For the start of this thread, Zoo Atlanta 2018; below is a nice/& convenient update history of our present twin cubs today, Ya Lun and Xi Lun: and an important milestone for sure, is highlighted February 19, 2018; when Zoo Atlanta began the process of weaning the twin cubs from their mother Lun Lun: and an excellent description of the weaning process.
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2018-03-03_193110.jpg
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Kenn Harwood
February 19, 2018
Over the past year and a half, Ya Lun and Xi Lun have passed numerous milestones in their lives, and we have been there for all of them. Some of these milestones include surviving the first tenuous few days of life after birth; growing their characteristic black-and-white coats at around 30 days; crawling at 3 months; receiving their names at 100 days; walking at 4 months; climbing at 5 months; experiencing the outside world at 7 months; eating leafeater biscuits and fruit at 11 months; and eating bamboo at 13 months. All of these have been very exciting to watch, and now that they are fast approaching 18 months old, Ya Lun and Xi Lun are ready to take that first step toward their next milestone: independence from Mom. Starting today, we will begin the process of weaning Ya Lun and Xi Lun from their mother Lun Lun. In the wild, giant pandas are usually weaned by their mothers between the ages of 17 and 20 months.
As we did with their older siblings, our giant panda care team will be using a “stepwise” process, originally developed and implemented by partners at San Diego Zoo Global, that has been used very successfully and effectively with all of Lun Lun’s previous cubs: Mei Lan, Xi Lan, Po and Mei Lun and Mei Huan. The roughly two-week process, which focuses on gradually increasing the time the cubs are apart from Lun Lun, will conclude the first week of March. Weaning is a very natural and necessary transition in the life of any young mammal, but especially for species that don’t have social lifestyles in the wild. Giant pandas, like other bear species, are naturally solitary animals, meaning that they live alone after they attain sub-adulthood, coming together with other giant pandas only during the breeding season.
Ya Lun and Xi Lun have both been eating bamboo as the main portion of their diet, along with leafeater biscuits and fruit, for several months now, and they no longer have a reliance on Lun Lun’s milk for sustenance. If you’ve been watching PandaCam, you’ve probably seen that Lun Lun has already begun this process naturally. In the wild, she would either simply walk away from them, or would potentially chase them away from her. Lun Lun has been spending more time alone, away from the cubs, than she has in previous months, signaling to us that she is ready.
Ya Lun and Xi Lun do have one distinction over their wild counterparts, however. They were born twins. When giant panda mothers have twins in the wild, it is extremely rare that both cubs would survive. Here at Zoo Atlanta, we have given Lun Lun just enough help to enable her to successfully rear both cubs. Because Ya Lun and Xi Lun are twins, and have spent their entire lives together, they will remain together after the weaning process has concluded, just as their sisters Mei Lun and Mei Huan did. Weaning has not been a traumatic experience for any of Lun Lun’s previous cubs, but the fact that they are littermates makes this an even easier transition for the twins. Because they spend so much time together eating, sleeping, and playing, they are not quite as dependent on their mother for stimulation. Single cubs use their mother as a playmate as well as a teacher, but as littermates, Ya Lun and Xi Lun have each other for play. Living independently from Lun Lun will enable Ya Lun and Xi Lun to continue to develop into normal, healthy, adult giant pandas, but in order to get to that point, they must take this important first step.
We’ll be continuing to update everyone on the process here on the blogs and on our social networks. If you’d like to learn more, be sure to tune in for a Facebook Live event with us this Thursday, February 22, at 9 a.m. EST. We hope to see you there! Thanks for following the giant pandas.
Kenn H.
Assistant Curator of Mammals
Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they? ~ ASV Matt. 6:26
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Re: Giant Pandas at Zoo Atlanta ~ Lun Lun-Yang-Ya Lun & Xi Lun Family

Post by queenie » Sat Mar 03, 2018 4:59 pm

2018-03-03_182230.jpg
^ click 2x biggest
Over the past month or so, we have seen Lun Lun choose to spend much less time with the cubs than she previously did. Conversely, both cubs have also been spending much of their time away from Lun Lun. This is a good sign to us that the cubs are ready for the next step in their development. As mentioned in Monday’s update, we have begun the process of weaning Ya Lun and Xi Lun from Lun Lun. Weaning is a natural process that normally occurs with giant pandas between 17 and 20 months of age. Up until now, everything with the process is progressing smoothly, and everyone is behaving exactly as we have expected. Lun Lun has gotten to spend the last few days in Habitat 2, an area she hasn’t seen since before the cubs were born! She has been pretty happy out there by herself as long as she has yummy bamboo. To simulate what would happen in the wild, we are housing the twins in Dayroom 2, which is the furthest spot from Habitat 2. This ensures that the twins and Lun Lun can’t see/hear each other while apart to minimize any potential stress of the weaning process. In the wild, Mom would simply wander off and would thus also be out of sight/hearing from her offspring, so this normal.
While on their own, the twins have done very well hanging out eating, playing, and sleeping. We’re also increasing the time we spend in training activities with them to continue to build our relationships. As we mentioned on Monday, the system we use is very gradual so is not an abrupt transition for Ya Lun and Xi Lun or Lun Lun. This first week Lun and the twins will be spending about six hours apart during the day. So far, once reunited in the afternoons, the girls have really only been interested in Mom when they want to nurse, but otherwise the reunions have been rather uneventful … which is exactly what we hope for and expect to see! The first day, Ya Lun didn’t even wake up from her nap!
Be sure to join us tomorrow at 9 a.m. EST for a Facebook Live event. (Photo by Jen. W)
Jen W.
Keeper III, Mammals
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2018-03-03_193030.jpg
^ click 2x biggest ZA Photo above on Twitter
Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they? ~ ASV Matt. 6:26
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Re: Giant Pandas at Zoo Atlanta ~ Lun Lun-Yang-Ya Lun & Xi Lun Family

Post by queenie » Sat Mar 03, 2018 5:11 pm

2018-03-03_181324.jpg
^ click 2X biggest
Lun Lun, Ya Lun, and Xi Lun are continuing to do well during their time apart this week. The girls are eating, sleeping, and playing together. As Jen mentioned on Wednesday, we are giving the girls some extra attention, enrichment and feedings. Yesterday, we gave each panda an ice block filled with fruit and sugarcane. As you can see, Ya Lun and Xi Lun loved their treats!
Lun Lun, especially, seems to be enjoying her extra naps! Like most moms, Lun Lun rarely gets to take long naps or nap more than once a day with the twins around. This week, she has been napping 2 to 3 times per day, which is more typical giant panda behavior. Lun Lun’s behavior over the last few weeks is one of the reasons we decided to move forward with the weaning process this month. We have observed Lun Lun trying to prevent both Ya Lun and Xi Lun from nursing recently. Lun Lun has been observed pushing the cubs away, blocking them with her forearms or bamboo, and getting up and walking away when the cubs are attempting to nurse. These behaviors are Lun Lun’s way of telling the cubs (and us) that she is ready to wean them.
We understand that no mammal baby likes to be weaned – ask any mother you know! Nursing is warm and comforting. However, weaning is a natural and necessary part of growing up. We trust and respect Lun Lun’s decision that it is time to wean Ya Lun and Xi Lun and, thus, we are taking the steps needed to do so. We love Lun Lun, Ya Lun, and Xi Lun (and Yang Yang, too, of course!) and are doing everything in our power to make weaning as stress-free as we possibly can.
Heather R.
Senior Keeper, Carnivores
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2018-03-03_181311.jpg
^ click 2X biggest
It’s been awhile since I spent time in the giant panda building, and the biggest change is how big the girls have gotten. Time flies so fast – I can’t believe that they’re already old enough and ready to wean! I’ve been following the updates for the last few months with all of you, and I was really excited to have the opportunity to work a couple of days in pandas recently.
We are continuing to follow the stepwise process for weaning Ya Lun and Xi Lun from Lun Lun, and everything is going according to plan. Since beginning the process last Monday, February 19, we have now successfully moved on to the next step, in which Lun and the girls spend time together during the day and are separated overnight. During this time, the girls are housed in Dayroom 2, and Lun Lun is housed in the dens furthest from the girls. This housing arrangement continues to mimic the visual/olfactory/auditory distance that Jen described last week, except this time the distance is overnight and longer, about 15 hours.
Saturday night was the girls’ first night away from their mom, and I am happy to report that the girls were sleeping soundly when I arrived yesterday morning. When we cleaned their overnight areas, we noticed that all three pandas ate very well. This is exactly what we hoped for and exactly what we expected to see. Reuniting the girls with Lun in the morning was fairly uneventful – both girls greeted their mom, who came right out and got a drink of water before settling down to eat bamboo. After the girls convinced Lun to let them nurse (she initially refused their attempts), they pretty much went their separate ways. One cub stayed in the vicinity to eat bamboo with her mom, while the other wandered up the structure to nap. Other than a few nursing sessions, Lun and the girls didn’t spend too much time together all day (except during the pictured biscuit feeding). When it was time to separate them last night, there were no complaints from the girls or Lun Lun. All three settled in to eat or nap right away, almost as if this was a normal part of routine.
Jen A.
Keeper II, Mammals
Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they? ~ ASV Matt. 6:26
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Re: Giant Pandas at Zoo Atlanta ~ Lun Lun-Yang-Ya Lun & Xi Lun Family

Post by queenie » Sat Mar 03, 2018 5:20 pm

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The cubs are doing really well in day 10 of the weaning process. They are now staying separated from Lun Lun overnight and are reunited with her during the day. Lun has been acting normally through the process, and the girls are A-Okay. They were both sleeping in this morning and went right into playing with one another and their enrichment. Especially the tire swing! Which seems to be their favorite. Stay tuned to see what new adventures arise in PandaLand!
Katie G.
Keeper III, Mammals
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Shauna D
March 2, 2018
Today was my first day back with the giant pandas after a week-long vacation. I got a few updates from other members of the care team and read their posts, so I knew a little bit of how Ya Lun and Xi Lun were doing with the weaning process. Based on my experience with two prior giant panda weanings, I was expecting Ya Lun and Xi Lun to be up and ready in the morning, maybe with some vocalizations. But, to my surprise, when I came in at 8:30 a.m., they were still asleep in the dayroom! I thought, okay, well surely they will start vocalizing when we bring them inside to weigh them and clean the dayroom, right? Nope! It wasn’t until we reunited them and Lun Lun in the dayroom and they began nursing did they make any sound at all, and that was just their typical nursing sounds. When we shifted Lun Lun through the building this morning to get her into the dayroom, she only bleated when entering one of the dens as a cue that she was entering the space. When she got to the dayroom where Ya Lun and Xi Lun were, she did a quick once-over of each and then went right to eating bamboo. I’d say these girls are doing great with the weaning process!
Shauna
Keeper II, Mammals
Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they? ~ ASV Matt. 6:26
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Re: Giant Pandas at Zoo Atlanta ~ Lun Lun-Yang-Ya Lun & Xi Lun Family

Post by queenie » Mon Mar 05, 2018 1:40 pm

2018-03-05_153632.jpg
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The weaning process is almost complete, and everything has gone how we expected. Unless they want to nurse, the cubs have shown very little interest toward their mom. Since she is spending more time away from the cubs, Lun Lun is naturally producing less milk. Warm milk is more comforting and an easy meal, so it’s no big surprise that the cubs are taking advantage of Mom! As long as giant panda cubs are with their mom, they will nurse. But the vast majority of the cub’s caloric intake is now from the bamboo, produce and leafeater biscuits they consume. Mom’s milk is like dessert, and while we all like dessert, it’s not a necessary part of our diet (although sometimes I act like it is!).
Jen W.
Keeper III, Mammals
(photo by Jen W.)
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3/5/18 ~ 20 minutes ~ Ya Lun following Mama Lun around the yard, they hug each other :huggie: in the doorway into dens
3-5-18-little lun chasing mama lun 20 min.jpg
^ click 2X biggest ~ 1st day of weaning counted this day {4th day on the 9th}
Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they? ~ ASV Matt. 6:26
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Re: Giant Pandas at Zoo Atlanta ~ Lun Lun-Yang-Ya Lun & Xi Lun Family

Post by queenie » Wed Mar 07, 2018 9:54 pm

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^ click 2X biggest ~ photo 1 year ago 3/6/17
The weaning process for Ya Lun and Xi Lun is now complete, and the girls are now living independently from Lun Lun. As you know from following our updates, this process started more than two weeks ago, with a gradual increase of time Lun Lun and the twins spent apart during the day and/or overnight. At first it was about six hours apart, and over the more than two-week period, increased to 20 hours apart before the cubs were housed fully independently. This is the same process all of Ya Lun’s and Xi Lun’s older siblings have experienced, and like their older siblings did, these twins did exceptionally well (as did Mom!).
For the time being we are housing them in such a way that they cannot see or hear each other. This will minimize any stress and also represents what would be observed in the wild. Over time, we will have opportunities to have Lun Lun and the twins be within visual/hearing reach of each other. In the meantime, the twins have not seemed fazed at all that their mom is not present, and we’re enjoying the opportunity to build our relationships with them and provide them with extra enrichment. You may notice that Lun Lun is vocalizing a bit more and walking around a bit more. This is because she is still producing some milk, and since she is no longer nursing, it will take her body a couple of weeks to completely stop producing milk and to reabsorb what milk she currently has. The first week is always a bit of adjustment for everyone, including the care team, as we now have three groups of giant pandas to work with, but this is where all of our training comes in handy. Thank you all for following along on this latest milestone for Ya Lun and Xi Lun!
For fun, here’s a photo of Ya Lun and Xi Lun almost exactly a year ago today (a year ago yesterday, to be exact). They grow up so fast!
Jen W.
Keeper III, Mammals
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update >
3/9/18 ~ Ya Lun facing cam, 4 days into weaning
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Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they? ~ ASV Matt. 6:26
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