Giant Pandas at the National Zoo ~ Bei Bei and Family

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queenie
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Re: Giant Pandas at the National Zoo ~ Bei Bei and Family

Post by queenie » Wed Oct 17, 2018 8:55 pm

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Each year, the Smithsonian's National Zoo's animals celebrate Halloween with an assortment of pumpkin treats and, dare we say, it's SCARY cute! We'll update this page with more themed content leading up to Halloween, so check back soon.
For now, take a look back at some of the most precious pumpkin moments, and download your own Giant Panda Bei Bei Halloween Pumpkin Carving Stencil to show your panda pumpkin pride!

Giant Panda Pumpkin Carving Stencil
Just print out a copy of the stencil and trace onto your pumpkin! Pro tip: If your pumpkin is too big or too small for the stencil, try adjusting the scale in your printer options.
https://nationalzoo.si.edu/sites/defaul ... _out_0.pdf
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Pandas love pumpkin spice
In case you didn't know, giant pandas go wild for pumpkin spice. In fact, keepers give it to them as a form of enrichment. Check out this video from Bei Bei's pumpkin spice encounter last year. Keepers spiced up Bei's yard with a little bit of pumpkin - spice on a log last week! He seemed to like it and scent-anointed himself with it (rubbed it all over his head and body).
:vid: https://www.facebook.com/nationalzoo/vi ... 886512902/ < adorable 33 second video of Bei enjoying pumpkin spice :woohoo:
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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queenie
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Re: Giant Pandas at the National Zoo ~ Bei Bei and Family

Post by queenie » Wed Oct 17, 2018 10:01 pm

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^ click 2X biggest ~ Photos from Adorable 33 sec. Zoo Video In Above Post ~ after clicking to view click return arrow top left back to post
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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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Karen Saunders
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Re: Giant Pandas at the National Zoo ~ Bei Bei and Family

Post by Karen Saunders » Sun Nov 11, 2018 12:41 pm

:wave: Hi Queenie - Mei and Bei today
1-Fullscreen capture 11112018 123140 PM.jpg
2-Fullscreen capture 11112018 123211 PM.jpg

:bye 1:
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queenie
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Re: Giant Pandas at the National Zoo ~ Bei Bei and Family

Post by queenie » Mon Nov 12, 2018 9:29 pm

:wave: Karen Mama Mei was sure enjoying those bamboo leaves in your s'cap :cloud9: & love everyone of Bei's napping positions, especially that fuzzy one :hug: ~ & saw Bei eating leaves today, will put on tomorrow
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 the National Zoo ~ Bei Bei and Family

Post by queenie » Tue Nov 13, 2018 9:53 pm

11/12/18 ~ Bei forages boo in the back room ~ & then heads for the leaves ~ enjoying them immensely, :D looks like he will break the stalk to eat it, but, ...continued...
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...instead broke it only to get the top full of leaves apart & immerses himself in eating & licking these leaves too :cloud9:
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11/12/18 Bei taking food back & forth to bed :wub:
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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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queenie
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Re: Giant Pandas at the National Zoo ~ Bei Bei and Family

Post by queenie » Sat Nov 17, 2018 9:13 pm

:snow: Bei Bei Plays in the Snow
Nov. 16, 2018
Three-year-old giant panda played and tumbled in the snow Thursday, Nov. 15. The giant pandas prefer colder temperatures and are usually more active during the winter months. They have thick water-proof fur that insulates them from the cold and wet snow. The snow brought out Bei Bei's playful side this week. He rubbed the snow all over his head (a common behavior the pandas do when they are excited about something), rolled down the hill in his yard and climbed trees—all play behaviors. :woohoo:
:vid: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/news ... plays-snow Bei showing 53 seconds of lots of fun

Photos from video above ^
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^ click 2X biggest ~ after clicking to view click return arrow top left back to post ~ Pandas sure enjoy the snow!
11-15-18 bei in the snow2.jpg
^ click 2X biggest ~ after clicking to view click return arrow top left back to post ~ ^Bye for now
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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Karen Saunders
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Re: Giant Pandas at the National Zoo ~ Bei Bei and Family

Post by Karen Saunders » Wed Nov 21, 2018 3:16 pm

:wave: Thank you Queenie for that delightful video of Bei playing in the snow!!! :hug: :cloud9:
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Re: Giant Pandas at the National Zoo ~ Bei Bei and Family

Post by Karen Saunders » Thu Nov 22, 2018 4:51 pm

:wave: Lazy dining :D

16:42 PST
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Re: Giant Pandas at the National Zoo ~ Bei Bei and Family

Post by queenie » Mon Dec 31, 2018 10:39 pm

Happy & Blessed New Year Karen & To All :pan: Pals :grhug: :hooray:
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 the National Zoo ~ Bei Bei and Family

Post by queenie » Tue Jan 01, 2019 6:43 pm

Bei Today 1/1/19 ~ 3:25 pm
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Bei & Boo From a Different Perspective
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^ click 2X biggest ~ after clicking to view click return arrow top left back to post :cloud9:
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 the National Zoo ~ Bei Bei and Family

Post by queenie » Mon Feb 18, 2019 9:45 pm

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^ click 2X biggest ~ Mama Mei Xiang
The shutdown didn’t shutdown giant panda playtime! During the past three-and-a-half weeks Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and Bei Bei have carried on with their daily routines, but without their usual human visitors during the day. Their keepers were here every day during the shutdown making sure that they still had their bamboo, treats and playtime. The pandas did not show any major behavioral changes during the shutdown. However, Bei Bei and Tian Tian did discover new favorite napping spots. Bei Bei now naps on the large log in the back of his yard. He drapes himself over it and naps, much like Bao Bao did while she was living here. Tian Tian has also started napping in his hammock in his indoor enclosure every day, much to the keepers’ pleasure! When it was first installed he did not seem as enthusiastic about it as Bei Bei had been about his indoor hammock, but that seems to have changed. Keepers are not sure what made these two new napping spots so enticing, but the pandas seem to really enjoy them.
Earlier this month, all three pandas had some fun playing in the snow! A snowstorm covered the Zoo in a few inches of snow Jan. 12 and 13. Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and Bei Bei wasted no time rolling, sliding and tumbling in it. Giant pandas are well-adapted for cold weather and playing in the snow. Their thick wooly fur keeps them warm and repels water.
A new year has brought in a new record for Bei Bei! He now weighs 234 pounds—that is as much as an adult panda. Although he is now taller and longer than his mother, Bei Bei will continue to grow until he is approximately four years old.
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 the National Zoo ~ Bei Bei and Family

Post by queenie » Mon Feb 18, 2019 9:46 pm

^{from above update}
Bei Bei! He now weighs 234 pounds—that is as much as an adult panda. Although he is now taller and longer than his mother, Bei Bei will continue to grow until he is approximately four years old.
Pandas in Snow 2019 ~ Smithsonian's National Zoo
55 sec. :vid: of Bei Bei :rh: playing in the snow > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhSUandetlE Published on Jan 29, 2019
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^ click 2X biggest ~ after clicking to view click return arrow top left back to post ~ from above video adorable Bei playing in snow, non-stop motion :woohoo: = somersaults, rolling, playing with enrichment toy & snowy branch, etc.
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 the National Zoo ~ Bei Bei and Family

Post by queenie » Wed Aug 14, 2019 9:03 pm

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Bei Bei is Turning Four!
Aug. 14, 2019
By the end of August Bei Bei will be another year older! He will receive a panda-friendly frozen cake specially made by the Zoo’s Department of Nutrition Science the morning of Aug. 22. Visit the David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat to celebrate with us.
Now that Bei Bei is turning four years old, he will move to China as stipulated in our breeding agreement. Transporting an animal thousands of miles takes a considerable amount of time and effort to plan. The process is well underway which includes working with other federal agencies, researching travel logistics, coordinating with colleagues in China, and preparing Bei Bei for the move. We don’t have an exact date for Bei Bei’s move, but it will occur in the coming months. We will share more details as soon as they are finalized, and everyone will have time to visit and celebrate Bei Bei before his departure.
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Bei Bei sitting in his outdoor hammock.
During the past several weeks, Bei Bei has been experiencing some gastrointestinal discomfort which has caused him to pass several mucous stools and loose stools. Mucous stools are the consistency of mucous rather than a fully formed stool and they are not uncommon in giant pandas—though Bei Bei seems to have mucous stools more often than Mei Xiang or Tian Tian and they tend to occur seasonally when he is transitioning to eating different parts of bamboo.
Usually after Bei Bei passes a mucous stool, he rebounds immediately and returns to his usual routine of eating, sleeping and playing. When keepers noticed that Bei Bei was experiencing this most recent bout with mucous stools, veterinarians began treating him with an antibiotic to help him pass fully formed stools. His fecal consistency did improve, but he still was not quite himself. He has been slow to get up in the morning, which is when the pandas are usually most eager to go outside and eat their breakfast, and he has spent more time sleeping inside during the day than is normal for him, though during the heat of the summer the pandas spend much of their time napping in the air conditioning.
Overall his appetite has been low, but he has begun eating more. Arrow bamboo seems to pique Bei Bei’s appetite more than any other species of bamboo, so keepers have been offering him plenty of it.
In the meantime, veterinarians have tested Bei Bei’s fecal samples, which confirmed that he has some inflammation of his gastro-intestinal tract likely caused by bacteria. They gave him anti-nausea medicine along with the antibiotic to help and by yesterday afternoon he had improved. In an abundance of caution, the vets will also collected a blood sample from Bei Bei to make sure there are no other underlying issues.
The panda cams will continue to rotate between showing Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and Bei Bei as usual depending on their activity levels. You may have noticed we’ve been having some technical issues with the Panda Cams lately as we upgrade and perform routine maintenance. Thanks for your patience as we continue to update and make improvements!
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Bei Bei Eating all Around His Den Today
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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 the National Zoo ~ Bei Bei and Family

Post by queenie » Wed Aug 14, 2019 9:32 pm

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Our scientists, veterinarians and keepers have been monitoring Mei Xiang closely for the past several months to determine if she is pregnant or experiencing a pseudopregnancy. They will have their answer by the end of August, because Mei Xiang is in her secondary hormone rise — or the 40-50 days when her levels of progesterone start to rise — signaling that she will either give birth to a cub or enter the final stages of a pseudopregnancy in the next several weeks. When Mei Xiang’s hormone levels return to baseline, she will either give birth to a cub or her behavior will return to normal.
Hormones and behavior are not indicators of a pregnancy in giant pandas because they experience the same hormonal changes and behavioral changes even if they are not pregnant. The only way to definitively determine if a giant panda is pregnant before she gives birth is to detect a developing fetus on an ultrasound. Veterinarians have been conducting regular ultrasounds to track changes in Mei Xiang’s reproductive tract, but they have not seen anything yet.
Mei Xiang has been displaying subtle behavioral changes during the past few weeks, but they have become more pronounced in the last 24 hours. This morning she chose to stay inside the panda house and sleep instead of going outside in her yard to eat bamboo. When Mei Xiang is in the final stages of a pregnancy or pseudopregnancy she spends most of her time sleeping and becomes very sensitive to noise, so the panda house will close to provide her with a quiet environment. Visitors will still be able to see Bei Bei and Tian Tian outside in their yards. The best time to see them outside is early in the morning between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., weather permitting.
Mei Xiang has also started building a small nest of shredded bamboo in her den and modestly adds to it at night. Her appetite has been normal, but she will likely choose to eat less during the coming weeks, which is normal. Keepers and volunteer behavior watchers with Friends of the National Zoo will monitor her for any other changes such as body-licking or cradling toys.
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We are still waiting to find out if giant panda Mei Xiang is pregnant or not! She has not started exhibiting many behaviors associated with the secondary hormone rise of a pregnancy or pseudopregnancy. Although we’ve seen some nest-building behaviors, before the end of the month we expect that to increase. She’ll spend more time sleeping and become sensitive to noise.
Veterinarians are conducting ultrasounds every week, but it is still too early to determine if she is pregnant. However, it is helpful for them to track changes in her reproductive tract and make her as comfortable with the procedure as possible, which may increase the chances that she will continue to participate in them even after she starts showing behavioral changes. The only way to definitively tell if Mei Xiang is pregnant before she gives birth is to detect a developing fetus on an ultrasound.
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Mei's Birthing Den :luck:
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windows & access for Keepers to assist Mei with her needs
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 the National Zoo ~ Bei Bei and Family

Post by queenie » Wed Sep 04, 2019 10:23 pm

~~~~~ :rh: Bei Bei's Birthday Invitation :cake:
WHAT: Giant panda Bei Bei will receive a panda-friendly frozen cake specially made by the Zoo’s Department of Nutrition Science.
WHEN: Thursday, Aug. 22
9 a.m.
WHERE: David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat
Smithsonian’s National Zoo
3001 Connecticut Ave. N.W.
(Note: Media parking will be in the Bus Parking Lot.)
WHO: Laurie Thompson, assistant curator of giant pandas
Mariel Lally, animal keeper
Shellie Pick, animal keeper
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mama Mei in the Birthing Den ~ 9/2/19 :grhug:
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By Dana Hedgpeth
August 7
The National Zoo is closing its Panda House starting Wednesday, and possibly for the rest of the month, because giant panda Mei Xiang might be pregnant.
Zoo experts said Mei Xiang, who is 21, started to show changes in her behavior this week that might be a sign she’s pregnant — or having a false pregnancy. Her levels of progesterone are rising, which is usually an indication of possible pregnancy, zoo spokeswoman Devin Murphy said.
[Panda watch: National Zoo’s Mei Xiang was artificially inseminated overnight]
On Wednesday, the panda also showed another sign. Officials said she chose to stay inside rather than go into her yard to eat bamboo. “That’s unusual,” Murphy said.
It’s tricky to get a giant panda pregnant.
They are in estrus for only 24 to 72 hours each year. Because the window is so short, zookeepers have to be ready. Plus, pandas often have false pregnancies, triggering elation but then disappointment among panda watchers.
Typically when a female giant panda is pregnant, she will spend more time sleeping and less time eating. Pregnant pandas also become more sensitive to noise, which is why officials decided to close the Panda House.
“We want to make sure she has a nice, quiet environment for now,” Murphy said.
She’s also licking her paws and cradling toys — two more signs she could be pregnant. And officials said she has “also started building a small nest of shredded bamboo in her den” and adds to it at night.
In March, Mei Xiang was artificially inseminated using semen from Tian Tian.
[No giant panda cubs this year, National Zoo announces]
Officials said they won’t know for sure if she’s pregnant until about the end of August. The Panda House will stay closed until she returns to normal behavior or after there’s a panda cub, zoo officials said.
Zookeepers have been doing regular ultrasounds for the past month but “haven’t seen anything yet,” Murphy said. Mei Xiang is on the older side for giving birth, but officials said there are giant pandas that have successfully given birth when they were older than her.
Officials said zoo visitors can still see Bei Bei, who was born in 2015, and Tian Tian outside in their yards and watch Mei Xiang on the panda cam. Mei Xiang has two other surviving offspring besides Bei Bei: Tai Shan and Bao Bao.
Giant panda at National Zoo may be pregnant - The Washington Post
www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2019/08/07/giant...
The National Zoo is closing its Panda House starting Wednesday, and possibly for the rest of the month, because giant panda Mei Xiang
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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