Panda Passion | It's Pandamonium

And The Winner Is…

December 2, 2013 by Michaela Dietrich

Since this is our last passion post for the semester, I thought that I would share some exciting news- or at least exciting news to me! The last time I posted on this blog I relayed the call for help issued by the Smithsonian National Zoo, to have US citizens vote for a name that will be given to the recently born cub. And, the winning name of this contest, after more than 123,000 were received online… Bao Bao (pronounced Bow Bow)! In Mandarin Chinese, this name means “treasure” or “precious”. As I had said before, the naming celebration held for panda cubs at the national zoo is a tradition carried over from Chinese culture in respect and gratitude.

            The first pandas arrived at the Smithsonian National Zoo in 1972, commemorating President Richard Nixon’s visit to China. This was so significant because it was the first time a United States president had visited the People’s Republic of China. This visit marked the end of a 25-year separation during which China viewed the United States as a foe. Ever since, pandas have been a happy representation of diplomacy between the two countries.

            Due to the endangerment of this species, many zoos and captive breeding centers throughout China and the world have gone through great difficulty to preserve this species by breeding pandas, oftentimes through artificial insemination. The opportune breeding periods are very slim, which makes breeding very problematic. Therefore, a successful panda birth is an achievement to take much pride in. The only other birth at Washington was in 2005, Tai Shan, also from both of Bao Bao’s parents- Mei Xiang and Tian Tian. Tai Shan was returned to China (a policy within the agreement) for breeding in 2010.

            Bao Bao has gotten older, and as time progresses for any baby, she has begun attempting her first steps. Watch this video to see footage of this adorable milestone!

Bao Bao Sitting Pretty

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Baby Names… Help!

November 18, 2013 by Michaela Dietrich

On the 100th day of a baby’s birth, Chinese tradition requires a celebration be held. To uphold and respect the Chinese tradition, the Smithsonian Zoo has a celebration to name the panda cub. Therefore, they have chosen a list of about five names for the adorable cub, and they are asking civic participation from us to vote on our favorite! To vote, click here and pick your favorite name for America’s favorite baby (Note: voting ends Friday November 22) =)

Also, here is an adorable video of the growth progression of the panda cub!

Obviously, the cub has grown since the last post. She is now almost ten pounds! A long way from being the size of your palm in such a short amount of time! Unfortunately, her nose is losing its cute pink baby coloring and turning the typical black of an adult giant panda. Her crawling and motor skills have drastically improved, and her eyes are almost fully open! Even more, the cub has been sleeping through her medical exams- I wish I could sleep through my exams! Her mother, Mei Xiang, has been leaving her more alone more frequently, and taking alone time to venture throughout her outside habitat. Once, she even took the cub along! The cub’s belly is still obtains a little bit of girth, but her baby fat will fall off once she gets older- but she is a baby, the chubbier the cuter right?

Sleepyyy

Hopefully, the winning panda name will be chosen in time for the next post! Just FYI, I voted for the name Mulan. I was going back and forth between that and Long Yu because I appreciated its signifcance. Mulan won though, I cannot ignore a Disney classic! If you do vote, let me know which name you picked- its always fun to gauge the winning name! =)

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Panda Poo and another Cub Update

October 26, 2013 by Michaela Dietrich

The panda cub at the Smithsonian National Zoo has made another growth spurt since last Friday, now weighing in at 6.73 pounds, her girth is 16.5 inches and she is 19.29 inches long. She has also received her very first vaccine, and is now crawling around the den more and more, while her mother goes outside to eat (she now leaves the cub for around an hour at a time). You can see her progression on the panda cams I linked on last week’s post!

As I am writing this, I think it is pretty awesome how the zoologists and indirectly I are reporting the panda cub’s growth developments in the same manner that a family member might do the same to other family members after a recent birth. In a way, the panda cub is like our national baby, and the Smithsonian Zoo the proud parent.

In other panda news, panda poo might be the solution for the search in finding sustainable new sources of energy! Many people know that scientists have been using ethanol derived from corn as the most common alternative fuel source. However, this presents a concern that food prices may raise as a result, which is not ideal, especially with the economy in the state it is in. Another resolution that has been proposed was using corn stalks, corncobs, and other plant material. However, this currently involves special processing to break down the lignocellulose material, which is extremely costly. The answer might be found in the digestive tracts of our favorite black and white bear! Supposedly, the giant panda’s digestive tracts contain 40 microbes that could make biofuel production from plant waster easier and cheaper because they contain potent enzymes that can break down the lignocellulose material.

This could also be a significant find for the preservation of this endangered species because many of the diseases common to giant pandas affect their guts. Further research and study of panda feces can aid scientists in learning more about the microbes in the digestive system and maybe lead to cures for these diseases.

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Return of the Panda Cam and other Panda News

October 22, 2013 by Michaela Dietrich

The return of the government also means the return of the panda cam, which had previously been shut down because it was apart of a federally run institution—our national zoo. The zoo and panda cams reopened this past Friday, October 18. Due to the lapse in time, the panda cub has grown a whole two pounds heavier and made some developmental achievements as well. Not only have her eyes partially opened (pandas’ eyes partially open about 35-40 days after birth and do not completely open until around two weeks after that), but also her ears have completely opened, and she is responding to other noises around the panda den. Her mother, Mei Xiang, has been leaving the den more frequently for food trips, leaving the cub to venture around on her own—although she does not get very far, since she can only scoot (giant panda cubs cannot walk until they are about four months old). The two panda cams are always showing footage of these adorable creatures, as well as the panda cub, if anyone was interested in checking it out, although I cannot guarantee much action from these rather lethargic mammals.

In other news, I have found an article online that discusses a new discovery for scientists concerning the genetic diversity of the giant panda species. Essentially, researchers at the Zhejiang University in China took genetic material form the blood, skin, and feces of 218 wild pandas from all six of the isolated mountain ranges that still remain as wild pandas’ natural habitats. Their research has proven that the giant panda species is actually more resilient to environmental change than scientists had previously thought. The genetic data shows that they are more genetically diverse than the Bengal tiger and Namibian cheetah, which are other endangered species. However, due to their decreasing numbers in the wild, the giant panda is nowhere near as diverse as the brown bear. Although this research may not seem significant on the surface, the data collected can be used to assist in developing more captive breeding programs that continue and expand diversity. Does anyone else have a love for an endangered species? Have there been any recent births, or any research being done in order to conserve its population?

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The Panda Poster Child

October 17, 2013 by Michaela Dietrich

In the past few posts, I have talked a lot about recent news in the panda world, but for this week’s post, I would like to discuss how important the giant panda is for consumer merchandise. I am sure many people have seen the panda as the poster child for a franchise, organization, clothing line etc. Not only is this because the lethargic black and white bamboo bears are completely adorable, but also because they are very highly respected in the Chinese culture, and often used as a symbol. This has been carried over through the years mainly because of China’s significance in trade throughout the world. Here are a few companies/franchises that you might find familiar that have come to use the giant panda as its image.

The Panda Express

Yes, we have one of these in our very own HUB, and it aims to represent the Chinese cuisine for the smorgasbord of food options that Penn Staters have to choose from. However, if not a panda as the icon chosen, and maybe a Bengal Tiger, would the message that this is a Chinese food place (although with a lot of fried American influence) still come across as clearly? Probably not.

Enjoi

The message of why exactly a panda is the icon for a skateboarding company is something I do not quite understand, but it still has attracted consumers and popularity either way. After doing a little bit of research, I found that the founder/owner, Marc Johnson, named his company enjoi because he wanted his consumers and fellow skateboarders to enjoi life and skateboarding (he also apparently came up with both the word and picture logos in a dream).

WWF

I’ve already discussed the importance of the giant panda as the symbol for the World Wildlife Foundation in a previous post. However the fact that the panda was chosen to represent all endangered species and conservation efforts is a testament to its significance.

These are just a few examples of many that I can provide, however I did not begin to touch the sundry other merchandise items that can be found with pandas on them. Some examples are phone cases, kindle skins, pillow pets, stuffed animals, calendars, jewelry, clothing (particularly shirts), hats, gloves, posters, bags, picture frames, and many many more. I would know, I just named a lot of the items I personally own that are panda-related. But then again, no one should really be too shocked because China makes most of our consumer products.

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Panda Cam Furlough

October 10, 2013 by Michaela Dietrich

Lately a lot of media hype has been devoted to the government shutdown. Every day on Facebook I see yet another person, but usually more than one, complaining about Congress and Obama because the furloughs have affected their way of living in one way or another.

People are not the only ones taking a hit; the Smithsonian Zoo has been shut down since the beginning of this month, and will remain so until a solution is made. Thus, federally funded programs, such as the PandaCam, have been terminated until further notice. This is particularly bad timing because viewers now cannot watch as the cub rapidly develops and grows each day. No worries though, the Smithsonian Zoo has promised that the staff and animals kept in their care will continue to be supported and taken care of, despite the furlough. The government might be able to quit on the people, but the zoo cannot quit on the animals.

Another way the government has affected the panda world is through its networking to viewers and panda-lovers, like me. I am not longer receiving panda and cub updates via email. Therefore, writing posts is going to become a little more difficult.

Panda communication might be delayed in America, however this is not so true in China. The birth of fourteen new panda cubs in China has made international news! While these births were products of artificial breeding at a Panda Breeding Base in China, they were still a great achievement for the endangered species because a female giant panda’s mating season only lasts for about 36 hours every year. The cubs were all born between July and September of this year. In the picture, the smallest, Ya Yi weighs 1.5 pounds, while the largest and oldest cub, Meng Meng weighs around nine pounds.

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Saving Private Panda

September 29, 2013 by Michaela Dietrich

I am sure that somewhere, somehow, someone has seen this renowned symbol for conservation efforts of endangered species. Yes, the one that has a panda for its “poster child”. WWF uses the panda as its icon because aside from the recent polar bear attention, the panda is definitely on many people’s top 5 favorite animal lists, especially those in China. In fact, the panda is so beloved in China, that it is seen as a national treasure. WWF hopes that the panda’s popularity will be an appeal to pathos. People will donate either time or money (mostly money) to assist in the conservation efforts to prevent this cherished mammal from extinction. However, the giant panda species still remains on the wildlife-endangered list.

The giant panda only lives in remote, mountainous regions in China and there are fewer than 1,600 left in the species’ natural, wild habitat. This is due to human threats on its main food source, bamboo. In many pictures seen on the Internet, most have an accompany bamboo leaf either in their hand or sticking out of their mouth. This example captures the panda’s predisposition to eat for an entire twelve hours a day! On occasion, a panda will eat a bird, some rodents or berries. They have a limitless appetite for bamboo, and need at least twenty-eight pounds of the plant a day just to meet their dietary needs and to satisfy their sweet ‘plant’ tooth. Thus, one can understand how human threat to the bamboo industry through logging or construction purposes in China would affect the giant panda species.

Not all hope is lost though. China and America, as well as a few other countries, have combined efforts to save this species through programs like the Giant Panda Conservation Fund at the U.S. National Zoo. The money raised in support of this program has been used to provide state-of-the art panda exhibitions and unparalleled research on panda’s biology and behavior that would not have been able to be conducted had the pandas remained in the wild. Also, a logging ban has been in place in China since 1998, as well as reforestation, so that some of the bamboo will be able to grow again, and continue to fill the bellies of these animals.

While these are only slight improvements, they have made an impact and also spread awareness of the dire situation the giant panda species could be in throughout our lifetime.

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The Circle of Life- Panda Edition

September 26, 2013 by Michaela Dietrich

There has been a lot of commotion in the Giant Panda exhibition recently, located in Washington D.C., at the Smithsonian National Zoo. This is due to a birth on August 23^rd of a giant panda cub! The new edition is Mei Xiang, the mother panda’s, third cub, however her second died shortly after its birth for unknown reasons. Personnel of the zoo were overjoyed by this news, since giant pandas are an endangered species, and Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, the two giant pandas of the United States National Zoo are here through a contract with China’s Wildlife Conservation Association for research purposes that will hopefully lead to preservation of the incredible species.

Tomorrow, the female cub will be five weeks old, and Mei Xiang, its mother, has been putting her down for longer periods of time. During these intervals, veterinarians are given the opportunity to perform routine exams, and so far the cub appears to be very healthy. Veterinarians are starting to get a good idea of the origin of her physical makeup, such as her eye markings looking similar to that of her mother’s, and her backbone structure looking like her father’s. Even more, her size has grown tremendously, since she was no bigger than a stick of butter when she was born. These time lapses also aid the mother in returning to her normal daily routines of eating, drinking and lounging, as she has been cradling her youngster for the majority of the first three weeks.

The birth of a giant panda cub is not necessarily rare, but due to its location on the endangered species list, it is surely something to be celebrated. Currently, the Panda House at the National Zoo is closed, so as not to disrupt the little one, but Tian Tian can be seen in the outdoors, primarily roaming and eating.

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Panda Passion, The Beginning…

September 18, 2013 by Michaela Dietrich

When I was just a little girl my dad used to take me to Wisconsin every year to visit my family. There, I became particularly close to my cousin Lesley. I admired her and imitated what she did, including picking up her infatuation with the giant panda.

At the age of seven, she gave me a plush version of our shared passion, which I immediately named Panda. Panda has been my companion ever since, and he still sleeps in my bed every night, which required me to take him overseas for a vacation to Paris last summer. Recently, he became a resident of Happy Valley.

Panda =)

Each summer, I went to the Smithsonian National Zoo in DC, my favorite exhibition obviously being that of the giant panda. There, I learned many interesting facts about this species, which further increased my curiosity and love for this huge fluffy mammal.

They are, without a doubt, some of the most fascinating creatures on the planet. As adults, they can grow to be a massive 300 pounds; when born, however, they are one-hundredth the size of their parents — about the size of a deck of cards. Their diets consist almost entirely of bamboo, which has little to no nutritional value. Thus, in order to meet their bodies’ energy needs, they have to eat between twelve to thirty-eight kilograms each day. They are also the most rare members of the bear family, retaining a spot on the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Animals. This is in part due to their low reproductive rates – a female can only have one young every two years –, and also from their reluctance to expand their species (all of the bamboo makes them lethargic).

If the photo does not persuade anyone reading this to immediately jump on the panda bandwagon, then this adorably cute video will, although the sixteen million views and counting tend to speak for themselves.

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