Zhang Xiang Update 
Zhang Xiang, the 2 year old panda that was released into the Liziping Nature Reserve 50 days ago, has just reached another milestone. The fencing that was placed around her first "adaptation circle" was removed yesterday so her territory has been expanded. She is still being monitored via GPS and auto-triggered cameras.
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 Foster Mama's at Bifengxia - Exciting News!
For the first time, keepers and veterinarians at Bifengxia are taking the concept of cub swapping and applying it to "orphaned" cubs. The methodology being used at Bifengxia mimics a typical cub swapping scenario whereby a single mom is caring for two cubs on a rotating basis - one of those cubs, however, is not biologically hers. The task is trickier than it sounds. As mothers of twins will reject one of the cubs, foster moms can also reject a cub introduced as their own. The right pairing is vital. Fortunately, three compatible foster relationships have been forged at BFX this year with orphaned cubs now receiving some good, old-fashioned mama-bear love. Read the Article on our Blog |
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 Zheng Zheng and Yi Ran get Playful in the BFX Kindergarten
During our visit to China in November there were only two cubs in the Kindergarten with the other four 2012 cubs having just moved to Dujiangyan. Zheng Zheng and Yi Ran put on quite the show for us. There is a great video on our blog of the two of them playing on the swingset.
Read the full Article Watch the blog for more Travel notes in upcoming weeks.
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Thailand's Lin Hui is Pregnant
Zoo officials from Chiang Mai Zoo in northern Thailand said on Sunday that they were preparing for the birth of a giant panda cub in the New Year thanks to artificial insemination. The Zoo said 12-year-old Lin Hui, who along with her partner Chuang Chuang is on loan from China, was due to deliver a cub by January. This will be the pair's second cub. Their first, the popular Lin Bing (Lin Ping) was born in 2009.
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 Yuan Zai to Meet her Adoring Public on January 6th
Her photos on Facebook and her live video feed on the Taipei Zoo website have gone viral, now giant panda cub Yuan Zai is almost set to meet with admirers for the first time. Her public debut is planned for January 6, 2014. Zookeepers said that Yuan Zai is growing well and has started to explore an outdoor environment at Taipei Zoo. She is enjoying life outside, indicating that she is physically and mentally fit to be introduced to visitors. Read the Full Article |
Meet Bao Bao - the National Zoo's Newly NAMED Panda Cub
 | | � Abby Wood |
On Sunday, December 1st, on her 100th day of life, the National Zoo christened Mei Xiang and Tian Tian's little girl Bao Bao. Her name means "precious" or "treasure" and was the most popular name chosen by an online poll that collected more than 123,000 votes from around the world.
The 100-day naming ceremony follows Chinese tradition, explained Cui Tiankai, the People's Republic of China's ambassador to the United States. "The 100-day celebration is very unique and of special importance," he said. "It represents the wish that the baby grows up happy and in good health and lives more than 100 years."
Read the Article
In other news, Zoo officials at the National Zoo announced that baby panda, Bao Bao, will be making her public debut on January 18. The 4-month-old cub and her mother, Mei Xiang, will be on exhibit in the Giant Panda Habitat for a few hours every day starting with her debut, although just how many hours depends on the bears' behavior.
Read the full article
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Zoo Atlanta's Boys....are actually Girls!
Genetic testing has revealed that three young giant pandas born at Atlanta's zoo that were thought to be males are actually females. Zoo Atlanta spokeswoman Keisha Hines says an examination that was part of the preparation to send Po to China revealed the 3-year-old panda is female. Hines says the zoo then decided to do DNA testing on Po and on twin cubs Mei Lun (may loon) and Mei Huan (may hwaan). That revealed those cubs were also females, rather than males.
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 | Su Shan playing at the CCRCGP Base in Dujiangyan - so adorable!
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 | | Wu Gang, enjolying lunch at BFX |
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Giant Panda Zoo Awards 2013 - Voting Ends January 14th
 Be sure to stop by the Giant Panda Zoo and cast your votes - we'd love your vote for "Favorite Panda Charity"!
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(Clockwise, from left) Xinhua/Landov; Courtesy of Zoo Atlanta; Animal Press/Barcroft Media/Landov; Courtesy of Zoo Atlanta; EPA/Sergio Barrenechea/Landov; Abby Wood/UPI/Landov (Clockwise, from left) Yuanzai, Mei Huan, Happy Leopard, Mei Lun, Xing Bao and Bao Bao
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This year, Zoo Vienna welcomed Fu Bao, or "Happy Leopard." Madrid celebrated the birth of Xing Bao, or "Star Treasure." And in Washington, D.C., the arrival of Bao Bao, or "Precious Treasure," had panda fans glued to panda cams. In all, 2013 saw the birth of 49 panda cubs around the world, and 42 of them have survived. That's a record and an indication that captive breeding programs are working. There are now a total of 376 pandas living in captivity, most of them in China Read the Full Article |
 Volunteer Story Featured in Local Newspaper
Lucy Sherrill volunteered at the Bifengxia Panda Base in September of this year. Her travel story was featured in the Virginian Pilot Newspaper.
The text reads: China offers many amazing sights, and I will enthusiastically discuss the Great Wall, the terra-cotta army and many others. But getting the chance to work with the pandas at the Bifengxia Panda Center, run by Pandas International, is a memory I will always cherish. We cleaned their enclosures and fed them bamboo, panda bread, carrots and apples. We worked so closely that I now can say I have touched a panda paw. And it didn't take long to become aware of the unique personality of each animal.
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 In memory of Claire Davis Sadness came on Saturday, December 21 with the passing of Claire Davis, the 17-year-old senior at Arapahoe High School here in Littleton CO, shot during a shooting at her school. Her parents wrote "Although we have lost our precious daughter, we will always be grateful for the indelible journey she took us on over the last 17 years-we were truly blessed to be Claire's parents. The grace, laughter and light she brought to this world will not be extinguished by her death; to the contrary, it will only get stronger. Last week was truly a paradox in that we lost our daughter, yet we witnessed the wonderful love that exists in the world through the tremendous outpouring of support we received. We'd like to take this opportunity to thank the first responders, the school resource officer, security guard and vice principal at Arapahoe High School, the Arapahoe County Sheriff's office, and the physicians, nurses and staff at Littleton Adventist Hospital. Each played a significant role in giving Claire a chance to live, and demonstrated extreme amounts of professionalism, courage and love. Please know that we will never forget the extraordinary work you did on Claire's behalf. " Our thoughts and love go out to her family and the entire Arapahoe community. |
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