BGuthrie Photos: DC -- Natl Zoological Park -- Giant Panda Visitor Areas (David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat)

DC -- Natl Zoological Park -- Giant Panda Visitor Areas (David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat):

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. SINZPV_190607_002.JPG: Protecting Giant Pandas They're the world's most recognized threatened species.
2. SINZPV_190607_007.JPG: Tian Tian
3. SINZPV_190607_010.JPG: Mei Xiang
4. SINZPV_190607_019.JPG: Keeping in Touch Giant pandas communicate with each other by scent-marking.
5. SINZPV_190607_025.JPG: Panda Diet Giant pandas eat bamboo, bamboo, and more bamboo!
6. SINZPV_190607_029.JPG: Species on the Brink There are fewer than 10,000 red pandas alive today.
7. SINZPV_190607_033.JPG: David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat
8. SINZPV_190607_037.JPG: Didn't I Just See a Panda? You passed several animals from Asia on your way here. You may have seen sloth bears, clouded leopards, Asian small-clawed otters, and fishing cats. You also passed red pandas. But even though red pandas and giant pandas are both "pandas," they aren't at all closely related.
9. SINZPV_190607_040.JPG: Bei Bei
10. SINZPV_190607_042.JPG: What is a Panda? Language experts think "panda" comes from the Nepalese nigalya ponya, which translates to "bamboo footed" or "bamboo eater." Red pandas and giant pandas share a diet, habitat, and name, and they both have pseudo-thumbs for grasping bamboo. But red pandas and giant pandas are in different families. Red pandas are distantly related to raccoons. Giant pandas are bears.
11. SINZPV_190607_049.JPG: Bears at the Zoo
12. SINZPV_190607_053.JPG: Built for Bamboo Giant pandas evolved to eat bamboo.
13. SINZPV_190607_057.JPG: Panda Post: When Do Pandas Wake Up?
14. SINZPV_190607_060.JPG: Good Morning!
15. SINZPV_190607_063.JPG: Nighttime is eating time, too.
16. SINZPV_190607_068.JPG: Our pandas eat throughout the day.
17. SINZPV_190607_075.JPG: The Zoo is dedicated to excellence in animal care.
18. SINZPV_190607_078.JPG: Keepers monitor panda health.
19. SINZPV_190607_080.JPG: Panda Post: Why is Some Poop Yellow?
20. SINZPV_190607_085.JPG: Healthy treats make healthy bears.
21. SINZPV_190607_088.JPG: Panda Post: What's Special about a Giant Panda Diet?
22. SINZPV_190607_090.JPG: Panda Post: Where Does Our Bamboo Grow?
23. SINZPV_190607_093.JPG: Pandas don't always mate on their own.
24. SINZPV_190607_096.JPG: Cubs grow fast.
25. SINZPV_190607_098.JPG: Panda Cubs at the Zoo!
26. SINZPV_190607_100.JPG: Working Together
27. SINZPV_190607_103.JPG: Bamboo is a grass.
28. SINZPV_190607_104.JPG: Science is built into the panda keepers' daily routine.
29. SINZPV_190607_105.JPG: Animal waste provides all sorts of information.
30. SINZPV_190607_108.JPG: New adventures await!
31. SINZPV_190607_111.JPG: Ultrasounds are one way we check on our pandas.
32. SINZPV_190607_116.JPG: Will there be a cub?
33. SINZPV_190607_119.JPG: Pandas Decide
34. SINZPV_190607_122.JPG: Keepers use positive reinforcement.
35. SINZPV_190607_124.JPG: Mei Xiang
36. SINZPV_190607_130.JPG: Timeline First Pandas in America Giant pandas appeared in American museum collections as early as 1919. But the public had never seen a live panda until 1936 when traveler Ruth Harkness arrived home with a cub taken from the wild. In 1937 she sold the cub, named Su-Lin, to Chicago's Brookfield Zoo, where it was visited by enormous crowds. 1930s-1950s Zoos begin to display giant pandas. The arrival of Su-Lin sparked American interest and the Brookfield, Bronx, and Saint Louis zoos all acquired pandas for exhibit. By the 1950s, however, these animals had passed away. Due to changing Chinese policies, American zoos could not acquire new pandas.
37. SINZPV_190607_131.JPG: First Pandas in America Giant pandas appeared in American museum collections as early as 1919. But the public had never seen a live panda until 1936 when traveler Ruth Harkness arrived home with a cub taken from the wild. In 1937 she sold the cub, named Su-Lin, to Chicago's Brookfield Zoo, where it was visited by enormous crowds.
38. SINZPV_190607_136.JPG: 1930s-1950s Zoos begin to display giant pandas. The arrival of Su-Lin sparked American interest and the Brookfield, Bronx, and Saint Louis zoos all acquired pandas for exhibit. By the 1950s, however, these animals had passed away. Due to changing Chinese policies, American zoos could not acquire new pandas.
39. SINZPV_190607_137.JPG: 1970s Panda Diplomacy China and the United States began a new diplomatic era. In a goodwill exchange the U.S. sent two musk oxen to China, which send two giant pandas in return. Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing arrived at the National Zoo on April 16, 1972. They were the first pandas in the U.S. in nearly 20 years.
40. SINZPV_190607_141.JPG: Trying for Cubs Early breeding attempts by Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing were unsuccessful, so in 1982 the Zoo tried to artificially inseminate Ling-Ling. Although this did not result in a pregnancy, our scientists gained important panda breeding knowledge.
41. SINZPV_190607_144.JPG: 1980s Learning about Breeding In March 1983, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing mated successfully. Ling-Ling gave birth to a cub in July, but it died within a few hours. Over the next decade, although Ling-Ling had four more cubs, none survived. Zoo scientists worked hard to learn as much as they could about panda reproduction and health.
42. SINZPV_190607_149.JPG: We bid farewell to our first pandas. The Zoo's beloved first panda pair lived here for many years. Staff gained valuable knowledge from working with and observing them. In 1992, Ling-Ling died. Seven years later Hsing-Hsing passed away. They left behind a critical scientific legacy and countless panda fans.
43. SINZPV_190607_151.JPG: We share our knowledge. In 1987, Zoo scientists began teaching wildlife conservation and management courses in China. To this day, we train scientists, conservationists, wildlife managers, and educators. This partnership has grown over the years to include mentorships, fellowships, work exchanges, and conferences.
44. SINZPV_190607_153.JPG: Panda cubs make the news. San Diego Zoo made history in 1999 when panda Bai Yun gave birth to the first surviving cub at an American zoo. Zoo Atlanta welcomed the first set of surviving panda twins in the U.S. in 2013.
45. SINZPV_190607_156.JPG: 1990s Zoo staff organized the first international giant panda conference in 1991. Since then, we have partnered with Chinese scientists to create health and breeding plans for pandas in human care. We have led training courses for Chinese veterinarians and worked with wildlife biologists in giant panda reserves.
46. SINZPV_190607_160.JPG: Our First Cub In 2000, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian arrived and our staff eagerly awaited the time when they could breed. In 2005, Mei Xiang gave birth to a healthy male -- our first surviving cub. He was named Tai Shan, which means "Peaceful Mountain."
47. SINZPV_190607_161.JPG: Rare Opportunities The breeding season is only a very short window of time when Mei Xiang can get pregnant. If Mei Xiang and Tian Tian show interest in mating, they are given the opportunity. Their attempts to breed naturally, however, have not been successful.
48. SINZPV_190607_164.JPG: Mei Xiang experiences pseudo-pregnancies. During breeding seasons, female pandas display certain behaviors that could indicate a pregnancy. These same behaviors are seen even in a false pregnancy, which is common in giant pandas. Mei Xiang had several pseudo-pregancies between 2005 and 2013.
49. SINZPV_190607_167.JPG: More Cubs for Mei Xiang In 2013 and 2015, Mei delivered twins. With pandas, a smaller twin often does not survive. Even with intensive care by Zoo staff, only the larger, healthier cubs thrived. Bao Bao and her younger brother Bei Bei both have names that mean "Precious Treasure."
50. SINZPV_190607_170.JPG: Making a Difference Panda lovers and conservationists worldwide rejoiced when the conservation status of giant pandas improved from "endangered" to "vulnerable" in 2016. Decades of hard word resulted in an increased number of pandas in the wild.
51. SINZPV_190607_176.JPG: Giant Pandas are Bears
52. SINZPV_190607_181.JPG: Panda Post: Why are Pandas Black and White? No one really knows, but researchers have a few ideas. Their coloring is good camouflage in the sunlight and shadow of the forest. Unique "eye masks" may help pandas recognize each other, while the black ears could signal aggression or ferocity to other animals.
53. SINZPV_190607_182.JPG: Ambassadors for China's Wildlife
54. SINZPV_190607_186.JPG: Newborn A newborn panda is blind, weak, and tiny. It depends on its mother for warmth and milk. Newborn cubs squeal very loudly when they are hungry or uncomfortable.
55. SINZPV_190607_189.JPG: Three Months At three months, panda cubs open their eyes and prepare to take their first steps. Their teeth start to come in, but they are still nursing and not yet eating bamboo. They can make other sounds now.
56. SINZPV_190607_192.JPG: One Year Cubs are eating bamboo and may weigh as much as 75 pounds. Young pandas use different sounds to get attention or indicate distress.
57. SINZPV_190607_195.JPG: Fully Grown Adult pandas can bleat, honk, chirp, roar, or squeal to communicate. Some sounds indicate an interest in mating, while others might be warnings to retreat. How many different calls do you hear?
58. SINZPV_190607_198.JPG: Studying Pandas
59. SINZPV_190607_267.JPG: Working for Pandas
60. SINZPV_190607_335.JPG: The Playful Panda Giant pandas, especially cubs, seem extremely playful.
61. SINZPV_190607_338.JPG: Bei Bei
62. SINZPV_190607_352.JPG: Planning for Pandas
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Directly Related Pages: Other pages with content (DC -- Natl Zoological Park -- Giant Panda Visitor Areas (David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat)) directly related to this one: [Display ALL photos on one page]:
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- 2010_DC_SINZ_PandaVC: DC -- Natl Zoological Park -- Giant Panda Visitor Areas (David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat) (1 photo from 2010)
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2019 photos: Equipment this year: I continued to use my Fuji XS-1 cameras but, depending on the event, I also used a Nikon D7000. Trips this year: a four-day jaunt to Massachusetts (Boston, Stockbridge, and Springfield) to experience rain in another state, Asheville, NC to visit Dad and his wife Dixie, four trips to New York City (including the United Nations, Flushing, and the New York Comic-Con), and my 14th consecutive San Diego Comic-Con (including sites in Utah). Number of photos taken this year: about 582,000.
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