Bird Cams Around the World

November 13, 2013
Was when they were put together with Lun Lun

They were born on July 15 2013 and 4 months later they were put together with Lun Lun.

Should be around the January 3 2017 that this happens for these 2.

Thanks, Sue!

Who is Sue?

Our twins are homesick I think! Feeling sad for them...........

Oh dear. It sure does sound like they are homesick. I hate to hear this.

Save the date for the giant panda twins’ 100 Day Celebration on Monday, December 12!

Vote To Name the Giant Panda Twin Girls: until 11:00PM December 4

The 11-week-old giant panda twins born to Lun Lun on September 3 will soon reach one of their most important milestones yet – getting their names. The twins will be named on their 100th day of life on December 12, 2016, and fans around the world are invited to vote on seven sets of names for “Cub A” and “Cub B.”

“There’s much more to this milestone than just two names. The permanence of names gives us a celebration of the achievements of the giant panda program at Zoo Atlanta and a continuation of the bright future of one of our longest-lived and most successful conservation partnerships,” said Raymond B. King, President and CEO. “It’s also a tribute to our giant panda care team, who have done a tremendous and tireless job in helping Lun Lun raise two healthy, thriving young cubs.”

The seven sets of names, each of which has a special meaning or association with the cubs or their parents, were supplied by Zoo Atlanta’s partners in giant panda conservation in Chengdu, China. Voting will continue until 11 p.m. on Sunday, December 4. The names will be revealed at the twins’ 100 Day Naming Celebration on December 12.

The names in the running and their meanings are as follows, in alphabetical order:

1. Ba Lun and Shu Lun : Ba Shu are ancient names of the Sichuan area and are still widely used in China, including Sichuan Province and Chongqing. Ba Shu also means “land of abundance.

2. Jiu Jiu and Yuan Yuan: Jiu means “longevity” or “long time.” Yuan means “far distance” or “far away.” Together, they mean “longevity and permanence.”

3. Lun Jia and Jia Lun: The first Jia means “addition.” The second Jia means “good,” “fine” or “praise.” Lun references daughters of Lun Lun.

4. Lun Li and Lun Yu: Lun Li means “ethic” or “ethics.” Lun Yu is Confucian Analects, a collection of sayings of Confucius and one of the pillars of Chinese culture, widely read across centuries.

5. Ya Lun and Xi Lun: Ya means “elegant;” Xi means “happy;” “Lun” references daughters of Lun Lun – “Lun Lun’s elegant and happy daughters.”

6. Ya Lun and Xin Lun: Similar in origin to Ya Lun and Xi Lun, with Xin meaning “fragrant.”

7. Yang Hai and Yang Gui: Yang is a reference to the twins’ father, Yang Yang, and means “ocean.” Hai means “sea.” Gui has many meanings, including “laurel.”

Vote To Name the Giant Panda Twin Girls until 11:00PM December 4 :

Bei Bei had surgery. I just saw this. He is going to be okay. Poor baby......



Get well soon Bei Bei!!!!

Thanks, Sally. My horse went through this kind of surgery. I am sure Bei Bei feels a whole lot better and will feel better yet when he is all healed.

A week's worth of updates from Zoo Atlanta

Wednesday, November 30
Cub A is well known for the rather large patches of white fur on her heels. All of our cubs have had white heels, but the patches usually diminish as they age. Cub A's patches are the biggest we've seen of any cub. To add to the many things that make A stand out on her own, I noticed another cute quirk today! Check out the picture I took! She's got this random white hair growing out the tip of her right forepaw, where all the rest of her fur is black! How adorable! I wonder how long it'll stay there?
Jen W.
Keeper III, Mammals


Monday, November 28

On Sunday afternoon, Cub B had a grand adventure! Lun Lun had just finished nursing Cub B in Den 1 and left in search of bamboo in another den. Cub B was not pleased with her mom's decision, so she started scooting around the den and vocalizing ... loudly. After a couple of minutes, Lun returned to Den 1, sniffed her cub, and then apparently decided that Cub B was just fine because she sat down a short ways away from the cub. Cub B got even louder, but Lun held her ground. It seemed like Lun was challenging Cub B to come to her. Cub B scooted all the way down the hallway (about six feet!) yelling at her mom the entire way. At one point, she stopped a couple of feet away from her mom for a quick breather. She laid there with her head in the air just yelling and staring straight in her mom's direction! Don't worry; when she made it to Lun just a minute later, Lun scooped her up and laid down with her for a nap. I can't believe how quickly these two little girls are growing. Time is just flying by!
Jennifer A.
Keeper II, Mammals

Friday, November 25
Happy Thanksgiving (a little late) from the nursery! Here at Zoo Atlanta, and specifically in the panda building, we have so much to be thankful for this year. We are so thankful for happy, healthy panda twins and a great momma bear who is so good at her role. We are thankful for all of the great staff that work so hard to take care of all of the animals and make our 24 hour nursery shifts possible. Taking care of these little girls is a big team effort for our entire department, not just the panda staff. I don't think I could ever rave enough about how great everyone is. We have such an amazing team. We are also so thankful for all of you. For everyone who reads our updates, follows the bears on PandaCam, donates to the Zoo and comes and visits in person. You all are such a valuable part of our conservation mission. We wouldn't be able to do what we do with out you. Thank YOU!

Now, I'm sure you're ready for some cub updates. They are growing like weeds, but that's not new to you. I thought I would share an updated photo of Cub B's gums. As you can see her teeth are getting closer and closer to the surface. They could erupt anywhere between now and about 120 days. It looks like she has a little bit longer to go. This was a great picture of her yawning during a weight check. You can also see how sharp her claws are. These are very helpful in helping her navigate her way through Lun's fur. The other picture is just cute. I couldn't resist.
Jenny E.
Lead Keeper, Carnivores
(Photos by Jenny E.)

Wednesday, November 23
Oh. My. Goodness! I am gone one week (to attend a professional development class) and come back to huge, wiggly/squirmy, able-to-grip, on-a-mission-to-figure-out-how-to-use-these-legs baby pandas! When I went to swap the cubs for the first time after coming back to work, I was pleasantly surprised to discover the cubs are mastering the art of "gripping" with their front legs. It's not nearly as easy to manipulate them as it was a week or so ago. This of course brought back many memories of the Meis and I know all too well that they're just now starting to enter the phase where they'll start testing the boundaries of their world as they start exploring more and more.
Jen W.
Keeper III, Mammals

A couple of Panda Updates from Zoo Atlanta

Monday, December 5

"The cubs are continuing to develop big personalities, and one of my favorite parts of that is watching how Lun Lun interacts with each cub. Cub A is a little more feisty, and Lun Lun tends to wake her up for nursing sessions with gentle play bouts. In the last week, much of the play that we have seen has been between Lun Lun and Cub A. Cub B is much more laid-back and can sometimes even be a bit standoffish. She hasn't discovered playtime as much as her sister (yet!) and prefers to explore her surroundings instead. Cub B's personality also means that if Lun Lun wants to enjoy a quiet nap with one of her cubs, Cub B is most likely to be the cub she naps with. Of course, they also do a good job of swapping personalities every now and then too!"
Jennifer A.
Keeper II, Mammals

Friday, December 2
"The cubs are 90 days old! Recently, the cubs are beginning to notice and interact with items in their environment, and they are realizing their mother is more than just a milk bar. We have seen Lun Lun initiate and the cubs reciprocate in play behaviors. Lun Lun initiates play from the cubs by nibbling and nuzzling them gently. The cubs respond with paw swatting, kicking, rolling, and mouthing. Play rarely involves vocalizations unless somebody bites too hard! Play behaviors are important developmental exercises. In addition to entertainment for the cubs, play behaviors build muscles and synapses, and prepare the cubs for future social interactions with other pandas."

Jen W.
Keeper III, Mammals

Panda Updates ~ TEETH!!

Friday, December 9
As they swiftly approach their 100-day milestone, both cubs are working diligently on their mobility. Since they have mastered scooting, they have decided to skip crawling and go straight to walking. Neither has taken a first step yet, but both girls have stood (very briefly!) on all four feet. They are so much more active now and can be seen working their legs, scooting and trying to stand frequently. In the past, we tried non-slip grip pads on the floor of the nest box to help the cubs get some traction as they are learning to walk; however, these grips did not seem to make any difference, so we have not replenished them as they have worn away. All of Lun Lun's cubs have learned to walk as their legs have the gained strength needed to do so, and these girls are right on track!

Check out the video of Cub A on Zoo Atlanta's social media networks!
Heather R.
Keeper III, Mammals

Wednesday, December 7
My oh my, how these cubs have grown. It's amazing being away for just one week and seeing how big these girls have gotten. To me they look like they have been growing at lightning speed and have been hitting quite the milestones. They both are already starting to try and stand on all four paws, but still have only mastered the front two. Also, just in time for the holidays, Cub B's bottom teeth have started to come in. Like the song always says, “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth …” I guess in Cub B’s case, that would be her two bottom teeth. It's crazy how fast they grow in such a short amount of time ...
Katie G.
Keeper III, Mammals