Bird Cams Around the World

From the National Zoo Please no political comments. I am just quoting. Thanks.
Giant Panda News September 30, 2013
On Saturday Mei came out of her den in the morning looking for food when keepers arrived. That’s the first time she’s done that since the cub was born, which tells keepers that her appetite is returning to normal. Lately, she’s been waiting until they place bamboo in her enclosure before she comes out. On Sunday she left the den for more than 30 minutes.

Regarding the panda cam: If the federal government shuts down October 1, the Smithsonian's National Zoo will be closed to the public. In addition to all events being canceled and all gates into the Zoo being closed, none of our live animal cams—including the panda cam—will be broadcast. The cams require federal resources, primarily staff, to run and broadcast, and they were deemed not essential in the case of a shutdown.

All the animals will continue to be fed and cared for. A shutdown will not affect our commitment to the safety of our staff and standard of excellence in animal care. For further updates and information, please check Facebook, Twitter, or our homepage.

Heather Roberts, Keeper III, is amazed every day she spends with the cubs.
She wanted to share her excitement and a weekend update with Cub Confidential:

“The cubs are growing so fast. They have both now exceeded 3 kilograms! It's hard to believe how much development these little guys have gone through in just over two months. If you think about it, it really is a short time to go from a very embryonic-like figure to a full-blown mini panda! Giant panda cubs are less developed than other placental mammals when they are born. One possible reason for this is that the mothers’ diet of bamboo does not allow their bodies to support a lengthy pregnancy. Therefore, the cubs have a lot of growing to do once they are born. We are so pleased the twins continue to thrive under Lun Lun's excellent care!”

Heather also shared another tidbit about a vocalization she heard Friday night:

“In the middle of the night Friday night, while Lun Lun was sleeping nearby, Cub B woke up and was stretching and wiggling around. Then I heard a sound from the cub like a cough. I watched him for few minutes and he was quiet, but still squirming around. Then he started making smacking noises, so I thought he must be hungry. But, along with the second round of smacking sounds he started snorting, and I realized he was spooked! Something unknown to the rest of us scared him. The smacking sounds were the cub chomping. Chomping and snorting are threatening vocalizations that pandas use to attempt to frighten a potential enemy. The coughing I thought I heard was the cub honking. Honking is a vocalization pandas make when distressed and often follows chomping and snorting. It is amusing to hear these vocalizations coming from the cubs at such a young age, but it is not uncommon. The world can be a scary place when you are still tiny and mom is not around!”

Panda Updates
Thursday, October 3
This past evening was a quiet one in the panda building. Lun Lun was more interested in catching up on sleep than she was in eating. The twins nursed and slept as well. It was almost as if they all knew the excitement the next day would bring! With the twins’ 100-day Naming Celebration looming closer and closer, you could find them both hanging out in their “playpen” bright and early this morning when staff from Good Morning America arrived and shot live footage of our little boys as the five sets of names for the twins were announced to the nation. The public will have the opportunity to vote on the names of our little tykes! I can’t wait to see what the boys’ official names will be. Be sure to cast your vote – I know I will!
Jen W.
Keeper I, Carnivores

Panda Updates

Monday, October 7
Those of you that stay up late watching PandaCam may have noticed that sometimes the camera is on the wall for long periods of time. This is because we have retrieved the cub for a swap, but Lun Lun has decided to eat once we have taken the cub away. In the daytime, we can put Lun Lun on PandaCam while she is eating for your enjoyment! However, since it is dark in the building at night, Lun Lun cannot be seen on camera in the dens where she is eating, so there is no panda visible during this time.
Heather R
Carnivore Keeper III

Friday, October 4
Cub B is really working hard on learning to walk. He scoots all over the place in the nest box and in the “playpen” trying to strengthen his leg muscles. His front legs are already strong enough; it’s those pesky rear legs that are holding him back! I have seen him get his back legs underneath him a couple of times, but it only lasts a few seconds. It won't be long before he and his brother are running all over the place!
Heather R
Carnivore Keeper III

I voted, but my choice is running last in the poll. I will be happy with any of the names, but I really liked a Lan (dah lan) and Xiao Lan (sheow lan), meaning “bigger one (Cub B) and smaller one (Cub A) of Atlanta-born twins”. Can hardly wait to get the results!

Lincat actually captured this little cubbie vigorously working his legs. I thought it was too cute not to share!


Thanks Linda!!

Panda Updates

Thursday, October 10
Well, Cub A must have known that I haven’t seen him stand because this morning, right before my shift ended, he decided to impress Deng and me by standing up for just under a second like his bigger brother did last night! Unfortunately, as much as we enjoyed seeing him stand up, at the time we were trying to get his weight so we really needed him to sit still! He quickly settled down once he realized that he wasn’t going to be able to get out of the container we weigh the cubs in. After getting his weight, we gave the squirmy cub to his mother who readily allowed him to nurse until his tummy was full, and he quieted down for a nap.
Jen Webb
Keeper I, Carnivores

Wednesday, October 9
The naming contest has begun! Have you voted yet?
Weigh in on the cubs' names! Vote here!

This past evening was another quiet one in the building. However, there were a few highlights: I saw Cub B actually get all four limbs under control, underneath him and supporting his weight! It lasted for less than a second, but I was all smiles regardless. Smiles because they’re growing up so quickly and smiles because I know how much more interesting life is going to get with two mobile cubs! I haven’t seen Cub A copy his brother’s actions, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t occurred. I just happened to glance at B in the “playpen” and caught his demonstration of strength and coordination. It’s crazy to think that they are almost 3 months old! When did that happen?
Jen W.
Keeper I, Carnivores

Panda Updates

Friday, October 11
Last night was the quietest, most uneventful night I've had! The cubs were both very quiet all night because they were in what I call a "food coma" after nursing from Lun so well! Lun Lun herself stuffed her face with bamboo for quite a long time and then fell asleep in her own food-induced coma before waking up and eating some more. All this sleeping made me pretty sleepy myself, but thankfully I have plenty to do to keep me busy!
Jen W.
Keeper I, Carnivores




The polls are open, and you get to choose! Have you voted for your favorite set of panda cub names?
Here are the current stats:
Lan Tian and Bi Shui are in the lead with 25 percent of the vote!
In second are Mei Lun and Mei Huan with 22 percent.
Mei Lun and Mei Hua are tied for third with Tian Lun and Tian Le at 20 percent.
Last, but not least, Da Lan and Xiao Lan have 13 percent.

Of course, the competition’s fierce, and the tables could turn as more votes arrive!
Voting closes October 20 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
Make sure you cast your vote! Vote here!

I’m trying to vote. Why am I getting an “Access Denied” message?
To keep things fair, the contest is intended for one vote per user or IP address.
If you’re receiving this message, you have either already voted.
If you share a computer or device, someone else may have already voted from that same IP address.

As you may know, Cub B was born the bigger cub, and has managed to keep his weight up. Cub A is doing well too, but the team would like to see him maintain his weight gain. Rebecca Snyder, PhD, Curator of Mammals, wanted to update Cub Confidential on the twins’ nursing:

“We weigh the twins when they are swapped and after nursing bouts. Cub B makes the most of his nursing sessions and regularly gains 75 to 100 grams each time he nurses. Cub A also nurses regularly and normally, but he tends to gain less weight after each bout, and it varies quite a bit. Last week, he had a weight plateau for a few days. He was nursing regularly, but not gaining weight. After some discussion with Deng Tao, we decided to supplement both cubs with small amounts of formula to make sure they are getting enough milk to continue to gain weight steadily. The formula is the same we used in the first 24 hours after they were born, but the volume is greater of course. It's a combination of Esbilac (puppy formula) and Enfamil (human formula). This has been used successfully with many giant panda cubs. The twins are now both offered a small amount of formula twice a day. Cub A has responded well to this. He readily drinks the formula from a bottle, and he is gaining weight again. Cub B is not so enthusiastic. He usually refuses the formula. That's okay, and we don't force him. His weight is good and his weight gain has been steady. Both cubs are still nursing well and regularly from Lun Lun too. Cub A actually gained 138 grams Thursday night from nursing, which is a lot even for his brother. Lun Lun's weight is still above average, and her body condition is good. She seems to have enough milk for both cubs, but we are helping her out a little just to make sure. Hers and the twins' behavior and weights will determine if we continue formula supplementation long-term or not.”