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"Learning from Tai Shan" in Smithsonian
Visit the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art
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Purchase Panda Cam, a book with images of Tai Shan's first seven months, at the National Zoo Store.
News from the Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat
Please note: Tickets are no longer required to see the pandas.
June 30
We have received word that most of the pandas at the Wolong Giant Panda Breeding Center—where our two adult giant pandas were born—have been moved to Ya'an and other facilities, as landslides and other safety risks due to the coming rainy season remain a threat. National Zoo staff will go to China later this year to help with the recovery.
We also wanted to let you know that the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, in cooperation with the Giant Panda Conservation Foundation, has made a $165,000 donation to the China Wildlife Conservation Association to support post-earthquake panda conservation. Those who donated on this website or sent checks to us helped us make a significant contribution. If you have not yet given, 
please donate today.
June 20
Zoo scientists have detected a secondary rise in urinary progestin levels in Mei Xiang. The results from yesterday's test lead them to believe the hormone rise indicates that it would be mid- to late July before Mei Xiang either gives birth to a cub or comes to the end of a pseudopregnancy, or false pregnancy, which is common in giant pandas.
Our scientists artificially inseminated Mei Xiang with semen from Tian Tian March 19. Since then, the scientists have conducted weekly hormonal analyses on urine samples from Mei Xiang. Zoo veterinarians are conducting weekly ultrasounds on Mei Xiang to monitor any changes in her reproductive tract and look for evidence of a fetus. So far, they have not seen evidence of one. Because panda fetuses do not start developing until the last weeks of a gestation period, Zoo veterinarians say they do not yet expect to see a fetus. They stress that it is still too early to determine if Mei is actually pregnant or experiencing a pseudopregnancy. Stay tuned! 
2008 Pregnancy Watch
On another note, we'd like to thank all of you who have donated to help the Wolong Giant Panda Breeding Center recover from earthquake damage. We have received more than $47,000 and are grateful for your generosity. If you have not yet donated, please donate today.
Get Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and Tai Shan Ringtones
Imagine the contact calls of the Zoo’s giant pandas alerting you to an incoming call on your cell phone. Why imagine it when you can get these ringtones now?
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Sixty Tai Shan Wallpaper Choices Now Available!
Support the National Zoo's panda conservation efforts, and get lots of Tai Shan wallpaper and a screen saver as thanks for your donation to the Giant Panda Conservation Fund.PandaDate.com: A Matchmaking Game
Ever wondered how scientists select panda breeding pairs?
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Watching giant pandas:
The panda cams provide a window into the world of the Zoo's giant pandas—three-year-old Tai Shan, his mother, Mei Xiang, and his father, Tian Tian. If you see two pandas on the cam, you're watching Mei and Tian. At Tai's first exam, he weighed a little less than two pounds. In June, he weighed 181 pounds.
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Camera II
Giant Panda videos
Tai Shan Exam, September 19, 2005 | Mei Xiang and Tai Shan, October 2, 2005 | Tai Shan Exam, October 31, 2005 | Mei and Tai, November 10, 2005 | Tai Shan’s First Year (Highlights)
June 19
It is the time of year when bamboo begins to lose its allure and increasing numbers of stalks are left uneaten with each passing day. The pandas have been spending more time resting in their grottos away from the heat, on these early summer days. Mei Xiang’s first priority is to retreat to the air-conditioned indoor enclosures as soon as possible, after the morning cleaning, for a long nap. Other than some occasional bamboo shreds, we can tell she is spending more time in the dens overnight, from the number of droppings left behind.
Tai Shan weighs in at about 181 pounds. Both Tai Shan and Tian Tian are also beginning to spend more hours resting and less time eating. Tai and Tian still have their restless moments, roaming their enclosures. Yesterday for enrichment they had burlap bags and bed sheets stuffed with hay and leaf-eater biscuits. Tai wondered what monster had landed in his yard at first, but after several approaches, and lots of sniffing, he settled into a long rip and search for the biscuits, hidden within.
Switching their enclosures regularly provides sensory stimulation through interactions with each other's scent marks. Scent-mark investigation tells pandas who their neighbors are, and who is passing through their home ranges, out in the wild. It also keeps us all on our toes trying to identify who is who while watching the panda cam. Tai Shan has eye patches that flair out at the outer lower corner. Tai also has two very distinct marks at the bridge of his nose, sometimes looking like a V from a distance. It is a good thing that Tian Tian’s nose dots have faded, lessening the confusion... maybe just a little.
Help the Wolong Giant Panda Reserve.
June 10
We have sad news to share with you. Today Wolong's staff held a funeral for nine-year-old giant panda Mao Mao, a mother of five, who died after the wall of her enclosure collapsed in the May 12 earthquake. She was discovered yesterday, buried under rubble. Mao Mao was a valuable member of the panda community and will be missed. Read the Associated Press article and see photos.
Help Wolong with your donation.
June 4
Damaged facilities at Wolong. |
"I, my colleagues, and all pandas here are basically well," he wrote, "but most of the houses and panda facilities are detroyed. It may take about 1-2 years to rebuild."
Thanks to all the generous donors who have contributed to the Panda Relief Fund. If you have not yet given, please donate today.
May 30
The devastating earthquake in China on May 12 and subsequent aftershocks left the Wolong Giant Panda Breeding Center (where our two adult giant pandas, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, were born) and associated panda reserves severely damaged. The National Zoo has been working with the community of Wolong to help conserve pandas for more than 20 years.
The National Zoo and the Giant Panda Conservation Fund are helping the Wolong Giant Panda Breeding Center as it rebuilds and provides support for the giant pandas and their dedicated caretakers.
 Staff taking care of panda cubs in Wolong after the earthquake. Photo courtesy of news.sohu.com. |
Your support will help the Zoo help Wolong meet its immediate short-term support needs, provide replacement supplies and equipment, and assist in conservation-related relief efforts. Your generosity in contributing to this special appeal to benefit panda conservation is greatly appreciated. |
May 27
One of Wolong's two missing pandas, Xi Xi, has been found. Xi Xi was found over the weekend wandering in the dense forest, about 200 meters away from the breeding center. Staff at Wolong continue to search for the remaining missing panda.
May 22
As you may know, China is home to many more panda reserves than Wolong. In fact, the National Zoo has trained staff at more than 30 reserves in the area affected by the recent earthquake. Our most recent report from one of our colleagues in China is that no staff died at Tangjiah, Wanglang, Xuebaoding, or Xiaohegou reserves or Laohegou timber area. However, we are very sad to say that one staff member in Anzihe and five in Wolong were killed in the earthquake and aftershocks. All the buildings, roads, and electrical systems were damaged in all reserves.
Our colleague tells us that everyone is now living in tents in open (safer) areas and will likely stay there for at least two months, as the old buildings are no longer safe and aftershocks keep occurring. Some of them exceed a magnitude of 6.0.
Watch a National Geographic News video about pandas at the Wolong National Nature Reserve. (opens in new window)
May 20
We have heard more about the situation at Wolong from a colleague at the San Diego Zoo's Conservation and Research for Endangered Species, and are relieved that there have been some improvements. Food and medicine have been brought in, and the road leading out has been opened. At least two emergency shipments of supplies for pandas have been delivered, and because of damage caused by the earthquake, many of the pandas are living in smaller makeshift enclosures.
We cannot confirm the number of people at Wolong who were killed, but none were staff or caretakers at the breeding center. Our source says as many as five people who lost their lives may have worked at the Wolong Nature Reserve. He also said that a few pandas escaped from the breeding center after the earthquake, but he thinks that all but two have been caught up and are safe.
May 14, Afternoon
We recently got word that the staff at Wolong, including those doing field monitoring as well as tourists visiting the reserve, are all safe. There have been no reports of staff casualties at any of the panda reserves, but the infrastructure at all reserves has been damaged. Everyone who has suffered from the earthquake has our deepest sympathy.
May 14, Morning
We have gotten direct confirmation that the pandas at Wolong, Chengdu, and a preserve in Ya'an are safe. We do not yet know about staff and their families. We have heard that some reserves in Sichuan province were damaged by the earthquake, which caused some of the reserves' observation decks to collapse. Damage to roads has seriously restricted access to the reserves.
May 13, Afternoon
We just found out via satellite phone that all 86 giant pandas at Wolong are safe. We are relieved at this news but have not heard about Wolong's staff or their families. Our thoughts are with them and the earthquake's many victims. We will post an update when we find out more.
May 13, Morning
We have still not gotten any news from our colleagues at the Wolong Nature Reserve, but we know that the area was hit hard by Monday's earthquake. There is no phone access at Wolong, and the reserve's only road to Wenchuan (and Wolong) was heavily damaged. We will provide an update when we learn about the welfare of Wolong's pandas and staff.
The director of the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding has confirmed that all Chengdu staff, their families, and the base's more than 60 pandas are fine.
May 12
We are deeply saddened by the news of the earthquake that struck western China today. Many of you may be concerned about how China’s two giant panda breeding facilities were affected, and of course, we are too. We have heard that the pandas and staff at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding are safe. Wolong Nature Reserve, the birthplace of Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, is in Wenchuan County, near the earthquake’s epicenter. We have not heard about the welfare of the pandas and staff there, but are continuing efforts to communicate with our colleagues at Wolong. We are carefully following the news and will provide updates. We hope we will be able to assist China and our colleagues in the face of this tragedy.
May 5
Mei Xiang has started to shred bamboo in Den Three. This activity is called “nest building” even though it only involves carrying a piece of bamboo to the den, shredding up part of the culm or stalk, and then sitting on it wherever it lands. As far as other behavior possibly related to pregnancy, Mei has left her carrots uneaten on a few occasions. For some reason known only to Mei, when her progesterone levels rise during pregnancy (or pseudopregnancy), carrots lose their appeal. Also, Mei has been choosing to rest indoors more frequently, often settling in for a long nap, when our plan was for her to shift back outside for bamboo.
Tai Shan last weighed in at 181 pounds on April 30. Tai is also into rearranging his bamboo. He will pick it up and carry it around the yard and sometimes even up in the trees. Perhaps a different hormone, testosterone, is behind his wanderings. We have a small study in progress to analyze hormones in fecal samples to learn about the earliest onset of maturation in our juvenile male panda. Just like the adults, Tai continues to eat up to about 40 pounds of bamboo culm each day. Yellow fibrous droppings are everywhere around the enclosures. Since they digest only 12 to 23 percent of what they eat, all three pandas have the keepers busy with both ends, going and coming!
Tian Tian gets the restless panda award. We continue to rotate yards and give him access to multiple yards to burn off energy. We give him several enrichment activities each day to help keep him occupied. He is an enrichment challenge. Tian still bleats endearingly for his keepers, and relishes our attention. These are cherished moments for the panda and his keepers.
Giant pandas are black and white bears that live in temperate-zone bamboo forests in central China. Among the best recognized—but rarest—animals in the world, they have come to symbolize endangered species and conservation efforts. As few as 1,600 giant pandas survive in the mountain forests of central China. More than 160 pandas live in zoos and breeding centers around the world; most of these pandas are in China.
Giant pandas Mei Xiang and Tian Tian are at the National Zoo on a ten-year loan from the China Wildlife Conservation Association. They are the focus of an ambitious research, conservation, and breeding program designed to preserve this endangered species.
