Bao Bao

Bao Bao in April 2014 climbing a tree

Bao Bao (Chinese: 宝宝; pinyin: Bǎobǎo, meaning "treasure"; colloquially meaning "baby") is a female giant panda cub who lives at the National Zoo in Washington D.C.[1]

Bao Bao is one of only several hundred giant pandas alive today in captivity, among fewer than 2,000 giant pandas in the world.

Bao Bao was born on August 23, 2013, at the National Zoo in Washington D.C. Giant pandas are an endangered species, and are protected in part by conservation efforts at reservations and in zoos such as the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington D.C. giant panda births are rare. The cub of Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, Bao Bao is a result of artificial insemination of Mei Xiang on March 23, 2013.

In 2013, there were an unusually high number of giant panda cub births in zoos around the world. In addition to Bao Bao, other giant panda cubs were born in 2013 including: Yuan Zai in Taiwan, twin cubs Mei Lun and Mei Huan at Zoo Atlanta, Fu Bao at Zoo Vienna and Xing Bao at Zoo Madrid.

Bao Bao was named 100 days after her birth, as a result of an online vote[2] among Bao Bao, Ling Hua, Long Yun, Mulan, and Zhen Bao. Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States, and Peng Liyuan, First Lady of China, each sent special video messages that were played during the naming ceremony.[3] Bao Bao's birth and naming ceremony are part of China's panda diplomacy, and Bao Bao will be sent to China when she is 4 years old.

Bao Bao's public debut at the National Zoo was on January 18, 2014.[4]

As of April 21, 2014, according to the zoo's latest update, Bao Bao, while still spending a lot of time in the den, is increasingly venturing outside with Mei Xiang, and enjoys climbing in trees, despite a few falls, where she can be spotted by the still-heavy crowds. She regularly goes outside with Mei in the mornings, but still spends a lot of time, especially after mornings- in the heat of the day- sleeping, as many young and older giant pandas do (some areas of China, their habitat, are warm, but they prefer the high mountains, where, unlike Washington in the spring and summer, it's colder). Bao Bao has not yet fully learned to shift inside (come back in) at the end of the viewing day, and often remains for a time in the trees instead of going straight in with Mei. She has grown beyond breastfeeding to like sweet potatoes and fruit-sicles, which Mei sometimes helps her finish; people have spotted her on the Panda Cam picking up bamboo branches and sniffing them, though she has not actually started eating it yet.[5]

On August 19, 2014, Bao Bao won the Smithsonian Institution's annual Summer Showdown theme contest by winning the most online votes, beating out 23 other contenders for the title.[6] In terms of developmental news, Bao Bao now stands on her hind legs when keepers ask, and recognizes her name when it is called by familiar voices. She does not consistently respond as an adult giant panda would- even to her mother Mei's unique bleat. She has moved inside when called more often, instead of remaining in her favorite trees, napping or resting. She has learned to follow Mei outside most days, and so is rarely carried out now. Bao Bao is now being trained in targeting behaviors; she was touching her nose to a target at about 5 months. Now she can follow one partway inside from the outdoor yard. She has also started raiding Mei's bamboo supply and has started sampling it- another major milestone. Fruitsicles are her preferred rewards over cooked sweet potato, corn syrup, and diluted apple juice.[7]

Bao Bao

Bao Bao celebrated her first birthday on August 23, 2014, with a giant birthday cake made of frozen fruits and vegetables. Crowds of visitors gathered at the zoo to celebrate her birthday.[8]

On the afternoon of December 23, 2014, Bao Bao climbed a tree after touching a "hot wire". Responding to inquiries from concerned members of the public, the zoo stated that this was a natural reaction to the "hot wire", and that Bao Bao was safe and comfortable in the tree. After over 24 hours in the tree, Bao Bao safely climbed down on her own late on December 24.[9][10]

On Tuesday, January 6, 2015, a video was released by the National Zoo on YouTube of Bao Bao playing in the snow, her first experience of it.[11]

On Thursday, February 19, 2015, in an online news release by her keepers (this one was uncredited, but they are usually by Nicole MacCorkle) at the National Zoo's David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat and Panda House, found on the National Zoo's website in the "Meet Our Animals" section, on the Giant Panda page news updates, it was stated that Bao Bao is about 18 months- a year and a half- old, another major milestone (she was born on August 23, 2013 and celebrated her first birthday in 2014). The statement said, around this time, "... they stop nursing and start living separately from their mothers. Bao Bao started the weaning process naturally a few months ago, and now she’s eating significantly more bamboo and solid foods. She also eats separately from Mei Xiang and spends about 6 hours separated from her each day. They will spend increasingly more time apart until Bao Bao is living on her own. Bao Bao has been doing well during the time she spends apart from Mei. Our panda team expects that the process will be complete in early March. Last month our panda team and veterinarians performed an ultrasound along with human cardiologist Dr. Rosenthal on Mei Xiang (*Bao Bao's mother) as part of a routine checkup. She is in great health. Mei usually participates in ultrasounds when the panda team is monitoring her for possible pregnancies..." The rest of the release is viewable through this link.[12]

The separation was completed in early March 2015, as planned, and went well.[13]

Bao Bao celebrated her second birthday on August 23, 2015, one day after her mother Mei Xiang gave birth to twin pandas on August 22, 2015.

Mei Xiang gave birth to twin males on August 22, 2015 at 5:35 pm and 10:07 pm. It is believed the older male died.

Bao Bao will remain at the National Zoo for two more years, until August 2017, around her fourth birthday, when she will be sent to China, unless China grants the zoo an extension. Once in China, she will participate in the species breeding program.

References

  1. ↑ Almasy, Steve. "Little Bao Bao wows them at National Zoo". CNN. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  2. ↑ "Panda cub at National Zoo now has a name: Bao Bao". Washington Post. 1 December 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  3. ↑ http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Zoo-to-Name-100-Day-Old-Panda-Cub-233982321.html
  4. ↑ "Bao Bao's public debut". Washington Post. 3 January 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  5. ↑ http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/default.cfm#BaoBao
  6. ↑ http://showdown.si.edu/winner.php
  7. ↑ http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/PandaUpdates/
  8. ↑ http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/bao-baos-one-year-birthday-panda-monium/2014/08/23/0958fdd0-2a38-11e4-8593-da634b334390_story.html
  9. ↑ http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Bao-Bao-National-Zoo-tree-hot-wire-286779801.html
  10. ↑ http://wtop.com/living/2014/12/dcs-panda-cub-bao-bao-back-down-from-tree/
  11. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQZ3-OD0ml0
  12. ↑ http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/
  13. ↑ http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/default.cfm#pandaupdate

External links

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