Hui Hui
It is time for my last update from “The ‘Da”, as I will be leaving here in just a few days. I have really enjoyed all the work that I have been doing with the pandas, and despite its isolation, the town of Gengda has welcomed us and feels like it is now my Chinese home.
Bing Cheng at Gengda
It has been a very busy three months and this next week will be no different as I try to wrap up and finalize everything that I have been working on. The stereotype observations have been going well, despite the relocation and movement of some of the bears due to the construction going on at the base. Here’s a couple of shots of bears in their new pens!
Zi Yan
Xi Xi (Male)
Xi Wong
Tong Tong
Rong Rong
Jia Mei
Jia He
I have also been spending a lot of time making videos of the footage that I have collected from Shui Xiu and her cub, Xiu Qiu, at Hetaoping. I have been using them as a model pair to help refine the weaning ethogram by observing their interactions. A couple of times a week I have also been able to do live observations with some of the mothers and their young cubs that were born this year at Shenshuping. Using the maternal care ethogram to observe their behaviors, I am able to compare what I see to our weaning ethogram and make adjustments that might be necessary for observing older cubs once the study begins.
I know some of you have not yet been able to visit Shenshuping yet, and for my last blog post I wanted to include pictures of the pandas that have, like me, been calling Gengda their home. Here’s a last look at the kindergarten cubs!
A Jie and Yi Yun(with the white foot) often spend time playing together
Ya Jun waiting impatiently for her panda bread
Zàijiàn!!!
Those two cubs have grown a lot since I was there in September! Thanks for the look at the revised enclosures and all the bears–glad to see more trees and swings and stuff. Really wish they would release some more info about the mothers and cubs–you have been lucky to be able to observe them at such a wonderful time for mother-cub interactions. Sad that you are getting ready to leave, but guess you’ll be happy to be getting home too. Best of luck with your future endeavors!
Thank you for these terrific pictures! And good luck in your future endeavors – I know you will NEVER forget your time in Gengda or the pandas! Happy Holidays! And thanks for the memories!
Sincerely, JoAnn Mann
Look how big the kind has gotten since September when we were there! Thanks for the updates. I’m really enjoying them!
Wonderful, wonderful photos and information about these pandas! Thank you so much for sharing your photos and your research! I hope you had a great time at Gengda, even though alot of things are in transition! Beautiful pics of our wonderful pandas and thank you so much for your contribution to this research!