Everyone at the base has been busy the last couple of weeks preparing for the arrival of the first panda cubs: All the male pandas have been moved out of the breeding center to make room for the females that the staff believes are close to giving birth, the breeding managers are spending more and more time up at the breeding center checking up on the females, and the keepers are taking turns working the graveyard panda watch, to make sure someone is close by at all times in case a cub decides to arrive.
Last Wednesday night, Xi Mei was the first female to give birth this year. She gave birth to twins, one male and one female, in the middle of the night with no complications. If a panda gives birth to twins in the wild, it is thought that the mother is forced to pick one to feed and nurture because it would be nearly impossible for her to raise two cubs by herself (though recent research by our collaborators at San Diego Zoo have found evidence that females actually do rear two cubs at once). At the panda center, if a female panda gives birth to twins, like Xi Mei, the keepers will take the second cub, wrap it up in warm blankets and transfer the newborn to the panda kindergarten where it will be placed in an incubator. The keepers will switch out the cubs every couple of days to ensure that both the cubs get essential bonding time with their mother.
When I heard that Xi Mei had twins, I went up to the breeding center to see if I could see them. One was being kept out of sight in the panda kindergarten, but I hoped I could catch a glimpse of the cub that was still with its mother. The door to Xi Mei’s enclosure was closed and the windows were covered with curtains so no one could see inside. The only way to see her and her baby was through the video feed in the keepers’ office. Unfortunately, since panda cubs are so small when they are born I could not see Xi Mei’s baby; she was cradling it in her arms the entire time and it was impossible to see the tiny baby through her thick fur. But you could tell that it was there. She kept staring down and licking the little baby in her arms. I am hoping that I will be able to see them soon though! The keepers think that Shui Xiu will be the next one to give birth any day now. I will keep updating as more and more cubs start arriving.
-Arina