San Diego Zoo Global Joins Cheetah Breeding Coalition

San Diego Zoo Global Joins Cheetah Breeding Coalition

National Coalition Includes Eight Other Organizations

     Noka, a 13-year-old male cheetah, is perched in a tree investigating the exhibit of a female cheetah. This is one of the first steps in introducing male and female cheetahs for breeding. Noka is one of 16 cheetahs in an off-exhibit breeding facility at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.


     San Diego Zoo Global, which has been breeding cheetahs for more than 40 years, yielding more than 130 cubs, has recently joined the national cheetah Breeding Center Coalition (BCC) to create a sustainable cheetah population that will prevent extinction of the world’s fastest land animal. In addition to the nine breeding facilities, it is expected that more than 100 other organizations accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums that already house cheetahs will also join this coalition in a nonbreeding capacity.

     The nine-member coalition’s goal is to achieve a sustainable zoo population of cheetahs within 10 years. To achieve this goal, the facilities have set a target of 15 cheetah cub litters to be born each year. A typical cheetah litter has about three cubs, which would total 45 cubs per year among the nine breeding centers.

Showing Off Stripes: Okapi Calf Makes Debut at San Diego Zoo

Showing Off Stripes: Okapi Calf Makes Debut at San Diego Zoo

     A 17-day-old female okapi calf at the San Diego Zoo took her first stroll around her exhibit this morning, staying near Mom and appearing a little tentative but curious about her new surroundings. The calf was born on May 19 and, until today, has been behind the scenes and out of public view in the Zoo’s okapi barn with her mother, Safarani.

     Animal care staff report the calf is healthy and progressing well and has almost doubled her birth weight in a little over two weeks. This is the fourth calf born to Safarani and the 23rd  okapi born at the San Diego Zoo.

     Okapis are native to the Ituri Forest, a dense rain forest in Central Africa. The species is near threatened, mainly due to habitat destruction. It is believed there are currently less than 25,000 okapis in the wild. There are less than 90 okapis in zoos in the United States.

Sunny and Raining Raisins

It’s Sunny and Raining Raisins for Play Days at San Diego Zoo

     Following a “raisin rain,” two lowland gorillas forage for the sweet treats in the thick grass of their exhibit at the San Diego Zoo on Tuesday. Twenty-four-year-old Paul Donn, a male silverback, and 18-year-old female gorilla Ndjia were treated to the fruit as part of the Zoo’s Play Days event, which highlights the various ways the Zoo provides enrichment activities for the animals to encourage and reinforce the animals’ natural behaviors including hunting, exploring, climbing and swimming.

     The San Diego Zoo is home to eight western lowland gorillas, a species listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
During Play Days the Zoo is open from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. through April 7 and also includes keeper talks and opportunities for guests to meet Zoo creatures up close - perhaps to feed one.

FIRST SNOW DAY FOR PANDA CUB!

Tuesday, March 19, starting at 7 a.m., we are preparing for snow in the panda exhibits. We are very excited and thankful to all the panda fans who donated money to give this wonderful enrichment to our giant pandas. I am sure we will see you at 9 a.m. sharp in person or starting around 8 a.m. on the Panda Cam!
It’s a bit of a process to actually make snow and put it in the exhibits. We have a truck that comes in and is specially designed to turn large ice blocks into snow. There are large hoses that we can hold and deliver (spray) snow into the entire panda exhibit. Snow will be blown into Bai Yun and Xiao Liwu’s north exhibit and into Gao Gao’s exhibit in the main viewing area.

Sadly, Yun Zi’s new tree will not be done in time (due to a couple of days of rain), and he will stay housed next to Bai Yun and Mr. Wu for a few more days. But don’t fret! Yun Zi will be getting snow, too, and we will make sure he has a mound of it to play in.

We are all excited to see how brave Mr. Wu is and what his first reaction will be when he puts his paws in it. Hopefully, it will be a wonderful play day for both bears and guests!

Jennifer Becerra is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

Here’s Zhen Zhen when she saw her first snow:

Rhino Calf Gets Bottle Feeding from Keepers at San Diego Zoo Safari Park

copyright Ken Bohn    Photo taken on Jan. 17, 2013, by Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

 Keepers at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park gave five-week-old rhino calf Shomili, or Mili, as keepers call her, a bottle feeding as part of her daily nutritional routine this morning.  Animal care has been giving the greater one-horned rhino calf bottle feedings since first time mother Sundari has not been able to give her calf all of the nutrition that she needs.

     Sundari is a young mother and her milk is not coming in the way keepers expected. Animal care staff made the decision to give a supplemental bottle feeding twice a day to make sure Shomili gets the nutrition a young, growing rhino requires.

     Weighing 128 pounds when she was born December 13, Mili now weighs 245 pounds and is developing right on track, keepers report. Photo taken on Jan. 17, 2013, by Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Giant Panda Cub Debut This Week At The San Diago Zoo

This week the San Diago Zoo debuted it's new star.  Here is a gallery of photos taken this afternoon as the new star, Xiao Liwu, explores his new home.
  The San Diego Zoo has had a love affair with giant pandas ever since two of the black-and-white bears came to visit in 1987. After years of red tape and tons of application paperwork, the Zoo and China agreed on a 12-year research loan of two giant pandas, Bai Yun and Shi Shi. A brand-new exhibit area was built for our panda guests, which has since been expanded and renovated and is now called the Giant Panda Research Station. We currently have four giant pandas—Bai Yun, Gao Gao, Yun Zi, and our newest cub, born on July 29, 2012.

Our pandas enjoy deluxe accommodations with larger exhibit areas and extra vegetation and climbing structures. You'll enjoy the newer exhibit area too, with its winding, elevated viewing paths that give great panda-watching opportunities of the two main enclosures.


Visiting the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park helps support our studies of wild giant panda populations. San Diego Zoo Global established its first conservation science program for wild pandas at the Foping Nature Reserve in China in 2006. The program utilizes radiotelemetry to research several important areas to futher our understanding of natural giant panda behavior and ecology. These include mating strategies and genetic diversity of panda populations, denning ecology, habitat use and movement patterns, and human disturbance.

"Long day time for a little nap."

Panda Files: "First Time"

San Diego Zoo’s Panda Cub Explores Outside Habitat, Greets Public for First Time

     It was a big day for the San Diego Zoo’s panda cub, Xiao Liwu: this was his first time in front of onlookers. The cub stepped into the outside habitat by himself this morning and climbed through the bamboo as employees and media representatives got their first glimpses of the five-month-old cub.

     Panda staff say the cub is a confident climber but may have some tumbles while he’s getting used to the new habitat, which is very normal. There are trees, a moat and rocks to climb over, which are all new elements for the cub.

     Only 1,600 giant pandas are believed to exist in the wild, and the species is primarily threatened by habitat loss. San Diego Zoo Global, in conjunction with giant panda experts from the People’s Republic of China, continues to work on science-based panda conservation programs at the Zoo and in China.Photo taken on Jan. 9, 2013, by Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo.

The Panda Files: "Look Into My Eyes"

   SAN DIEGO – As Xiao Liwu gains strength in his legs, the curious 18-week-old giant panda cub is exploring more, even getting near the camera for an up-close view of his black and white markings. As the cub, whose name means “little gift,” develops, mother Bai Yun will take him into other rooms for the cub to explore in their off-exhibit area. Bai Yun and Xiao Liwu can be seen in action daily online at www.sandiegozoo.org/pandacam. Only 1,600 giant pandas are believed to exist in the wild, and the species is primarily threatened by habitat loss. San Diego Zoo Global, in conjunction with giant panda experts from the People’s Republic of China, continues to work on science-based panda conservation programs at the Zoo and in China.Photo taken on Dec. 4, 2012, by Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo.

The Panda Files: "Barking Up a Tree"

Panda Cub Xiao Liwu, Barking Up a Tree
SAN DIEGO- San Diego Zoo keepers placed a small section of a tree branch and some fresh bamboo on the ground for the panda cub’s 17thexam this morning. Xiao Liwu was eager to explore and climbed over the branch while practicing his coordinated climbing skills for keepers. The 19-week-old panda weighed 14 pounds this morning when he was brought in for his weekly veterinary exam and continues to grow. Only 1,600 giant pandas are believed to exist in the wild, and the species is primarily threatened by habitat loss. San Diego Zoo Global, in conjunction with giant panda experts from the People’s Republic of China, continues to work on science-based panda conservation programs at the Zoo and in China.Photo taken on Dec. 13, 2012, by Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo.

The Panda Files: "New Year, New Adventures"

New Year, New Adventures for the San Diego Zoo’s Panda Cub
     The San Diego Zoo’s panda cub, Xiao Liwu, started the New Year with a clean bill of health from his veterinarians. During his 20th exam this morning there was bamboo to snack on and various toys including a doughnut- shaped plastic ring (perfect for panda sitting) to play with and a wooden log to climb over.

     The 22-week-old panda weighed 16 pounds this morning and keepers say he is confidently climbing and full of energy.

     Only 1,600 giant pandas are believed to exist in the wild, and the species is primarily threatened by habitat loss. San Diego Zoo Global, in conjunction with giant panda experts from the Peoples Republic of China, continues to work on science-based panda conservation programs at the Zoo and in China.
Photo taken on Jan. 1, 2013, by Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo.

Panda Files: “All Mine and I’m Not Sharing!”

San Diego Zoo’s Panda Cub, “All Mine and I’m Not Sharing!”

     The San Diego Zoo’s panda cub, Xiao Liwu, was eager to play with a plastic ball during his 18th exam this morning and made it clear that he did not want to share his new toy by holding onto the ball tightly. Panda keepers gave the cub the new toy to test his coordination and encourage him to play with new objects.

     The 20-week-old panda weighed 14.5 pounds this morning when he was brought in for his weekly veterinary exam and is on track with other giant pandas born at the San Diego Zoo.

    Only 1,600 giant pandas are believed to exist in the wild, and the species is primarily threatened by habitat loss. San Diego Zoo Global, in conjunction with giant panda experts from the People’s Republic of China, continues to work on science-based panda conservation programs at the Zoo and in China.
Photo taken on Dec. 18, 2012, by Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo.

The Panda Files: San Diego Zoo's Panda Cub Naming

San Diego Zoo Panda Cub Is a “Little Gift” Named Xiao Liwu

Name Selected by Public in Online Vote

     The San Diego Zoo unveiled the name of the sixth giant panda born at the Zoo during a public ceremony on Tuesday. Rick Gulley (left) president of the San Diego Zoo Global Board of Trustees and Ron Swaisgood, Ph.D. (right), co-head of the Giant Panda Team for San Diego Zoo Global, revealed a photo of the cub showing his name - Xiao Liwu. The name means “little gift.”  [Pronunciation is sshyaoww (falling then rising tone) lee (falling then rising tone) woo (falling tone)]

     The San Diego Zoo follows the Chinese cultural tradition of naming the giant panda after it is 100 days old. The Zoo gave the public the opportunity to select the cub’s name in a two-part process. The Zoo took open suggestions for names and received more than 7,000 submissions. Those submissions were narrowed down to six names and the public voted online on a name for the cub. Nearly 35,000 votes were cast for the cub’s name. The winning name, Xiao Liwu, was submitted with the explanation  “this cub is such a precious, little gift to our world.”

Photo taken on Nov. 13, 2012, by Ken Bohn, San Diego Zoo.