Results tagged “meixiang”

Holy smokes! Giant fish on the MTA, Paris Hilton in jail, then out, then in again, Al Gore, goatses, blumpkins, Matt Damon, and baby art critics! It's been a busy week across the Ist-A-Verse, and here's a smattering of what's been going on.

We have read the enlightening NY Times article about how pandas in U.S. zoos are like money pits, though adorable ones. The reason is because China leases the each panda to zoos for $2 million (in "panda cost and research"). And then there are the habitats the zoos must build, plus the expensive diets they have - oh, and if there's a baby, that's another $600,000 per year. The director of the Giant Panda Conservation Foundation in the U.S., David Towne, even says, "I've told my mayor [of Seattle] and everyone else that the last thing we want is pandas," and more blasphemous words were not said. The article is fascinating for the economic perspective of what pandas giveth and taketh away, but we'd also like the Freakonomics guys to get on the panda bandwagon and break it down.

HUZZAH! The National Zoo's 7 year-old panda, Mei Xiang, has given birth "a baby the size of a stick of butter"!!! (Panda babies are pale and pinkish; imagine a larger hamster... the black and white markings aren't evident till later...for examples, see this newborn photo of Mei Sheng from San Diego, and ones where he is older, 1 and 2.) DCist says the panda exhibit will be closed for three months while the zoo keepers keep on eye on the new mom and baby. And all signs point to Mei Xiang being a good panda mom - she's been tending to the baby. No word on what Tian Tian, the male panda, has been doing, as his job was done once Mei Xiang was artificially inseminated, but we imagine he's been sleeping and eating as usual.

Hooray! San Diego panda Bai Yun gave birth to the first of two baby pandas. Previously, on a routine ultrasound, San Diego panda keepers were surprised by Bai Yun's pregnancy and the fact that it was with twins. Also, they don't know who the father is. At any rate, the panda team is trying to see if there is another cub, but in the meantime, Bai Yun seems to be doing fine with the first (in the box outlined above - yes, panda babies look like rats at first - gross). Click here to see video of Bai Yun and baby - the baby's vocalization can be heard.

Gothamist has the best readers ever: We received multiple emails asking why we hadn't posted about the exciting news coming from San Diego. Yes, the news that Bai Yun the panda is pregnant...with twins! And in a plot twist worthy of a soap opera, zoo keepers aren't sure who the father is - they inseminated her on two occasions with the sperm of two different pandas, Shi Shi, who is now in China, and Gao Gao, the panda male currently in San Diego. Truthfully, Gothamist was wary of posting about it is because panda pregnancies are very delicate, especially pregnancy with twins, and we didn't want to get too excited about it. From our panda knowledge, one twin tends to be ignored as the panda mother can only pay attention to one. But the San Diego Zoo is a top notch facility, and we're sure that as we speak, they are trying to force Bai Yun into bed rest with tons of bamboo and carrots. See for yourself with the San Diego Zoo Panda Cam.

Memphis is known for many things - Blues, barbecue, Al Green - and now they've added another jewel: PANDAS. The Times examines Memphis' determination to reinvigorate their economy by adding pandas to the Memphis Zoo. (More information about the Memphis Zoo's panda is lovingly detailed at their site.) Now the pressure is on for the pandas, Ya Ya and Le Le to mate, and have a panda baby, so the zoo can attract more visitors and sell baby panda paraphenalia. While the Zoo does have "Panda Hotel Packages," Gothamist thinks a surefire hit for a Memphis tourist package would be a "Ribs 'N' Panda Weekend" where you'd get to try the best barbecue AND see the pandas.

Panda Passion Play
Yesterday, Gothamist decided to see what the National Zoo pandas were up to...