Baby Panda Separated From Mother
Zookeepers Say Separation Is Natural
Hua Mei is growing up and leaving the den.
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The 18-month-old panda born at the San Diego Zoo has been gradually spending more time away from her mom, Bai Yun, and beginning Friday, should be on her own.
Hua Mei's keepers hope that the separation will give the mother a chance to conceive another cub.
Thursday night was to be their last spent together before moving on as "separate and independent bears," Stacey Ellis of the Zoological Society of San Diego said.
"Bai Yun seemed over the last few weeks to assert more control over the time and frequency with which Hua Mei nurses," Ellis said. "Bai Yun is kind of instinctively limiting that."
Keepers will watch the pair over the next few days "to make sure there is no undue stress, but we are not anticipating any," Ellis said.
Researchers believe that this is the time in a cub's life when mothers and offspring separate in the wild, "in keeping with their solitary nature," Ellis said.
"The mom goes off to begin her reproductive cycle again," she added. "The infant goes on to hone its survival skills and, hopefully, find a mate of his or her own eventually."
The zoo is trying to simulate what the animals would experience in the wild, and apparently the pandas are showing a natural desire to separate.
"Over the last couple of weeks we have started to separate them in the evening for periods of time," Ellis said. "This has really been a nonevent for both pandas. They don't seem to miss each other."
For zoo-goers, the change means there will be days when Hua Mei and Bai Yun won't both be on exhibit, since the zoo has three bears but only two exhibit areas.
The pandas are in temporary quarters while the Giant Panda Research Station is renovated to improve research facilities. The new digs, which may be completed by Memorial Day, also will provide exhibit space for only two pandas at a time.
At 117 pounds, the youngster -- who looked like a small, white rat at birth -- is about half-grown and exhibiting adult behaviors.
Hua Mei was born Aug. 21, 1999, to Bai Yun and the zoo's other panda, Shi Shi. The infant was a product of artificial insemination, since Shi Shi never showed any inclination to mate with Bai Yun.
Zoo officials hope that the separation from Hua Mei will enable Bai Yun to go into estrus, the period when she is receptive to mating, so the zoo can try for a natural or artificially induced pregnancy.
"Shi Shi has had ample opportunity to demonstrate amorous behavior, and of course he has not done so," Ellis said.
Still, the male will again be offered the "opportunity to demonstrate an interest," but "if it doesn't happen readily, (keepers) will probably move forward with the (artificial insemination) procedure," she said.
Bai Yun and Shi Shi are on loan from China, and Hua Mei -- the first U.S.- born panda to survive past four days -- also belongs to China.
While Shi Shi is being cared for as a "geriatric bear," he "appears to be in terrific health right now," Ellis said.
"He continues to gain weight, which is a good thing."
Bai Yun is about 10, but the zoo has never known Shi Shi's precise age because he was born in the wild. He is believed to be in his mid-to-late 20s, "which is very old," Ellis said.
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"The mom goes off to begin her reproductive cycle again," she added. "The infant goes on to hone its survival skills and, hopefully, find a mate of his or her own eventually."
The zoo is trying to simulate what the animals would experience in the wild, and apparently the pandas are showing a natural desire to separate.
"Over the last couple of weeks we have started to separate them in the evening for periods of time," Ellis said. "This has really been a nonevent for both pandas. They don't seem to miss each other."
For zoo-goers, the change means there will be days when Hua Mei and Bai Yun won't both be on exhibit, since the zoo has three bears but only two exhibit areas.
The pandas are in temporary quarters while the Giant Panda Research Station is renovated to improve research facilities. The new digs, which may be completed by Memorial Day, also will provide exhibit space for only two pandas at a time.
At 117 pounds, the youngster -- who looked like a small, white rat at birth -- is about half-grown and exhibiting adult behaviors.
Hua Mei was born Aug. 21, 1999, to Bai Yun and the zoo's other panda, Shi Shi. The infant was a product of artificial insemination, since Shi Shi never showed any inclination to mate with Bai Yun.
Zoo officials hope that the separation from Hua Mei will enable Bai Yun to go into estrus, the period when she is receptive to mating, so the zoo can try for a natural or artificially induced pregnancy.
"Shi Shi has had ample opportunity to demonstrate amorous behavior, and of course he has not done so," Ellis said.
Still, the male will again be offered the "opportunity to demonstrate an interest," but "if it doesn't happen readily, (keepers) will probably move forward with the (artificial insemination) procedure," she said.
Bai Yun and Shi Shi are on loan from China, and Hua Mei -- the first U.S.- born panda to survive past four days -- also belongs to China.
While Shi Shi is being cared for as a "geriatric bear," he "appears to be in terrific health right now," Ellis said.
"He continues to gain weight, which is a good thing."
Bai Yun is about 10, but the zoo has never known Shi Shi's precise age because he was born in the wild. He is believed to be in his mid-to-late 20s, "which is very old," Ellis said.
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