OK - Xi Lan has settled back down and has his boo up on top of the teepee!

Oh boy - at 1:45 p.m. EST, the door opens, Xi Lan drops his boo, slides down the teepee pole and through the door. It was sort of a blurry whoosh!

All better now!

Lonette, great scaps!

He did seem very unsettled during the last hour

1:15 Stands on ball...


1:15 Goes to doorway

During the last hour:

1:19 EPT hmmm, climbs wall?


1:39 EPT Climbs to top of tree with boo...


1:45 EPT Drops boo and scrambles to open door!

Playtime!

Close encounters

Lun appeared to be taking a quick 'panda nap;

Mei Lan update

Thursday, February 18
Today was Heather’s last day with Mei Lan. Heather said it was a really good day and that Mei Lan is well on her way to adjusting to her new life. Her activity pattern today was pretty close to the normal pattern for a captive giant panda. She alternated resting and sleeping throughout the day. She ate bamboo culm (stalk) from a new species of bamboo she received and also ate leaves from another species she’s been eating the last several days. Heather said Mei Lan is much calmer and is starting to respond to her new keeper.

Even though Heather is leaving Chengdu, Mei Lan will still have a familiar face from Atlanta with her until mid-March. A graduate student from Georgia Tech, Bonnie Perdue, has been at the Research Base since October collecting data for her dissertation. Bonnie has studied the pandas at Zoo Atlanta for several years. So, Mei Lan is familiar with her. Bonnie will continue to check on Mei Lan and let us know how she is doing.

Heather summed up her journey with Mei Lan well in a message about their last day together, “Although I will miss her dearly in Atlanta, Mei is in good hands here and I am confident she will do well.”
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Mammals