Rotating Mei Xiang & Tian Tian
The giant panda behavior watch is now in full swing at the National Zoo in Washington DC, but there really hasn’t been a noticeable change in either Tian Tian’s or Mei Xiang’s behavior. Both are continuing to scent-mark and to investigate each other’s scent marks. Keepers are rotating them through different yards on a regular basis to give them maximum opportunities for scent communication.
Here is a panda update from the National Zoo:
Keepers are also incorporating some special training into the giant pandas’ daily routine. Tian Tian participates in daily leg-strengthening exercises, which we started to train last breeding season. The purpose of the exercises is to make sure that his hind legs are strong enough to hold a breeding position for an extended period of time. Mei Xiang is called into the training area each morning, so that keepers can look for physical signs (changes in her genital region) that indicate estrus is near. So far, no changes have been noted. In recent years, she’s exhibited early estrus cycles in January. We continue to keep our fingers crossed that she’ll wait until spring this year, which would put her back on a more normal cycle. The norm for the species is for females to go into estrus between March and May.
We are making sure that things are just right in the giant pandas’ environment to set them up for success this breeding season. For example, the lights in the building now go out promptly at 5 p.m. each evening, and remain off until 7 a.m. the next morning, and there is no human activity in or above the panda house during those hours. This way, we can be sure that the bears’ circadian rhythms are not disrupted.
Source: National Zoo
