The Mature Panda

Bai Yun will be 15 years old on September 7. She will not really notice as her birthday passes; she will be busily engrossed in her daily routine of feeding and caring for herself and her yearling cub, Su Lin. But this time next year will she be caring for another newborn cub?

The oldest giant panda at Wolong to ever give birth was Jia Jia. That old girl was born in 1978, but gave birth to twins in 1996 at the age of 18. Several other female pandas in Wolong have given birth in their late teens, females like “Number One,” who gave birth to triplets in 1999 at the age of 16. As such, there is no reason to expect that Bai Yun won’t continue to be fertile for another year or two.

It seems common that the female panda senesces at about age 17 or 18. At this point they cease to give birth successfully, although they may continue to have an estrus in the spring and may even breed. Within a year or two, however, their estrus cycle will cease to be evident and the bears will no longer show interest in breeding.

The bears can still live long lives beyond their senescence. For those of you with an itch to travel, you can still visit Jia Jia at her residence in Hong Kong’s Ocean Park; she’s now 28 years of age! As far as males go, our own Shi Shi was estimated to have been born in the wild in the late 1970s, and so may be as old or older than Jia Jia. The National Zoo’s first male panda, Hsing Hsing, died at age 28. Bai Yun certainly has many happy years ahead of her.

How much longer will she be able to produce cubs? This is a bit of an unknown. Unlike most pandas in Chinese facilities, Bai Yun has never given birth in consecutive years. We will have to see if this management regime has an impact on her fertility as she ages. It is possible that a less demanding birthing schedule may result in a longer period of fertility. It’s also possible that the timing of senescence in the female panda may be hardwired and is not affected by how many pregnancies she sustains or cubs she gives birth to. Here is yet another opportunity for Bai Yun to inform us about another aspect of panda life… we’ll just have to wait a few years before she reveals the answer!

Suzanne Hall is the senior research laboratory technician for the Giant Panda Conservation Unit of the Applied Animal Ecology Division/CRES.

Watch Bai Yun and our other pandas on Panda Cam.

Conservation News

Zoological Society of San Diego's Highest Honor Goes to
Three Conservationists

In 2006, the Zoological Society of San Diego's prestigious Conservation Medal will be awarded to three conservation luminaries. William Burnham, Ph.D and Tom J. Cade, Ph.D, renowned as early champions for endangered species with the not-for-profit The Peregrine Fund, and Paxson "Packy" H. Offield, a celebrated conservation philanthropist, will all be honored December 7 at the Zoological Society's President's Associates Holiday Dinner.

Dr. Cade was one of a group of scientists searching for reasons why the peregrine falcon was suffering catastrophic population declines in the late 1960s. This group found a link between exposure to DDT, a common pesticide, and the thickness and viability of the falcon's eggshells, a link that was instrumental in exposing environmental causes contributing to species decline. As a professor at Cornell University, he started The Peregrine Fund to develop techniques that could bring the species back from the edge of extinction, including captive breeding, species reintroduction, as well as educating the public to the plight of these birds of prey.

In 1974, Dr. Burnham joined The Peregrine Fund, developing and managing the Fund's western program for peregrine falcon restoration. Three years later, his work earned him a place on the Fund's board of directors and he has been the leader of the organization since 1984, supervising and directing its World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho.

The peregrine falcon was one of the first species listed as endangered when the Endangered Species Act came into existence in 1974. In 1999, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officially removed the peregrine falcon from the endangered species list, due in large part to the work of The Peregrine Fund. Since that time the mission of the Fund, and these two men, has expanded to over 24 species of birds of prey and almost a dozen non-raptor species.

Paxson "Packy" H. Offield is another important figure in endangered species conservation. He is a long-time supporter of the conservation work of the Zoological Society of San Diego through the Offield Family Foundation and has supported numerous grants for conservation scientists at the Zoological Society's center for Conservation and Research for Endangered Species (CRES). Mr. Offield also serves on the board of the Santa Catalina Island Conservancy, and has been chairman of the board for The Peregrine Fund while providing financial support for the Fund's conservation of gyrfalcon and peregrine falcon species. He also has supported Bat Conservation International and the USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies. His lifelong interest in marine ecology led him to endow the Paxson H. Offield Professor of Fisheries Ecology position at the University of Southern California. Mr. Offield continues to offer financial and advisory support for numerous conservation projects, and his generosity and commitment have helped the Zoological Society achieve vital conservation goals.

The Zoological Society of San Diego's Conservation Medal was first presented in 1966 during the Society's golden anniversary celebration. Since that time, more than 50 medals have been awarded to an impressive international array of conservationists. Past recipients of the Conservation Medal include Jane Goodall, Gilbert M. Grosvenor, H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh, Sir David Attenborough, and E. O. Wilson. The Conservation Medal is awarded annually by the Zoological Society's Board of Trustees to people who have significantly increased knowledge of wildlife habitats, played an active role in endangered species preservation through breeding programs, research, and the establishment of wildlife preserves, or furthered the cause of conservation through financial support, influence, or publicity.

G.R.O.W ?? What's that ?

GROW is a programme run by Wild-Expeditions that provides highly personal, specialist training across a broad range of biological research topics. The expeditions last for four weeks and take place in exotic locations in Mexico. As a student you will receive specialist training by experienced researchers in the field. You will work within the framework of on-going scientific projects and subsequently will be given the opportunity to conduct your own research project. Ultimately you will gain first hand research experience and tuition, an educational qualification and the support needed to help you publish your work in scientific journals.

"The unique experience provided by Wild-Expeditions allows young scientists to launch a career in research whilst learning of new countries and cultures and conducting projects that further our knowledge of valuable environments."