Wednesday, December 6
The cub is three months old today! Another big change we expect to occur in the next month is that the cub will be able to defecate and urinate on her own. The cub still relies on licking by her mother to stimulate elimination and Lun Lun still consumes the waste. By the time the cub is four months old, she won’t need this stimulation anymore and Lun Lun won’t consume the waste anymore.
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Giant Panda Research and Management

Tuesday, December 5
We are all looking forward to some big changes that will occur in the next month. The biggest change will be that the cub will become mobile. She will start crawling this month and should be able to walk by the time she is four months old. Pretty soon she’ll be able to leave the nest box and it will be interesting to see how Lun Lun reacts to that. Most mothers carry or drag the cub back to the nest frequently initially, but then they give up after a few days and let the cub wander around and explore.
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Giant Panda Research and Management

A nursing cub

Monday, December 4
As Heather wrote yesterday, the cub is usually quiet while her mother is away. The cub is also quieter overall than she was in the first few weeks after she was born. In the first month of her life she vocalized during 29% of the sampling intervals during our behavioral observations. In the second month this reduced to 14% and in the third month it’s 12%. Vocalizations are an important way for the cub to communicate to her mother that she is cold, hungry or uncomfortable. Now that the cub is so furry and doesn’t need her mother to keep her warm, she mainly vocalizes when she is hungry.
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Giant Panda Research and Management

Sunday, December 3
Lun Lun, Yang Yang and their cub continue to do wonderfully well. The cub seems to get bigger every second! Lun Lun slept in one of the dayroom exhibits this afternoon.  This is the first time she has slept so far away from the cub. This means Lun Lun feels comfortable that the cub will be safe in her next box while she is away. She will probably do this more often and continue to spend greater lengths of time away from the cub. The cub usually sleeps quietly while her mother is away. In the wild, giant panda cubs would attract predators if they vocalized while in the den alone, so they instinctively remain quiet.
Heather Baker Roberts
Seasonal Giant Panda Keeper

Saturday, December 2
So, what has changed with the cub over the last few days? Really nothing. Besides the naming ceremony that will occur on the 15th the next milestone that we are looking forward to is the cub starting to walk. The start of walking normally occurs around four months of age, which is about the same time that you might get a chance to see the cub on exhibit. The cub has already started to do some push-ups which occurs normally around three months. Development is right on course. Mom Lun Lun has developed a good routine over the last few weeks, almost making it predictable to what she is going to do. 
J.T. Svoke
Giant Panda Keeper II

Friday, December 1
So when you see an animal every day, you pay a lot less attention to details like size, weight, etc as it does not change noticeably between shifts. But then every once in a while, like yesterday for me with our little panda cub, you stop and ask yourself, "GEEZ, when did she get so BIG???"

As the baby panda gets closer to her 100 day milestone, every vet check sees her happy, healthy, and huge. But the panda team, and frankly all of Atlanta I would guess, are looking forward to her finally having a name of her own. "The cub" or "Lun Lun and Yang Yang's baby" are starting to wear a little thin. The generation of the final names for the ajc.com/pandavote poll was an interesting and involved process, but we now have ten good choices for Atlanta, and anyone on the web, to decide on.

So to help you decide, here's what little there is to tell you about the cub that you may not know or recall. She was born in the afternoon of September 6, and that day was indeed a full moon.She is the only cub born outside of China this year, and so is unique and special. While she is born an Atlantean, she will eventually go back to China, which will likely be her home. Since both parents hail from Chengdu, this may give our little girl dual citizenship. Who knows? But she is very quiet most of the time, not too fussy, and already showing her mother's curiosity in her environment. Both her parents are very intelligent, so we have high hopes for her. Now it's up to you to help us choose the best name possible. I know which one I'm voting for!
Jay Pratte
Giant Panda Keeper III

Just shy of 10 lbs,

Thursday, November 30
The cub received another health check today. She is growing and getting stronger every day. She weighed 4.5 kg (9.9 lbs) and measured 58.4 cm (23 inches) from her nose to the tip of her tail. A few of her teeth have erupted and several more are visible just below the gum line. These are deciduous or baby teeth. The cub will have her full set of permanent teeth when she is about a year old and she will start using those teeth to eat bamboo when she is 13-14 months old. Lun Lun calmly ate bamboo and biscuits while her cub was away.
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Giant Panda Research and Management

Wednesday, November 29
Both Lun Lun and the cub are doing great today.  Lun Lun’s weight is holding steady this week between 105 kg-109 kg (231 lbs-240 lbs).  This is her normal weight for this time of year.  The cub was 4.1 kg (9.1 lbs) last week, and if she follows the same pattern of weight gain, we may see her weighing over 10 lbs at her next health check tomorrow. 

Just so you can see the difference between a male and a female panda, Yang Yang currently weighs between 125 kg and 132 kg (275 lbs and 290 lbs).
Kate Roca
Giant Panda Keeper II

nap time

Tuesday, November 28
We have been collecting data on Lun Lun’s behavior since her cub was born for a study of maternal behavior. Lun Lun is one of seven mothers included in this study. I thought you might be interested in how her behavior has changed as her cub has gotten older. In the first month of the cub’s life, Lun Lun spent 98% of her time in contact with her cub. In the second month that reduced to 62% and so far in the third month it has reduced further to 29%. Lun Lun spent 80% of her time holding her cub in the first month. That reduced to 23% in the second month and is only 12% so far in the third month. Lun Lun spent 7% of her time licking her cub in the first month and that has reduced to 2% so far in the third month. Lun Lun spent only 2% of her time feeding in the first month and that has increased to 18% in the third month. Subsequently, the amount of time Lun Lun spent resting decreased from 83% in the first month to 62% so far in the third month. All of these changes are normal. Lun Lun’s behavior is very similar to that of other mothers in the study. We are looking forward to the cub becoming more active and mobile and expect Lun Lun and her cub to start playing together by the time the cub is four months old.
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Giant Panda Research and Management

Monday, November 27
Lun Lun now often chooses to sleep outside of the nest box. The cub has a thick coat of fur and doesn’t have to rely on her mother to keep her warm. So, Lun Lun does not have to spend much time in contact with her anymore. Lun Lun still spends most of her time resting near the cub in the same den or sometimes within visual range in the adjacent den. Although Lun Lun readily goes out into the exhibit areas for part of each day, she does not yet seem to be comfortable resting far from the cub. She always returns to the den area to rest.
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Giant Panda Research and Management

Sunday, November 26
What does Lun Lun do when she is off camera? Most of the time she is eating or sleeping like a normal panda would be doing, but sometimes she is "playing" with enrichment. The best enrichment items are objects that help simulate the bears natural behavior and habitat, but essentially can be anything. Both adult bears get enrichment daily. It can be almost anything from a smell, a boomer ball, bamboo style feeders or a swing to lay on. To get new items approved, items have to be submitted and reviewed to make sure that they are safe for them to interact with. Right now we have to also consider what is safe for the cub, as Lun has the potential to bring certain items near her. I guess that you can say that items need to be "baby proof." Nevertheless, there are numerous objects that still fit this criteria for Lun to interact with.
J.T. Svoke
Giant Panda Keeper II

Saturday, November 25
The pandas are enjoying the beautiful weather as much as our Zoo guests. Yang Yang is happy and active outside and munching away throughout the day. Following these snacks, he can be found sleeping his full belly off where the visitors can see him. Lun Lun has access to an outside dayroom for a short period most days. She clearly enjoys the time to herself. After these solitary moments, she always returns to her little girl. The cub seems to get bigger each time I look at her. I am certain my earlier comparison to kudzu was a valid one. There was just no good Chinese translation for "little weed" when it came time to submit staff ideas for naming. She is moving around more and seems to be trying to pull her back legs underneath her body. Next step, well it is steps. We hope she will be walking soon!
Jay Pratte
Giant Panda Keeper III

Friday, November 24
Lun Lun and Yang Yang are enjoying a post-Thanksgiving feast of black bamboo today (another species of Phyllostachys nigra, similar to henon). This is one of their favorite species, but it’s not as prevalent in the Atlanta metro area as some of their other favorites. Both pandas are eating the leaves from this species. In another month or two, the cub will start to mouth and manipulate bamboo, but she won’t begin to feed on it until she is 13-14 months old.
Rebecca Snyder, PhD
Curator of Giant Panda Research and Management

Thanksgiving Day
It may be Thanksgiving to all of us, but to the pandas it is just another day to enjoy bamboo or milk in the cub’s case. Yesterday and today, Lun Lun enjoyed some time in the outdoor enclosure while the cub stayed warm in her nest box. During Lun Lun’s first venture out to this area, she checked out all of the smells and scent marks that Yang Yang has left in the past. Then she sat down for a snack on bamboo and leaf eater biscuits in the sunshine.   
Happy Thanksgiving,
Kate Roca
Giant Panda Keeper II

78 days old!

Wednesday, November 22
The cub had another health check today. She is in excellent health and getting stronger. She weighed 4.1 kg (9.1 lbs). Two teeth have erupted on her lower jaw and her ear canals are open. Her coat has also grown thicker and longer. Lun Lun ate bamboo and biscuits calmly in the adjacent den while her cub was away. The procedure took about 15 minutes and then the cub was returned to her nest box and Lun Lun was given access to her. Lun Lun continued to eat bamboo for several minutes and then eventually returned to her cub.
Dr. Rebecca Snyder
Curator of Giant Panda Research and Management

Tuesday, November 21
All the giant pandas continue to do great today. Yang Yang is enjoying the cooler weather outside. Giant pandas are from China where winters are very cold and snow falls, so the colder temperatures are natural for the pandas. Lun Lun also has access to the indoor exhibits occasionally, but she still spends most of her time in the off exhibit dens closer to the cub, although she has been leaving it alone quite a bit while she eats, sleeps, and participates in training sessions. This is typical behavior and as the cub gets older, it will become more and more independent. Already the cub is pushing up and scooting about and it seems like she could start crawling at any time.
Kate Roca
Giant Panda Keeper II

Monday, November 20
Life around the panda building is fairly quiet these days as the cub continues to grow under Lun Lun's excellent care. We expect the cub will be crawling sometime next month, but right now she does her daily "work-outs" by pushing her head up with her front legs and trying to get her back legs underneath her. These behaviors are all meant to strengthen her leg muscles so she will be able to crawl and eventually walk. Be sure to tune into panda cam or visit the zoo to watch our cub's progress on monitors outside their habitat.
Heather Baker Roberts
Seasonal Giant Panda Keeper

Sunday, November 19
You might be have seen Lun Lun in the recent week or two carrying the cub around within her den and into an adjacent one. Why is she doing this? This is a hard question to answer because there is no definitive reason for the behavior. The only behavior that seems to be present with all of the carrying is that the cub tends to be extremely fussy. Lun Lun tries to reposition the cub frequently during this time, but if the cub continues to vocalize she seems to carry it around as a last resort. Afterwards, the cub quiets down and goes to sleep.
J.T. Svoke
Giant Panda Keeper II

Saturday, November 18
Our little girl is now 73-days-old. We're getting closer to the 100 Day Naming Celebration and as a result we are receiving many questions about what the cub's name will be. Surprisingly, the keepers haven't come up with any nicknames for her. Behind the scenes, we all have our little variations on Yang Yang and Lun Lun's given names that we use sporadically, like the pet names people have for friends or family members. Oddly enough, we still refer to the tiny giant panda as "the cub" or "the baby." I think perhaps the respect we have for Chinese traditions, like the 100 day naming practice, has seeped into our brains.

However, this does not mean that we haven't put thought into the potential name. The members of the panda team, along with other zoo staff, were given the opportunity to choose names for a zoo-wide staff name vote. Because Zoo Atlanta will submit two of the ten names for the online poll hosted by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (on their website at ajc.com), staff were able to vote on suggestions that had been contributed internally. We all tried to come up with names that were cute and appropriate, did not sound like either of the parents' names and had sensible Chinese/English translations. Ultimately, the submissions 
were narrowed down to several good choices.  Watch for those, along with all of the other submissions to the 10-day poll being hosted on ajc.com starting Dec. 1. We are hoping all of you panda watchers out there will vote! Happy Naming!!!
Jay Pratte
Giant Panda Keeper III

She's a whopping 22.44" long

Thursday, November 16
The cub received another health exam this morning. She weighed 8.07 lbs. She measures from the tip of her nose to the tip of her tail 22.44 inches long. She is growing at a steady rate. Her hair coat continues to thicken. She can hold herself up on her front legs with her head raised. She is very steady in this posture as long as she does not try to move her back legs at the same time. When she does, she loses her balance and tends to roll over or moves in a circle. This is very normal for young cubs as they develop their sense of balance and strengthen their bodies in preparation for 
walking. However, she just might like rolling around! Overall, the cub appears to be doing very well and remains healthy.
Dr. Maria Crane
Vice President of Animal Health

Wednesday, November 15
Everything is going smoothly. Lun Lun is back into the normal routine of being a panda here at Zoo Atlanta while also taking great care of the cub. She now eats 8-10 kg (17-22 lbs) a day, which is in her normal intake range for the season. She is also eating all the biscuits and fruit we are providing, which are supplements to the bamboo. When she first had the cub, we would offer her food when ever she wanted it without any type of schedule. Now she is on a daily schedule that allows us to clean her and the cub’s den areas, train with her daily, weigh her twice a day, and collect data for research 4 times a week.
Kate Roca
Giant Panda Keeper II

Tuesday, November 14
Since our little panda cub is healthy and happy, allow me to enlighten our avid update and panda cam viewers on the trials and tribulations of camera control. Here in Panda Central, we have a minimum of five viewing screens going at any given time. When Lun Lun is away from her cub, we have to monitor at least three separate areas to keep an eye on all three bears, as we always have daddy Yang Yang on a screen too. So multiply three bears by the number of areas they have access to, times the number of monitors we have on, and then square the result by how many keepers are on staff that day to switch them. I have no idea what the resulting number means, but it does give you some idea of what we need to juggle.

We try to maintain an image of mom and cub at all times for viewers and zoom in when possible to give the most detail. Unfortunately, the camera images often become unclear when we have zoomed in on the cub. Who knows what can happen in that short time. Lun Lun may return, and the zoomed in image is now a close up of her back. Or she takes the cub to another area and the camera is watching nothing for a short period of time. Or that is until we return to Panda Central and then try and go through the above calculations again to put a proper image on the proper screen and/or panda cam.

We hope this helps explain some of the challenges. The next time you tune into panda cam and do not see a perfect image, give us a couple of minutes and we will have the mother and cub back up soon for your viewing pleasure.
Jay Pratte
Giant Panda Keeper III

Monday, November 13
The Cub is doing just fine today. She is exploring her first home more and more these days as she scoots about. The nest box that the cub has spent most of her time in was installed this year. The barriers are made of 2”x 6 ” composite decking boards which are formed from plastic and recycled wood. We installed this feature in the den to give Lun Lun a place to help contain the cub as well as the nesting materials, or in Lun Lun’s case-hay. In the wild, panda moms may drag branches or bamboo in as nesting materials, but we never saw Lun Lun do this. We keep the air temperature around 75°F to make sure the cub stays warm. At night we turn off the regular lights and turn on the infrared lights so we can see them on camera. The infrared light is not a light we see, so when you walk into the den area it is totally dark to our eye, but the light is detected by the camera and allows us to see an image at night.
Kate Roca
Giant Panda Keeper II

Sunday, November 12
Lun Lun and her cub continue to thrive! Lun Lun is back to normal - her weight and behavior are what they were before her pregnancy. As a result, we are caring for her as we did before her pregnancy. She is on a regular feeding, training and enrichment schedule, much like Yang Yang's. Lun Lun is enjoying having access to the dayrooms - she seems eager to leave her den area each time we open the door to the dayroom. She has not slept in the dayrooms yet, but spends up to 40 minutes eating and exploring the area. As the cub gets older, Lun Lun will continue to spend more and more time away from her. 

The cub is spending more time awake and becoming more aware of her surroundings each day. Often, when we are in an adjacent den cleaning or feeding Lun Lun or when Lun Lun is approaching her, the cub will lift her head and look in that direction. Her limbs are also growing stronger each day - she spends a lot of time pushing up her body with her front legs and pushing against the floor with her back legs. She tries to scoot around the nest box, but only ends up turning in a circle. This is a very exciting time for everyone at Zoo Atlanta and we appreciate the interest and support of our community.
Heather Baker Roberts
Seasonal Giant Panda Keeper

Saturday, November 11
For those of you wondering how Yang Yang is doing, here is a small update on him. He has been great and enjoying the cooler weather that we have had over the last couple of weeks. The unusual noises that he had experienced right after the birth no longer faze him. He is just the same old bear that he was before the birth of his cub. You also might wonder if he will ever have contact with the cub, the answer is probably not. They will never have the same den area or habitat at the same time. Most contact will be that of their scent they leave behind. Depending on what exhibits they are given, there are ways for some visual sightings. This would be normal for mother and cubs. In the wild, the mother would keep her young away from other giant pandas especially males.
J.T. Svoke
Giant Panda Keeper II