DEL.ICIO.USPanda cub expected to open eyes soon
Zoo Atlanta officials say cub’s development is on schedule
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Friday, October 03, 2008
By the time you read this, Zoo Atlanta’s newest panda cub may be looking at his mother for the first time.
Unlike human babies, who thrill their parents with a pair of peeps that seem to soak in every detail just hours after birth, panda cubs open their eyes just a little over a month after coming into the world, zoo officials said.
Courtesy of Zoo Atlanta
Zoo Atlanta’s giant panda cub’s development is on schedule, according to zoo officials.
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“They should open marginally over the next couple of days,” Rebecca Snyder, the zoo’s curator of carnivores, said of the male cub’s eyes.
Zoo Atlanta’s newest celebrity draw was born ton Aug. 31. He is the second cub born to Lun Lun and mate Yang Yang. The pair’s firstborn Mei Lan arrived in September 2006.
While it has taken some time for his eyes to open, the new cub’s development is right on schedule, said Snyder and Dwight Lawson, the zoo’s senior vice president of collections, education and conservation.
Over the next 16 or so months, he will reach the normal milestones associated with cub growth, from panda’s first steps to eating his first bamboo leaves. Pandas remain cubs until their are weened, generally about 18 months, Snyder said.
“All the milestones are right on track,” Snyder said.
Some development is already apparent. Though he’s tiny — just bigger than a cellphone — a light fur covers his entire body. And the familiar black and white pattern is beginning to replace the pink of his flesh.
“The coat is fully grown now,” Snyder said. “It will become denser and denser over the next few months.”
Lun Lun knows things are proceeding as expected, too, zoo officials said. After spending the first weeks cradling the cub to keep him warm and to provide nourishment, she is leaving him for as much 20 to 30 minutes while she eats or takes a break from parenting, Snyder said.
The move is normal and indicates that Lun Lun knows her offspring is developing well, Snyder said.
That has been helpful for zoo officials. They retrieve the cub whenever Lun Lun leaves him alone to check his weight, height and general health, Lawson said. Lun Lun, who has become used to the zookeepers only becomes concerned if the cub vocalizes, Lawson said.
“I think it speaks well to her mothering skills that she has been so tolerant of us,” he said.
In the months to come, the cub will begin getting his teeth, use the bathroom by himself and crawl. He won’t begin eating until he is 13 months to 14 months old. And even then, he’ll still rely on his mother for complete nourishment.
“He’ll nurse until he’s weened at about a year and a half,” Snyder said.
Panda fans will get to see him sometime after the first four or five months when he becomes more mobile, Snyder and Lawson said. That’s when he may be put on exhibit for short periods.
In the meantime, the zoo will soon discuss its plans for naming the cub, which will include public participation as it did with Mei Lan. Panda cubs are traditionally named after the first 100 days of birth. The zoo estimates that to be around Dec. 8.
Giant Panda Cub Developmental Milestones
Birth: Cub vocalizes
6-10 days: Black markings appear – Skin becomes dark 25 days: Full coat with characteristic markings
35-49 days: Eyes open (fully open at 72-76 days)
75 days: First baby teeth show up
Three to four months: Walking begins
Four months: Cub can walk well and climb; urinate and defecate without assistance; may ingest very small amounts of food
Five months: Cub can run and climb tall objects
13-14 months: Feed on bamboo
18 months: Ween from mother
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