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DEL.ICIO.USPanda opens eyes; won’t see name for 8 weeks
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Now she’s staring back at you.
During a physical exam of Zoo Atlanta’s Giant Panda cub Thursday morning, zoo officials discovered that the 36-day-old baby’s eyes were open for the first time.
“She’s probably able to see now,” said Dr. Maria Crane, the zoo veterinarian. “We noticed she’s paying more attention to her environment.”
After being ogled by her keepers at the zoo and millions of viewers online, the cub’s own visual awareness is rapidly developing. Although Crane said it’s “hard to know” how much Lun Lun’s cub is actually seeing, the female newborn appeared slightly startled at one point during her checkup when she noticed some zoo staff intently watching her.
Since her previous checkup last week, the cub, whose name won’t be chosen for another two months, has grown to a little more than 16 inches in length, from nose to tip of tail. She has added almost a pound of weight, going from 2.9 pounds to 3.8 pounds.
“She’s a very solid cub,” Crane said following the seven-minute exam that started at 8:20 a.m.
“Her growth is nice and steady, and that’s really a testament to how well Lun Lun is taking care of her.”
Permalink | Comments (40) | Categories: Daily updates
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By happygirl
October 12, 2006 09:59 AM | Link to this
Yeah! Our little stick of butter is turning into a tub of lard. She surely is cute!
By Vikki V
October 12, 2006 10:05 AM | Link to this
Super cute!! Enjoying wastching her get bigger ..One user complaint: Why aren’t there links to the photo gallery and videos here?
By Awwww
October 12, 2006 10:06 AM | Link to this
I’m a voyeur when it comes to our little baby. I check on her several times a day via the panda-cam.
Well done, Lun Lun…you’re a great mommy!
By mark
October 12, 2006 10:09 AM | Link to this
Keep up the great coverage. I’ve got family all over the country who love getting the updates and look forward to coming to Atlanta to see the panda cub. Aquarium… what Aquarium? :-)
By TheOne
October 12, 2006 10:12 AM | Link to this
Yes, she is adorable!!! I can’t wait to see her in person, she’ll be a pretty big ‘ole tub of lard by then. lol
By Stacy
October 12, 2006 10:17 AM | Link to this
Cubcake’s really growing! She looks like a baby panda now with her eyes open. Thank you for the up to the minute coverage of our dear little girl.
By Cyn
October 12, 2006 10:18 AM | Link to this
Oh my, how our little baby is growing, it’s so fun to watch them everyday. Way to go Zoo ATL Panda Team you guys and momma Lun Lun are taking real good care of our new addition!
By Beth
October 12, 2006 10:35 AM | Link to this
Our little panda girl is growing up right before our eyes….thanks Zoo Atlanta for giving me and my daughter Rebecca the opportunity to share this experience with you and Lun Lun….we love to view the panda cam all day long!!
By Laticia
October 12, 2006 10:49 AM | Link to this
I am really fascinated by this whole ordeal. Being about to watch Lun Lun’s delivery and interactions with the baby is truly amazing. I have always loved Panda Bears. I recently visited the Zoo and was able to watch Lun Lun and baby on a closed circuit TV.
By Stacy
October 12, 2006 11:01 AM | Link to this
I, too, have been drawn to watching mother and baby during this process. I check in on them almost every day. It has been enriching to see such a beautiful and powerful process unfold between mother and child. Thank you, AJC, for your continued coverage! Please, keep up the good work!
By Gina
October 12, 2006 11:10 AM | Link to this
I look for to the updates and will share them story and photo’s with family in Barbados!
By Teresa
October 12, 2006 11:25 AM | Link to this
Several of us at work talk daily about “the baby” We love keeping up with her and mom - You guys are doing a great job.
By cubsfan723
October 12, 2006 11:48 AM | Link to this
Yeayyyyyyyyyyyy cubcake! Your PU family is delighted with your progress!
By LYNN CLEMENTS
October 12, 2006 11:57 AM | Link to this
I can’t get my job done for watching panda cam. She is sooooo cute.
By LISA
October 12, 2006 11:57 AM | Link to this
I didn’t know how much I was attached to this story until I clicked on ajc.com and saw cubcake staring at me…I immediately went “AWWWWW!”
I am just amazed at her mother, as big and powerful as she is, handling her daughter who was no bigger than a stick of butter…amazing.
Great job to zoo atlanta and the ajc
By Lisa M
October 12, 2006 12:09 PM | Link to this
Oh my goodness, cute doesn’t begin to describe this beautiful baby! Great job everyone at Zoo Atlanta. I wouldn’t know what to do without my many times a day panda fix via the panda cam!
By Ken
October 12, 2006 12:26 PM | Link to this
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THESE EXAMS?
It makes no sense to me whatsoever to sneak the cub away from its mother when she is distracted so these ridiculous vets can measure it and listen to its heart beat?
What benefits are derived from such examinations? OKAY, so we know its length and its heart is beating strong. What if it wasnt? Nothing could be done. It seems to me there is always the chance the mother could get p** and suddenly reject or kill the cub due to the human interference.
It doesnt seem to me to be worth the risk. Leave the cub and the mother alone, let nature takes its course and stop the stupid exams that mean nothing but could potentially jeapordize the realtionship between it and its mother.
STUPID STUPID STUPID.
KW
By Juana
October 12, 2006 12:30 PM | Link to this
My kids and I are really happy to see the progress that Lun Lun’s cub is making. We are always reading and watching the updates. Congrats Lun Lun and continue to be a great mom :-) We look forward to being able to see you and your new baby and to find out what her name is going to be. To The Zoo Atlanta Staff please keep up the exceptional work that you are doing with Lun Lun, her baby and all the animals. God Bless to All.
By Josie
October 12, 2006 12:41 PM | Link to this
She is a pretty little cub. Too, adorable. Can’t wait to see her at the zoo. Lun Lun i sdoing a great job being a mommy! Keep up the good work Atlanta Zoo.
By FAMUAKA
October 12, 2006 12:50 PM | Link to this
I am very proud of Lun Lun,Yang Yang and Zoo Atlanta staff. I can’t wait until the baby cub gets to spend some time with Yang Yang :-) She’s adorable and I was grateful to be able to watch Pandacam Live. It brought tears of joy to my eyes, this was amazing. We all know that Ken must be childless and not planning on having any children if he thinks the exams are stupid. In reality he’s stupid. I guess it takes a parent to understand that animals are important also, especially a China animal born in the USA.
By Cat
October 12, 2006 12:52 PM | Link to this
Well, there is always a jerk in the mix….and you know who you are. There is always someone to put a negative spin on something positive. For some of us seeing this baby panda and reading the updates makes our day. Too bad it can’t make yours.
Love ya Lun - Lun :-)
By TheOne
October 12, 2006 12:58 PM | Link to this
I wonder when will the naming process begin? And who exactly gets to take part in the process? That should be LOTS of fun. Any suggestions for our little stick of butter turned tub of lard?
By omac
October 12, 2006 01:05 PM | Link to this
Her name should be: MoonPie
By Linda
October 12, 2006 01:15 PM | Link to this
I vote for Peach Pie
By Ken
October 12, 2006 01:17 PM | Link to this
Cat, you can still see the baby Panda and read the updates WITHOUT the vets having to needlessly interfere with tha natural process. Again I state it is a completely unecessary risk to be interfering with the mother/cub relationsship by snatching it away when the mother is distartced just to measure it. There is NO purpose to be gianed in this knowledge whatsoever, but only risk. What if the vet accidentaly dropped it? This is just the vets being out of control.
Ken
By TheOne
October 12, 2006 01:19 PM | Link to this
MoonPie….lol. I think it’s much easier to pick a name now that her cute little personality and features have begun to develop. It should be something cute like Chi Chi or Lang Lang (get it, Lun Lun & Yang Yang combined) :-)
By Brenda
October 12, 2006 01:49 PM | Link to this
Our little baby is the most adorable baby ever. And Lun Lun is the best mommy ever!! Keep up the good work all. Maybe name her Pumkin and call her Pum Pum, :)
By FAMUAKA
October 12, 2006 02:03 PM | Link to this
Everyone needs to ignore Ken’s stupidity. Like I stated before, he’s probably never have and never will experience fatherhood. If so, he’ll be one of those maybe fathers. Please let us know when Ken reproduces :-)
By iluhpandass
October 12, 2006 02:40 PM | Link to this
yeah…that little panda bear is too cute…i’ve enjoyed watching him succeed in life…i wish him and his parents well in life…
By iluh2killpanduhss
October 12, 2006 02:46 PM | Link to this
i srsly hate pandas..i don’t understand why you people spend so much fckn time in studying these things…they’re just another creature…who cares if they die off…not jacob logan…or justin matthews…they’re just two stoners who know everything, except stuff about pandas..so basically just get over the fact that we hate pandas..i hope they die off
By Anna
October 12, 2006 03:30 PM | Link to this
after watching Pandacam all morning, I think she should be called “jellybean.”
By Nickelbelle
October 12, 2006 04:23 PM | Link to this
I’m glad to see that I’m not the only one addicted to watching OUR cub!! I keep the cam window minimized all day at work so I can pop over and take a peek occasionally!
By Jen Jen
October 12, 2006 04:36 PM | Link to this
Finally! Something nice in the newspaper. I can’t get enough of the adorable cub.
By Joey
October 12, 2006 04:44 PM | Link to this
Cute little animals.
As a Chinese, I am sad they are such incompetent creatures. They aren’t very adaptable at all and we are spending lot of money trying to save these things. They only eat bamboo shoots and have babies so tiny they often get smashed accidentally by their parents. I have seen them in the zoo several times and they just sit around and hardly move. What a sorry excuse for an animal!
By Ken
October 12, 2006 05:05 PM | Link to this
FAMUAKA,
I am not entitled to my opinion on a BLOG without being called stupid? And that opinion being that measuring that cub has no scientific value whatsoever and its only purpose is publicity at the possible expense of endangering the cubs health.
As for stupidity and reproducing, I say to your parents “Stupid people shouldn’t breed”.
What kind of ridiculous Afri”K”an name is FAMUAKA anyway?
Ken
By Suz
October 12, 2006 05:10 PM | Link to this
I’m with Jen Jen…I even took the news sites off of my favorites list cuz I don’t care about anything else except that little cub. I keep the panda cam open all day at work and find myself just fascinated with her progress. Lun Lun seems to be a better mom than some humans I see. Thanks to Zoo Atlanta for such a great site and a bright spot in an otherwise quite dismal world these days.
By Suz
October 12, 2006 05:16 PM | Link to this
Hey Joey and Ken…do the world a favor and get yourselves fixed.
By Pamela G
October 12, 2006 05:17 PM | Link to this
It’s important for the AZ vets to monitor the cub’s physical progress. US zoos have managed to raise only 5 Panda cubs in more than 30 years, all of them in the last six years, and this is partly due to the work of zoo veterinarians. And three of those cubs are the result of an “unnatural” process - artificial insemination. The cubs require distemper shots, worming….and constant monitoring so that humans can “interfere” if a cub’s life is in danger. These beautiful bears are a Chinese national treasure, and deserve our every effort to save them. Should we let them die because they aren’t very ‘adaptable’ to human depredation? Should we let all large predators, elephants, condors, eagles, etc. die for the same reason? Shame on those who think so!
By Teresa
October 12, 2006 05:20 PM | Link to this
I love moonpie for the name but I imagine they will choose something Chinese - We at work here in Pensacola just call her the baby
By chancey
October 12, 2006 05:37 PM | Link to this
i think that the pandas don’t need to be lock up in cages. lust think if it were you.