Home > Panda Watch > Archives > 2007 > March > 28 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USMei Lan snubs outdoor area
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mei Lan, Zoo Atlanta’s giant panda cub, was supposed to step into her outdoor habitat early Wednesday morning. She didn’t.
Maybe it was the pollen, a pernicious fog that has settled on Atlanta like a yellow blanket. Maybe it was the photographers, lined up like crows on a wire.
• See photos from today’s excursion
Or maybe it was a beauty’s prerogative to make her debut when she chooses.
Whatever the reason, Mei Lan’s planned outdoor appearance, scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, went about as smoothly as a T-ball practice. She was late. She went to the wrong place. Everyone cheered anyway.
Mei Lan came tumbling out of her sleeping area at 9:35 a.m. to a handful of adoring visitors. And she did not go outside to her carefully prepared outdoor area, choosing instead to amble into an adjacent covered space with her mom, Lun Lun.
She crawled onto a log and eyeballed her mom. Then she swatted Lun Lun in the snoot. Moments later, mother and child lay in a woven hammock, where Mei Lan buried her head in Lun Lun’s chest and began nursing.
The cub will venture outdoors soon, said Dr. Rebecca Snyder, the zoo’s curator of giant panda research and management. She’ll just do it on her own terms.
“It just takes them [Lun Lun and Mei Lan] time to get used to the new space,” Snyder said.
Takes time to get used to that pollen, too.
Comments
By Kristin
March 28, 2007 10:45 AM | Link to this
Every story, picture and video of this baby makes me smile no matter how else the day is going! Please give us more!
By Kay
March 28, 2007 10:52 AM | Link to this
Mei Lan and Lun Lun are a wonderful gift to us. I also smile every time I hear or see a story about them. They are a bright spot in mostly dreary news items.
By Tom
March 28, 2007 10:53 AM | Link to this
A Prima Donna panda, how cute. Hopefully she won’t be as demanding an Mariah Carey or we’ll never see her :-)
By jujubee
March 28, 2007 10:57 AM | Link to this
Awww, Mei Lan. You take your time darlin’.
By Laticia
March 28, 2007 11:10 AM | Link to this
I feel the same way that you do Kristin. She makes my job go by a lot smoother. Whenever I am having a bad day I look forward to seeing Mei Lan and she makes me feel sooooo much better. I have been watching her since she was in fact that stick of butter as to what they compared her to when she was born. I JUST LOVE HER!!!!
By Grace
March 28, 2007 11:48 AM | Link to this
I love the pics Lun Lun & baby together. I think Lun Lun really enjoys being a mom. She look so happy with her cub.
By BAR-B-QUE KING
March 28, 2007 11:54 AM | Link to this
SKEW THE LITTLE MONSTER AND ROAST HER STUBBORN HIDE! I REMEMBER BACK IN MY DAY, WHENEEVER ONE OF THE LITTLE HANDICAPPED KIDS DIDNT WANNA COME OUT AND PLAY WE’D JUST ROAST ‘EM. FED THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR WEEKS…. BOY, TIMES REALLY ARE A’ CHANGIN HUH?
By julia
March 28, 2007 11:55 AM | Link to this
how sweet.. I just adore that baby :)
By Betty Ammerman
March 28, 2007 1:06 PM | Link to this
I look forward every day to see what Mei Lan & Lun Lun are up to! They just make my day. She is soooo cute! Give us more viewing time!
By Ginger
March 28, 2007 1:06 PM | Link to this
I just love Lun Lun and Mei Lan. Mei Lan’s antics just make my day. She is so adorable and I miss seeing her on the PandaCam on the weekends. She makes me smile.
By Jaquon
March 28, 2007 1:06 PM | Link to this
whoa, how sad are all of you? It’s pretty pathetic to get off on this panda cub as much as people do here, unless you’re in third grade. If that’s the case then let me know. To the rest of you older than elementary school age, it’s the moronic people like you who eat up these stories that cause the news agencies to focus on things like this, Anna nicole, and rest of the trivial stories out there. Idiots. It’s people like you who are bringing down America and China will own us because of you. BACK TO YOUR CUBICLES NOW!!!
By Melana
March 28, 2007 1:10 PM | Link to this
What a bright spot! She’s so cute! How will we ever let her go back to China?! I think I would cover the panda beat for free :).
By UT96
March 28, 2007 1:57 PM | Link to this
Bar-B-Que King,Your’re a sick twisted freak! Although, that was one funny post, LOL. Great sense of humor (or, I should say, I hope you were just trying to be funny) if not, you scare me.
By LTS
March 28, 2007 2:32 PM | Link to this
Jaquon - or is that Jaq-a*? The Giant Panda is one of the world’s most critically endangered species. The fans here applaud every panda birth and to enjoy seeing them grow is neither childish or moronic. It’s just life. Lighten up a little and have some enjoyment!
By Kristin
March 28, 2007 3:04 PM | Link to this
And what are you interested in Jaquon? The latest club openings and the Final Four? Luckily we have people like you who try to save us from ourselves. However, you not only read the article you chose to comment. How are you different, besides hating baby animals?
By Peachy
March 28, 2007 3:09 PM | Link to this
Jakwan, Jaquon, Jackwan, whatever…this is yo’ pimp daddy tellin’ you dat you gots to be chillin’ bro. Whazzup wit dat?
By essbee
March 28, 2007 3:14 PM | Link to this
Jacquon - if you believe the Panda Fans and the posters to this blog are so idiotic, then why exactly are you here?
By msteven
March 28, 2007 3:54 PM | Link to this
Jacquon, jackaye, jacka-ss, same difference. Dont get mad at the blog because Sanjaya from American Idol keeps ignoring your I Love you rants! You aint got to take it out on this poor panda baby. also keep hope alive! you could win a ticket to American Idol and it could be you that Sanjaya steps off the stage and gives you a hug and kiss.(I know you would probably go ballistic from the mere thought of Sanjaya giving you a much needed hug! shall I tell Sanjaya’s public relation to contact you? like yesterday?
By Joan
March 28, 2007 6:06 PM | Link to this
I experience “Pandacam Withdrawal” on the weekends. I wait anxiously for the daily updates by the keepers on these two days to keep me linked to Mei and Lun. I’m amazed by how much I do miss seeing them! There are some great videos on “YouTube” if anyone is interested. Just type in “Mei Lan Videos” in the search area. The ones by LC Nessie are great!
By itsme
March 29, 2007 7:07 AM | Link to this
I know they’re wild animals, but wouldn’t you just love some hammock time with them?!
By Gary the K
March 29, 2007 7:20 AM | Link to this
Mei Lan must think she’s Georgia’s new groundhog. She saw her shadow and ran back inside. That means six more weeks of photos showing Mei Lan rolling around on the ground.
By td
March 29, 2007 8:02 AM | Link to this
I agree with Jaquon—all this fawning fascination with a baby animal is unhealthy. Remember, this is a species that is so dumb: 1) they only eat one plant, which is so lacking in nutrients they have to literally eat it all day just to survive, 2) they have such little interest in reproducing that zoos have to create “panda porn” videos to get them in the mood, and 3) when they do successfully give birth, it is common for the mother to either ignore the newborn or sit on it. Maybe sometimes species deserve to go extinct.
More news, please, and fewer zoo stories and “American Idol” episode reviews. It’s no wonder our kids are so uneducated.
By Bruce Garner
March 29, 2007 8:26 AM | Link to this
Jaquon and td must live miserable lives to find no joy in something as simple and yet so complex as another living creature, particularly this adorable ball of black and white fur. Or maybe someone just peed in your wheaties this morning. Either way, it wouldn’t kill either of you to just let people enjoy something without pouring your negativity all over it…..or is that too much to ask?
By Reminder-Don'tRespondToTrolls
March 29, 2007 9:13 AM | Link to this
Ditto to Joan’s comment. The YouTube videos of Mei Lan are great therapy for pandacam withdrawal. One recent video was taken by a zoo visitor, capturing Mei in the tub swatting at Lun, putting some boxing moves on her, just laugh-out-loud funny. LCNessie’s videos are captioned and set to music, always clever and highly entertaining.
By Deneese
March 29, 2007 10:05 AM | Link to this
I feel sorry for people who cannot get any joy out of one of God’s most beautiful—and personable—creatures. I drove two hours each way this past Saturday to see Mei, Lun, and Yang. I so enjoyed my few minutes with them. Mei was up playing, so that was great!! They are so fascinating.
By Lysa Parker
March 29, 2007 10:23 AM | Link to this
I look forward to the Mei Lan and Lun Lun AJC updates. I didn’t think an explanation was necessary, but many humans actually enjoy nature in all its glory and need a break from the wall-to-wall “real news” of the day: the War on Terror, the War on Drugs, the latest scandals at the White House and in Congress, child abductions, Iran, illegal aliens, and the mind-numbing celebrity fodder. The Zoo Atlanta panda story is not only positive and a CELEBRATION of life, it’s a success story, illustrating man’s compassion, patience and extreme efforts to save a precious and beloved endangered species from extinction (some of us actually CARE about these issues). In my opinion, the only positive and productive relationship between the U.S. and China is the dedication of our zoologists to save the Giant Panda. I applaud them all, and I also applaud the AJC for reporting regularly on one of these triumphs!
By Jelli
March 29, 2007 12:08 PM | Link to this
Zoo Atlanta is too expensive.
By Sean
March 29, 2007 2:22 PM | Link to this
Where’s Brian Fantana?
By Sean
March 29, 2007 2:30 PM | Link to this
I’ve been on some serious, serious stories, but nothing quite like this…
By Deb
April 3, 2007 9:28 AM | Link to this
I finally saw Mei Lan & Lun Lun in person on Friday….you think she is adorable on pandacam…you should see her live! Adorable is an understatement….And fellow panda admirers, don’t give a second thought to ol Jaquaaaaaaan….you can sum him up with one word…LOSER!