The breeding center is unusually quiet as there is only a single female in estrus at the moment. Her hormone levels peaked as of yesterday, but she hasn’t responded well to any of her neighbor males. You You (#648) is from the Chongqing Zoological Gardens in Chongqing, China. She is a curious bear that moves around her pen like a sloth moves through trees. For this reason, we’ve been waiting as long as possible to see if her behaviors change in regards to her companions.
This photo captures what You You would rather be doing than mating. Her potential mates are pictured below.
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- Wu Gang- A little older, but a gentle bear
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- Xiang Ge- A little younger and a little more aggressive
Given that it’s so quiet, the interns have taken a much needed break and decided to spend their free time and climb one of the areas highest and mystical peaks- Mt. Emei. If they happen to be extremely lucky, they will be able to capture views as seen in the photo below. I’m slightly jealous given that I have planned but never hiked to the top.
One of the possible, clear day views of Mt. Emei. Courtesy of Google.com
With winter being our busiest research season, finding the time to take a break is difficult. But, with how hard everyone has been working, I’m glad they were able to get away. They really are a great set of interns. When I leave to resume my fatherly duties back in Portland, I leave with the confidence that they will achieve all of the goals that we have set. In short, Meghan and I are very proud of this group of interns. Be safe on that mountain, and hurry back before more females go into estrus.
Left to right- Jenn, Ari, Nathan, Nicki & Alyssa
It’s almost the end of March. From the standpoint of date, are females coming into estrus consistent with past years or are they late this year? It’s good to know that You You is at BFX to breed. When she was born, she was thought to be a male, as was her younger sister Er Shun who lives in Canada. Er Shun delivered twins in 2015; now it’s You You’s turn.
Safe climbing to the interns.
Thanks, Charlene
Hi Charlene,
I would have to say that this breeding season seems a bit slow to start. In total, we’ve had about 1/3 of the females here at BFX go into estrus. Which leads me to believe that we will likely see breedings going well into May. Our interns could be in for a busy surprise if a handful of females all decide to go into estrus at the same time.
I hope You You finds her groove. She’s such a tiny bear and seems to be having a little trouble adjusting to her surroundings. Her primary options for mates are either the gentle Wu Gang or the excited Xiang Ge. I secretly have my fingers crossed that it’s Wu Gang. It’s hard to tell when and if she’s going to mate- she has me running over to the breeding center every hour.