As a twin myself (I have a lovely older fraternal twin sister, Ashley), I know how special the twin bond can be and am moved each time I see it in the giant panda cubs. Ashley and I even had our own language when we were very young! So you can imagine how happy I was when Zhennie had twins. I’m at the AZA conference right now so don’t have much time to elaborate on how special the Zwinkies were to watch but I do hope you enjoy all of the fabulous pictures I took of their special twin bond!
-Meg
Love the pictures! Do the Chinese keep twins together longer? Keep up the good work!
Beautiful girls, beautiful pictures–a wonderful twin bonding session to have seen.
Some of my friends on Facebook in the Panda Comunity are very concerned about the short length of time that the cubs are kept with their mother and their siblings. With the newfound success of the breeding program do you think that there is any chance that the duration of time could begin to more closely mimic weaning in the wild?
JoAnn, We’ve definitely pushed for it to be extended (and it has in recent years from 6 months to 1 year) and we will continue to advocate for it! I think starting a research project would be a good way to instigate change so will try to start that research project this upcoming year at Bifengxia. I think they’re very open to raising cubs more similar to wild conditions so I think we have a real chance of getting the cubs to stay with the moms longer.
I certainly hope so! Qing Qing was up in a tree for 20 hours after being abruptly pulled from his Mom and there is a big firestorm among some of my friends on Facebook about that. He came down yesterday and seems to be very well cared for by his keeper !’m sure that your project wil go along way toward fixing things to be more like they should be! I will send you some more $$ next month! Please keep me posted! Thank you!
Thank you so much for your support and donations!! I think the project could help to show that a later and more gentle separation may be the best for the kiddos 🙂
Thanks, Meg You have a very trustworthy expression! If anyone can do it, you can!
I thought they had even made an official announcement last year that after six years of study, they had determined that keeping the mothers and cubs together for a year and a half was the way to go (the post I read said Wei Rongping on April 11, 2016)–which is why it is all the more shocking that they pulled these cubs and a few others so quickly.
I think the Zwinkies were on Explore cam last night. I still worry about Zhen Zhen–it must have been the worst for her. The wonderful keeper is taking care of the cubs again, but she’s not going to post anymore because people keep stealing (or stealing credit) for her pictures.
Get that study going soon, Meg!
Yeah I thought they had too. Can you send me the link to that post? However maybe it just referred to the reintroduction training pandas? They definitely keep those cubs in until there is a natural weaning and they can be with their moms for even past the 18 month period. Here in the US we start the gradual weaning in November (so 1 yr + 3 months) and it lasts anywhere from 3-4 months. I’ll double check when we go back but if they’re only doing it with reintroduction pandas maybe we can do a study that tries to investigate it in the captive pandas as well. It should get the ball rolling a little more 🙂
Here is a link to Sallie Lim’s post, which is where I read it recently–though I think I remember hearing something about it at the time:
https://www.facebook.com/sallie.lim/media_set?set=a.10208432985956571.1073744476.1063980603&type=3. If you can’t access the link, the mention is “On April 11, 2016, the panda expert Wei Rongping (shown in attached picture) of Wolong CCRCGP told the CCTV News channel reporter that they will let the captive panda mothers to raise their cubs till 18 months old or beyond based on their 6 years of research, so that the cubs can learn vital survival skills” and there’s a scap of the broadcast.
And here is a link to Xuan Xuan Wang’s post: https://www.facebook.com/groups/272470520621/permalink/10154302879150622/
in which this appears: “In April this year, director of Wolong Center and experts mentioned in a television interview that after spending six years of study, they developed a program called Raising Pandas with Caring and Love (爱心饲养 in Chinese).” Once again, if you can’t access the post, let me know and I’ll forward it to you.
Thanks–
Frances
Yeah – so I’m guessing he was just talking about the reintroduction training pandas. They definitely keep those moms and cubs together for longer. Translating that to the breeding population hasn’t happened yet. Or mission for the next couple of years!!
Thank you! On Facebook.,, the story goes that because of some Reality show that is why they were taken from their Mom. If I can figure out how. I’ll send it to you -it’s in my downloads from Facebook and I only know how to send as an attachment. I’d like for you to read it, though, because you seem genuinely interested in helping the panda! if you want, tell me how to send it to you and I will.see below for my e-mail
They were talking about filming a reality show when I was there but I wasn’t around for the actual filming (I’d left before the whole yearling separation fiasco!)
Go to my Timeline I just postedwhat I’m talking about!
Sorry I saw this late. I’m trying to search for it 🙂
Thank you, Meg, for getting me the info and going the extra mile to get it! I knew I could count on you!