Nicole Murray updates us on potential cubs at Bifengxia-
Sadly, we are already half way through our time here at Bifengxia, but we are almost done with our stereotypic and personality studies! While these studies wind down, we are patiently waiting for the arrival of our most adorable subjects: PANDA BABIES.
After speaking with people on the base, the general consensus is that we should start seeing cubs in the middle July. Very exciting news! But what does this mean for PDXWildlife? For you loyal followers, it means adorable baby photos, but for the interns, it marks the start of our maternal care studies. We will be observing these new moms with their offspring to see how the two (or three) interact. Every human mother is different and we are looking to hone in on these differences in the bears.
The anticipation is especially intense, as panda pregnancies are extremely difficult to detect; so, no one is 100% sure who is having a baby yet! Hua Mei was predicted to be one of the first births of the season, but she was very recently moved to Shanghai to give birth there. Based on mating dates, we can expect to see fuzzy babies from Shu Qin, Xi Dou and Cui Cui the soonest. The gestational period for pandas is 95-160 days and these girls made their love connections in early March and early April, so they are right on track. However, pandas often defy our best predictions, so stay tuned to experience the excitement of newborns with us!
Thank you for your report. I find it very interesting that BFX’s females have not yet produced any cubs and that the Chengdu Panda Base’s females have produced at least a dozen. It stands to reason that the Chengdu mothers mated earlier and so gave birth earlier. To what would you attribute the at least one month difference in births? Any theories? I know that the temperatures in BFX are somewhat lower than those in Chengdu. I wonder how much climate change has played a part.