Panda Watch

Have you heard the exciting news? Lun Lun, the female Giant Panda at Zoo Atlanta, might be pregnant again. Lun Lun gave birth to Mei Lan in September 2006. Attendance this year at Zoo Atlanta is up 32 percent from the same time as last year, thanks in large part to the little panda.

I've been to the zoo 3 times since Mei Lan's birth. My first visit was for the official naming ceremony. We knew we wouldn't see the pandas, we just wanted to be a part of the celebration.

Much of the excitement surrounding a panda's pregnancy is the fact that you can't know for sure if a female is pregnant until she actually gives birth. The vets are able to observe changes in her behavior, such as sleeping more and eating less, which are indicators that she may be pregnant.

When Lun Lun cooperates, the trainers are also able to perform ultrasound, monitor her progestins, and visually check her vulva.
Since Pandas give birth to twins about 50% of the time, the chances of Lun Lun having double bundles of joy are good.

To keep up with her progress go to : http://www.zooatlanta.org/animals_giant_panda_cub_updates.htm

To see Lun Lun giving birth to Mei Lan and other cool panda videos:
http://www.zooatlanta.org/animals_videos.htm