Latest news from Edinburgh Zoo

The Edinburgh pandas (Tian Tian and Yang Guang) haven't really mastered the art of mating. Last year signs were promising but nothing came of it. This year the scientists seem to have been waiting for weeks for Tian Tian to hit the 36 hour window where she could conceive. Eventually she did, but despite Yang Guang's enthusiasm, she refused all advances.

So the experts decided to go down the artificial insemination route: creating baby pandas in so important that scientists will do almost anything to create them now! For all the details (including what I rate as an unneccessary photograph of poor Tian Tian in the surgery surrounded by vets), check out the BBC's report here.

And apparently, there's a choice of two different fathers: Yang Guang and Bao Bao. Bao Bao, who lived at Berlin Zoo, died last year, but not before his sperm was frozen! (Did I mention that scientists are pretty keen on making baby pandas?!)

We should know in July if Tian Tian is pregnant, and if there is to be a new panda then it would be born in late August/early September. Exciting!

Amazing panda photo

I saw this on twitter (via @SWildlifepics) and it took my breath away! It was much too good just to retweet - this picture deserves its own blog post:

Stacking pandas

These lovely creatures were a gift for my birthday last year. Apparently you can buy all sorts of sizes up to nearly a metre across! That would be a stack and a half!

Mood panda

I downloaded this free app onto my phone partly because it was recommended by a magazine that I read, but mainly because it's panda-y.

I have this icon on my phone and it makes me smile.

The app basically asks you to track your mood. It does other social stuff, like update your mood onto twitter and allow other people to comment on your mood, but it's not exactly rocket science.

I like that you can graph your mood.

Mostly I like the panda graphics.

Mother and baby playing

[video can be viewed on this website]

This is such a fantastic video of a mother and baby panda playing. Originally posted on the Daily Mail online, the film shows some very boisterous playing from a zoo in China (specific location unspecified). It's rare to see such lively behaviour from giant pandas...

ZSL Tiger Territory

With no current plans to visit pandas (they are all located so far away!), I've been looking for other ways to fufil my wild animal excitement!

And here is is, London Zoo's newest exhibit:

Tiger Territory - the up close tiger experience

It's five times the size of the previous enclosure, including:

• tall trees for climbing and high feeding platforms
• a custom-built pool
• indoor dens with viewing areas
• floor-to-ceiling glass windows

And there's even a Live Tiger cam :)

Time for a trip to see the tigers methinks...

Amazing new discovery

Scientists have discovered a new species in South Sudan: a bat with panda-like markings!

Isn't it incredible?

Apparently its genetics are pretty unique; it doesn't fit with the other bats that it was originally thought to be related to (and no-one is actually suggesting that it is related to the giant panda!). In fact, they've had to create a new genus "Niumbaha" which means rare or unusual in the local language where it lives.

Read the whole story here - Mail Online: The find of a lifetime.

Fabulous socks

Remember last week when I proudly announced that I hadn't bought the panda slippers because they were overly cute and I didn't need them?

Well, I got a present. And it was panda socks...

 

Aren't they cool? And I'm a complete hypocrit :) Oh well...

(If you're interested in purchasing some super-cool socks, they came from Accessorize and you can find them here.)

Roller skating pandas?!

You cannot imagine my excitement when the latest kit kat advert came on TV the other night.

Pandas?!

Roller skating pandas?!?!

What I didn't realise at the time was that this is an old advert (from 1989) which Nestle have decided to re-show. Anyways, it's super cool - they're even wearing quads! Proper old skool :) 

If my particular glee about roller skating pandas has confused you, please check out my other blog for roller skating goodness :)

Climbing trees

I love the way that giant pandas are a mix of agile and lazy.

This video from Chengu illustrates it perfectly: climb up and slither between branches perfectly, then pause and lie across the tree at a uncomfortable-looking angle.

Slippers

I do have my limits. Much as I love pandas and get excited by panda-related items, I'm not filling up my house with thousands and thousands of kitsch panda items.

Here's an example: the other day I spotted something exciting in Primark (of all places) - panda slippers!

They were very cute, but I sometimes feel the urge to remind myself that I am not fourteen years old any more. I don't need panda slippers, especially not ones with cutesy pink bows on them (I do not do pink!). However, it still made me happy to see them :)

Reading material

I stumbled across this very cute looking book the other day:

It has a website at www.littlepandabook.com (what a cool url!), where the author/illustrator Renata Liwska explains how the book developed. It has lots of beautiful panda sketches too. Check it out!

Giant panda 101

I stumbled across this very cute video the other day:

From Visual.ly created by jomomedia

Such a cleverly made little animation.

My newest treat

I was browsing in Paperchase and found these...

Panda highlighters, how fabulous. They have made me very happy :)

Panda purchases and presents are the best.


A quick perusal of their website revealed that they also have panda ballpoint pens. I might have to go back for one!