World Wildlife Fund

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DeviantlyD -> World Wildlife Fund (5/26/2011 11:23:28 PM)
A few days ago I watched a program on Animal Planet about the panda bear. The focus was on a place in China that has worked at increasing the panda population through artificial insemination of female pandas in captivity. Seeing the cages they are kept in was very disheartening. I realize the scientists working with these animals are trying to do their best, but I just wish these animals had more natural surroundings and some outdoor space. All of that aside, the show provided some interesting moments. For instance, a pregnant and pseudo-pregnant female share the same hormone profile, which makes it next to impossible to determine if a female is pregnant. While watching this I couldn't help think "couldn't they feel the uterus to see if there's something there?" I had thought of ultrasound...but seriously, doing ultrasound on a bear? I suppose it's possible, I just didn't know. And then I found out why an external probe of the uterus would be pointless: a panda's poop is probably bigger than the size of a newborn panda. They are tiny! The newborns that is. They are little pink things with eyes shut and no fur. But the fuzz grows in pretty quickly and in a few weeks they look more like what we would expect a baby panda to look like. So...after all the panda viewing, I started looking at panda stuff online...feelling some panda love and all. ;) Then I was reminded that the panda is the symbol for the World Wildlife Fund. So I went over to that web site and I stumbled across this. It is such a cool feature! And a nifty way to learn something about the world. Check it out. :)

JstAnotherSub -> RE: World Wildlife Fund (5/27/2011 3:40:13 AM)
Check out the panda cam at zooatlanta.org. I fell in love with Mei Lan, the first baby that our panda Lun Lun had. Now, we are watching #3, Po, grow up. I am a panda loving fool!

DomKen -> RE: World Wildlife Fund (5/27/2011 9:04:51 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: DeviantlyD A few days ago I watched a program on Animal Planet about the panda bear. The focus was on a place in China that has worked at increasing the panda population through artificial insemination of female pandas in captivity. Seeing the cages they are kept in was very disheartening. I realize the scientists working with these animals are trying to do their best, but I just wish these animals had more natural surroundings and some outdoor space. I assume you are talking about the Wolong Giant Panda center. The pandas do have access to the outside. http://www.ahfan.com/wolong/index.htm

SternSkipper -> RE: World Wildlife Fund (5/27/2011 3:27:44 PM)
Also mcheck out the National Zoo in Washington DC .. they have a huge camera array http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/default.cfm

playfulotter -> RE: World Wildlife Fund (5/27/2011 4:13:00 PM)
Thank for the link at the end of your posting...It is interesting how everything we use everyday can effect the planet and we have no clue!

DeviantlyD -> RE: World Wildlife Fund (5/28/2011 12:56:06 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: JstAnotherSub I am a panda loving fool! There's a pharase you don't hear every day! :D quote: ORIGINAL: DomKen I assume you are talking about the Wolong Giant Panda center. The pandas do have access to the outside. That could very well be. I didn't see the program from the start, so I didn't see what their (momma pandas) access to the out of doors is. This image shows the cage I saw. It didn't look like the mommas had outside access, or at least they didn't show it. ;) I know the babies did...after they were fairly sizable cubs. It's good to know they all get time outside. :) Thanks for the link SternSkipper. :) playfulotter: Yes, I know! I think about it a lot...how some of the habits I have are not exactly earth friendly. I try to make better choices, but even if we all did everything right starting tomorrow, I wonder if it would be enough.

DomKen -> RE: World Wildlife Fund (5/28/2011 6:23:21 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: DeviantlyD quote: ORIGINAL: DomKen I assume you are talking about the Wolong Giant Panda center. The pandas do have access to the outside. That could very well be. I didn't see the program from the start, so I didn't see what their (momma pandas) access to the out of doors is. This image shows the cage I saw. It didn't look like the mommas had outside access, or at least they didn't show it. ;) I know the babies did...after they were fairly sizable cubs. It's good to know they all get time outside. :) There was a PBS show on this a few years ago, Nova or Nature I think, and the panda is in doors while pregnant so she can be monitored around the clock. After the panda weans the cub(s) she is moved to an enclosure with an outside courtyard and an inside area. I think the bigger outside areas are reserved for the young pandas they intend to release into the wild and for mating purposes. The Chinese seem to be doing their best to save the panda and treat the ones in captivity as humanely as they can.

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