Giant Pandas At The National Zoo

Giant Pandas at the National Zoo

 

Here is some information about the giant pandas at the National Zoo in Washington, DC, and about giant pandas in general.

Giant Pandas

Question	Answer
When is Tian Tian's birthday?	August 27, 1997 (currently 9 years old)
What does Tian Tian weigh?	275 pounds
What does "Tian Tian" mean?	"more and more"
When is Mei Xiang's birthday?	July 22, 1998 (currently 8 years old)
What does Mei Xiang weigh?	235 pounds
What does "Mei Xiang" mean	"beautiful fragrance"
Where were Tian and Mei born?	Wolong National Preserve in China
When is Tai Shan's birthday?	July 9, 2005 (currently 18 months)
What does Tai Shan weigh?	95 pounds, as of Jan. 07
Where was Tai Shan born?	The National Zoo
What does "Tai Shan" mean?	"peaceful mountain"
What was Tai Shan's unofficial nickname?	Butterstick, referencing that newborn pandas are the size of a stick of butter
When was Tai Shan given his name?	Tai Shan was named on October 17, 2005, with his name selected by a popular vote. Under Chinese tradition, cubs are given names when they are 100 days old.
When does the loan from China of Tian Tian and Mei Xiang expire?	2010
What were the names of the NZ's first panda pair?	Ling Ling (died in 92 at age 23) and Hsing-Hsing (died in 1999 at 28). They were a gift from China to President Richard Nixon, and had five cubs, none of which survived over a few days.
How much bamboo do the adult pandas eat each day?	Between 11 and 66 pounds in a 24-hour period
What do the NZ's giant pandas eat besides bamboo?	carrots, apples, cooked sweet potatoes and leafeater biscuits
How many hours a day do the pandas spend feeding?	10 to 16 hours a day
What percentage of their food do pandas digest?	12 to 23%; other herbivores digest 8% and humans 52 to 65%
What is the scientific name for giant pandas?	Ailuropoda melanoleuca
How long do giant pandas typically live?	20 years in the wild; 25-30 years in captivity
When do giant pandas become sexually mature?	5-7 years in the wild; 4-6 years in captivity
How often do female giant pandas go into estrus?	Once a year in the spring for 48 hours
What is the average gestation period of a pregnant female giant panda?	3 to 6 months, due to delayed implantation of the fertilized egg
What is the size of a newborn panda cub?	four ounces, the size of a stick of butter
What is the newborn panda cub's size relative to its mother?	The cub is 1/900th the size of its mother, smaller than any other mammal newborn relative to its mother except marsupials
What zoos in the US have giant pandas?	Zoo Atlanta (3); Memphis Zoo (2); San Diego Zoo (4); National Zoo (3)
What zoos outside of China and the US have giant pandas?	Vienna, Austria; Berlin, Germany; Mexico City, Mexico; Tokyo, Japan; Hyogo, Japan; Wakayama, Japan; and Chiangmai, Thailand
How many giant pandas remain in the wild?	Approximately 1600
How many giant pandas are currently in captivity?	Approximately 230
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