Edinburgh Zoo Edinburgh Zoo News 2013

Still within the possible birth window, Simon Girling, Head of Veterinary Services for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, said;

“We know it seems hard to believe after all this time, but Tian Tian, our female giant panda, is still continuing to show signs of being in the late term of pregnancy. Her behaviour has mellowed out over the past few days, which is a very positive sign and she has also started to produce colostrum".
 
The colostrum production could be significant, or just part of a false pregnancy (Our dog used to do that!!)
 
Davef68 said:
The colostrum production could be significant, or just part of a false pregnancy (Our dog used to do that!!)
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I was thinking the same, that the colostrum production doesn't define a 'true' pregnancy, but there's still hope while she is at this stage I guess. Must be getting to be one of the longest Panda 'pregnancies' on record?:)

About three weeks ago a member of staff there was quoted saying she was likely to give birth 'within 24 hours' but that didn't happen either.
 
kiang said:
Time now for the zoo to move on and concentrate on the rest of the collection.
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Too true, there are far more species than just the pandas. Even the koala birth went largely unnoticed compared to these. And this place holds so much more than just black and white (admittedly cute) bears! :p
 
Pertinax said:
But was she ever really pregnant.....?
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Mmm...?? I think if it is at all possible with such a high profile mammal, it might well be better to keep any future possible pregnancy very quiet in order to be completely sure first.
The problem is that they are desperate to have a panda cub, there is no hiding that fact, and I imagine they feel there is a great deal of pressure on them to deliver (no pun intended).
 
Pertinax said:
But was she ever really pregnant.....?
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Quite :p the real shame is how little attention from the zoo, the press and the public a true achievement - the first UK breeding of Koala - has recieved as a result of all this panda fuss.
 
Pertinax said:
But was she ever really pregnant.....?
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No-one can be certain, but all the evidence seems to indicate that she was. While a pseudopregnancy can't be ruled out, use of Occam's Razor supports the miscarriage explanation.

Nanook said:
. . . it might well be better to keep any future possible pregnancy very quiet in order to be completely sure first
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I don't see how that could be done. The pandas are just too important to the zoo's finances to take a panda off-show for months without an explanation, particularly if they stick to their 'view by appointment' system

Alan
 
gentle lemur said:
No-one can be certain, but all the evidence seems to indicate that she was. While a pseudopregnancy can't be ruled out, use of Occam's Razor supports the miscarriage explanation.



I don't see how that could be done. The pandas are just too important to the zoo's finances to take a panda off-show for months without an explanation, particularly if they stick to their 'view by appointment' system

Alan
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Agreed, especially now the public and the media are pretty aware of when the breeding season is and when a birth would be expected etc they will be asking constantly, but perhaps the zoo could keep expectations a bit calmer as the people doing the panda talks were saying it was definitely going to happen on a visit a few months back.

I am surprised they didn't make more of the koala birth though-maybe they will once it is coming out of the pouch or maybe they tried and the media wasn't very interested.
 
Tunanta said:
Agreed, especially now the public and the media are pretty aware of when the breeding season is and when a birth would be expected etc they will be asking constantly, but perhaps the zoo could keep expectations a bit calmer as the people doing the panda talks were saying it was definitely going to happen on a visit a few months back.

I am surprised they didn't make more of the koala birth though-maybe they will once it is coming out of the pouch or maybe they tried and the media wasn't very interested.
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Yes I agree, the zoo, or perhaps more likely, the press did raise expectations far too much with little mention of any other outcome.

And as you rightly say the opposite is the case with the Koala, unfortunately the Koala is not so high profile in the eyes of the public or the media it seems, though equally important to us zoochatters!
 
Tunanta said:
Agreed, especially now the public and the media are pretty aware of when the breeding season is and when a birth would be expected etc they will be asking constantly, but perhaps the zoo could keep expectations a bit calmer as the people doing the panda talks were saying it was definitely going to happen on a visit a few months back.

I am surprised they didn't make more of the koala birth though-maybe they will once it is coming out of the pouch or maybe they tried and the media wasn't very interested.
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They got teatime TV news in Scotland, but perhaps when it pops it head out things will be more visible!! :-)
 
The media is very visually focussed. Until there is something fluffy and cuddly to see there isn't likely to be a huge amount of coverage but once that comes it will be all over the place. I think after the panda disappointment there will actually be more coverage than there would have been had that not happened.
 
CambsVet said:
Does anyone know when the joey should appear? :)
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I suppose it is very much a question when it pops its head out of the pouch it will become a PR media item. Please consider that in marsupials A) not visible for months and B) a lot can happen in between.

That they made so much of the giant pandas is understandable in my judgement. After all, what is the point in having them and a potential pregnancy if you do not drum up interest in a species?

Not to say I am not pleased with the koala joey! It is simply brill.
 
CambsVet said:
Does anyone know when the joey should appear? :)
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It should pop it's head out anytime now accoring to this:

Royal Zoological Society of Scotland ?!

The joey................. is expected to first pop its head out of the pouch by mid-October. The joey will start to climb onto Alinga's belly around mid-November - when it weighs around 400 grams - and this is when visitors are likely to be able to see it. Around December it will then move onto her back and zoo keepers will weigh, sex and name the joey. Alinga will carry the joey around on her back until it is around twelve months old.
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