The keeper didn't say anything about supplementary feeding so I think she's doing it all herself. Looking at them together, I'd say it would be a problem getting her to let go of Awan!
The keeper didn't say anything about supplementary feeding so I think she's doing it all herself. Looking at them together, I'd say it would be a problem getting her to let go of Awan!
I wondered if feeding(suckling) two young is considered too heavy a drain on her. If they are supplementary feeding, the normal way would be for her to be trained to come up close to the mesh for titbits so they can at the same time offer the baby a bottle-feed or other food without her letting go of it. But maybe they don't feel the need to do that.
The MW TV series has shown that they are hot on operant conditioning, so you could be right (no change there!). Maybe Jin has been trained so that he's the one getting a boost and needing less from mum?
Is Hsiao-Quai not in good health? Otherwise suckling 2 babies should not be a problem for a healthy 20 year old mother, especially in a captive situation where the she gets a good diet with the right supplements. Furthermore, Jin would have started on solids by this age.
Not disputing her health or diet- it maybe sufficient, I don't know. But the older baby(Jin)despite eating solids, will carry on suckling for as long as he can, another year or two at least, which could restrict the supply for the infant. A female in the wild wouldn't be rearing two babies so close together in age like this.
This photo reminds me of 'Victoria' at Blackpool with her oldest daughter 'Cherie' on the left and 'Summer' being the baby. A great photo, who else lives with this trio apart from Tuan and Hsiao-Lan?
This group comprises Gordon, Hsiao-Lan, Hsiao-Quai, Jin and Awan. I think A-Mei was removed from the Nursery and put in one of the groups for a while but she was back in the Nursery on my visit.
It was lovely to see this trio together and I took about 20 photos of them - a loving family unit
