Tian Tian (male giant panda)

For the female giant panda at Edinburgh Zoo, in Scotland, UK, see Tian Tian (female giant panda).
Tian Tian at the National Zoo in Washington D.C., March 2004

Tian Tian (Chinese: 添添; pinyin: Tiān Tiān; literally: "More and More") is a 275-pound male giant panda at the National Zoo in Washington D.C. The panda was born on August 27, 1997, at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda at the Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan Province, to Yong Ba (mother) and Pan Pan (father). Tian Tian is the half-brother of the San Diego Zoo's Bai Yun.

Giant pandas are thought to be solitary creatures, except for mating season and mothers with young cubs. In keeping with the habits of wild pandas, Tian is generally alone, although the zoo's female panda, Mei Xiang, and Tian are occasionally together outside of breeding season. While Tai Shan was still at the National Zoo, Tian and Tai occasionally viewed each other through a mesh-opening in the fence and were aware of each other's presence through scent marking. Male Giant Pandas play no part in raising their young in the wild. Tian and Mei are trained to participate in a full medical examination, including a blood draw, without anesthesia.[1]

Fatherhood

Tian Tian mated with Mei Xiang in the spring of 2005. Mei gave birth to a male cub, Tai Shan, on July 9, 2005.[2][3]

Some of Tian Tian's semen was preserved cryogenically, and given to Mei Xiang via artificial insemination in 2012. Mei Xiang gave birth to a second cub on the night of September 16, 2012.[4] The cub died of liver failure at a week old.

On August 23, 2013 Mei Xiang delivered a cub at 5:30 pm (later named Bao Bao after turning 100 days old), and then 23 hours later, delivered a second cub, but was stillborn. Both were females.

References

  1. ↑ "Learning From Panda Play", Animal Planet, Robin M. Bennefield
  2. ↑ Giant Pandas - National Zoo| FONZ
  3. ↑ "If Tian Tian the giant panda had thoughts about fatherhood", The Washington Post, John Kelly, February 4, 2010
  4. ↑ Ruane, Michael E. (17 September 2012). "National Zoo welcomes baby panda". The Washington Post (Washington, D.C.).

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