Latest news with #BaoLi
New York Post
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Video captures pandas getting flirty at National Zoo, a hopeful sign they'll make cute baby pandas in the future: experts
Beary romantic! The US's two giant pandas caused a stir at the Smithsonian's National Zoo Friday after they were spotted flirting with each other — in what zookeepers hope could be a sign of potential panda babies to come. A video captured the bear pair, Bao Li and Qing Bao, 'bleating' and 'chirping' at one another from either side of a wall through a metal mesh window that is known as their 'howdy' window at the David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat inside the Washington, D.C. zoo. Qing Bao in her enclosure at the National Zoo. Smithsonian Zoo In the clip shared by the National Zoo, Qing Bao, the female, stood up and put both of her front paws on the 'howdy' window. The male Bao Li, normally the more talkative of the two pandas, seemed excited by her attention. He pressed his face against the mesh screen and the pandas had a nearly minute-long exchange, the footage shows. The pair exchanged a series of high-pitched squeals and 'bleats' that panda keepers from the Smithsonian describe as 'like a sheep's 'baa,' but with a higher pitch and longer trill.' The two love bears have been in their enclosures since January, and the panda keepers have kept a close eye on their behavior. 'Just as we began to wonder whether our bears were entering 'panda puberty,' something exciting happened,' the experts said. The first positive sign of a connection between them was in April, when Qing Bao approached the 'howdy' window and chirped and bleated at Bao Li. 'A sign that she was very interested in him,' the experts said. Qing Bao — whose name translates to 'precious treasure,' inspired by the lush mountains of China — is usually more reserved and independent than her counterpart, according to the zookeepers. Bao Li, meanwhile, is a showman and a loudmouth who's much more likely to 'bleat' than his female counterpart, they said. When his keepers arrive, he often 'bleats' a greeting at them. His name is a combination of the words 'precious' and 'powerful.' Bao Li in his enclosure at the National Zoo. Smithsonian Zoo Zookeepers hope the flirtations could develop into mating and future panda cubs to help repopulate the endangered species. However, both pandas are a few years away from being able to procreate. Bao Li and Qing Bao join a partnership between China and the US that goes back more than 50 years. China loans a pair of pandas to American zoos for 10-year spans before the bears are returned to China. If a pair has cubs, the babies are sent back to China to be raised in their natural habitat. The deal is a show of goodwill between the two superpowers and an attempt to help the endangered species make panda babies. Qing Bao and Bao Li will live at the National Zoo until April 2034, according to the agreement. Many of the behaviors the panda keepers saw in Bao Li were similar to his grandfather, Tian Tian, when he was readying himself for breeding; and many of Qing Bao's behaviors mirrored those of Bao Li's grandmother, Mei Xiang, as she approached mating age, experts said.
Washington Post
18-05-2025
- General
- Washington Post
New pandas show ‘encouraging' mutual interest, National Zoo says
At the National Zoo, the new pandas, still too young for romance, have nevertheless given welcome indications that they are interested in each other, staff members say. The female bleated at the male, and the male bleated back. For the normally solitary creatures, that meant something. There were other clues, too. All of which seemed to bode well for the possibility that the two pandas on exhibit since the start of the year could become three. In time. Over the long history of the beloved black and white bears in Washington, their admirers here and around the world have learned of the frustrations inherent in panda breeding programs. So the sonic signals of mutual interest demonstrated recently by the two young immigrants from China seemed especially welcome. Two staff members who worked closely with the animals, giant panda keeper Mariel Lally and assistant curator Laurie Thompson, wrote a Friday update on the pandas' progress. The indicators of interest were particularly noticeable given the essentially solitary nature of the animals, which come together only during the brief hours of reproductive possibility. In a nutshell, in late April, the female, named Qing Bao, bleated at the male. And the male, whose name is Bao Li, bleated back. There was also Qing Bao's chirping. (According to the zoo staffers, a panda bleat sounds like a sheep's 'baa' but with a higher pitch and longer trill.) Beyond the bears' baas, more signs emerged of incipient panda affection, or at least attraction. From the time of the sudden oral outbursts, things seemed to take off. When they were outdoors, the pandas remained near the 'howdy window,' the mesh-covered opening between their separate quarters. Unable to touch through the screen, they tried to get as close to each other as possible. 'They rolled around, put their paws up and vocalized back and forth—intensely.' the zoo staffers wrote. Qing Bao went further. She pressed her back against the mesh and allowed Bao Li to sniff it. 'If one of them walked away, the other ran over and called for them,' said the keepers, calling the gesture 'adorable—and a sure sign that our bears' hormones were changing!' That was confirmed by testing. Hormonal changes are important. They indicate that the female is going through her first biological cycle that permits pregnancy, which the zoo called 'very encouraging.' The cycle is short-lived, only two or three days. But it does not mean the zoo can soon anticipate the patter of little panda paws. The two are young and still growing. Also, males mature more slowly than females and generally do not breed before they are 5. The panda pair is a couple of years from that milestone. But even if breeding is a while off, the zoo said, the positive interest they showed 'is a great sign for the future!'
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Sacramento Zoo welcomes newborn giraffe to the herd
( — Sacramento Zoo welcomes a new baby giraffe into the herd. Amirah and her calf have started to bond inside the barn and have already started to walk, said Sacramento Zoo in a Facebook post. On March 11, the family will have the chance to go out into the side yard just off the main giraffe habitat near the above: Beloved pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao make public debut Live Blog: Avalanche warning issued in the Greater South Lake Tahoe area Officials said that the ability for the public to see them will depend on the weather and mom and calf will have the choice to stay in the barn or to come outside. Sacramento Zoo said that the best time to catch them will be around 11 a.m. and noon every day. After the trial period, Sacramento Zoo said they will continue to introduce to the rest of the herd, and mom and calf will soon have access to the full yard. More details to follow as FOX40 receives them. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
House fire in Loudoun County causes about $100K in damages
ASHBURN () — The Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Fire Marshal's Office said an electrical malfunction caused a house fire Wednesday afternoon. At around 4:40 p.m., firefighters responded to a house fire in the 42000 block of Waxpool Road in Ashburn. Units from Moorefield, Ashburn, Kincora, Dulles South and Kirkpatrick Farms also responded. There, crews could see fire showing from the roof of the two-story single-family home. 'Giant Panda Cam' returns to DC's National Zoo: How to see Bao Li, Qing Bao Firefighters went into the home and saw an active fire in the attic. The fire was extinguished. The Fire Marshal's Office said an overloaded electrical circuit ignited insulation inside a pipe chase in a bedroom upstairs, causing about $100,000 in damages. No injuries were reported. One person is being displaced. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fringe Festival in DC ends after 20 years, Capital Fringe says
WASHINGTON () — Capital Fringe said Tuesday that it no longer would produce the annual Fringe Festival, an event which took place in D.C. for two decades. Capital Fringe shared the , noting that the decision came after 'years of mounting obstacles that have only been addressed with short-term solutions. Operating a small to mid-sized arts organization in Washington, DC, requires constantly overcoming challenges to secure space.' The announcement went on to say that during the past three years, rising costs and trouble 'obtaing suitable and reliable venue options annually to support our unique open-access programming' compounded the difficulties Capital Fringe faced. 'Giant Panda Cam' returns to DC's National Zoo: How to see Bao Li, Qing Bao The group, which was founded in 2005, as one of celebrating 'cultural democracy and access to art and artistic expression for all,' noting that Capital Fringe embraces diversity and a spirit of independence, creating 'earning opportunities for individual artists.' Capital Fringe said it would begin a new chapter in the fall when it launches a yearly cash artist award that is intended to 'celebrate and support the creative uniqueness of the DC arts community.' Funding for the annual award comes from the quasi-board endowment established after the sale of the Logan Fringe Arts Space. Capital Fringe said it would provide full details about the award in July. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
