Land Mammals, features and articles | Educational Science

Jan 24, 2013

Baby Panda Gets Cozy in New Home

Earlier this month, the San Diego Zoo's adorable giant panda cub Xiao Liwu made his debut in a habitat on view to the public. Keepers said this week that the baby bear is getting comfortable in his new home, climbing branches and taking naps in the sun. Since the five-month-old...

Jan 24, 2013

Zoo Welcomes Chewbacca the Red Panda

The Denver Zoo is playing matchmaker for its 6-year-old red panda Daisy. Keepers recently welcomed a male named Chewbacca, also 6, as a mate for their lone female. Chewbacca arrived from the Detroit Zoo late last year and can now be seen by the public in the outdoor habitat of...

Feb 1, 2013

Panda Cub Gets Buff

Don't let his pudgy appearance fool you — the San Diego Zoo's panda cub Xiao Liwu is getting buff, according to his vets. The baby bear apparently has been slimming down and gaining muscle in his legs from climbing around his new exhibit on view to the public. The 6-month-old...

Feb 8, 2013

Born To Be Wild: Releasing Captive-Bred Pandas

This Behind the Scenes article was provided to LiveScience in partnership with the National Science Foundation. Only about 1,590 giant pandas remain in the wild — distributed among a few mountain ranges in Central China. Because the giant panda, an endangered species, is among the world's rarest animals, the Chinese...

Feb 8, 2013

Giant Pandas May Be Threatened by Forest Reform

There are thought to be fewer than 1,600 giant pandas in the wild today and the beloved bears' home in the mountains of China is increasingly threatened by climate change and human activity. While China has made achievements in saving the pandas in recent years, a group of conservations says...

Feb 21, 2013

Panda's Handstands Give Hope for Spring Fling

Suggestive handstands and moaning noises in the giant panda enclosures at the Edinburgh Zoo have keepers hopeful that its pair of endangered bears will mate in the coming weeks. Zoo officials said this week that the male panda, Yang Guang has been spotted doing panda gymnastics against trees, walls and...

Mar 20, 2013

San Diego Pandas Get a Snow Day

There was snow in San Diego this week — well, at least for a lucky group of giant pandas. Over 15 tons of shaved ice were blown into the San Diego Zoo's panda exhibit Tuesday morning (March 19) to give the endangered bears a chance to play in the powder...

Apr 16, 2013

Pandas Ready to Mate in Scotland

Will they or won't they? The Edinburgh Zoo's giant pandas Tian Tian (Sweetie) and Yang Guang (Sunshine) are arriving at a brief, once-a-year mating window and keepers are anxiously waiting to see if their matchmaking efforts will pay off. The annual panda breeding season is imminent and the next 24...

May 22, 2013

Elusive Pandas Caught on Camera in China Habitat

New hidden camera footage from the giant panda's home offers a peek into the secret lives of China's wild creatures. The newly released images and videos from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) show the famously endangered bears, as well as some of their neighbors — red pandas, leopard cats and...

Jul 16, 2013

Rare Panda Twins Born at Zoo Atlanta

The world may be awaiting the birth of a little royal, but in the animal kingdom, it's baby panda season. Last night (July 15), a giant panda at Zoo Atlanta gave birth to two cubs, the first panda twins to be born in the United State since 1987. The newborns...

Jul 18, 2013

Zoo Atlanta's Newborn Panda Twins Are Brothers

It's another two boys for Lun Lun and Yang Yang. The twin giant panda cubs born at Zoo Atlanta this week are both male, zoo officials announced today (July 18). The birth of the brothers on Monday (July 15) was a rare occasion; the last time giant panda twins were...

Jul 29, 2013

Giant Panda Cub Celebrates 1st Birthday

Xiao Liwu, the charismatic panda cub born at the San Diego Zoo last year, celebrated his first birthday today with a towering three-tiered cake made from ice and bamboo, decked out with yams, apples, and shaved carrots. The giant panda cub, whose name means little gift, was born on July...

Aug 12, 2013

Waiting Game: Zoos on Watch for Baby Pandas

Mei Xiang's urine samples have been showing a rise in progesterone. Her keepers think this is a promising sign. The hormone spike means the female giant panda could be pregnant with a cub — but it might just be a red herring. Giant pandas tend to undergo a pseudopregnancy that...

Aug 23, 2013

It's a Cub! Giant Panda Mei Xiang Gives Birth at National Zoo

The giant panda Mei Xiang has become a proud mama, again, giving birth to a cub today (Aug. 23) at 5:23 p.m. ET at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Using the panda cams, zoo workers have been monitoring Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) every day, all day, since Aug. 7....

Aug 23, 2013

In Photos: Giant Panda Mei Xiang Gives Birth

Giant Pandas Mei Xiang and Tian Tian (Image credit: Mehgan Murphy, Smithsonian's National Zoo)Mei Xiang and Tian Tian in 2008. Cutie Pie (Image credit: Smithsonian National Zoo, screengrab)The 15-year-old female panda Mei Xiang gave birth to a cub on Aug. 23, 2013, immediately cradling the little one. Giving Birth (Image...