Ueno Zoo 's Giant Panda, Shin Shin, gave birth on June 12, 2017 (Announcement). Mother Shin Shin is diligently caring for her cub, and both mother and cub are healthy. In the wild, Giant Panda mothers do not eat or drink for a while after giving birth, but Shin Shin's health is being carefully monitored and her nutrition is being managed. Shin Shin has now started eating bamboo grass and bamboo leaves.
Up until now, Shinshin had been eating bamboo shoots, but she wouldn't eat bamboo leaves. However, at 3:32 PM on June 18th, she took a bite of a Sasa veitchii leaf, and the following day, June 19th, she ate a little more Sasa veitchii leaves, which we then gave her along with bamboo shoots. She still doesn't eat bamboo leaves very much, but at around 2:22 PM on June 19th, we observed her eating a leaf from a different species of bamboo.
[Video] Shinshin's appetite is gradually recovering, and she is seen eating bamboo leaves (Filmed around 2:20 PM on June 19, 2017)
Shin Shin was observed urinating for the first time on June 16th, and has been observed urinating several times since then. She has also been observed defecating once around 9 PM on June 19th and once around noon on June 20th. Giant Panda typically fast and withhold water for a period after giving birth to care for their offspring, but Shin Shin is now gradually consuming both water and solid food. However, it is not advisable to feed her too quickly, so we are starting with leaves, taking into consideration the stabilization of her digestive system and nutritional needs.
Approximately 20 feedings were observed between yesterday, June 19th, and this morning, June 20th. This is an increase from around 10 feedings per day previously. In addition, the duration of each feeding has also increased from "15 seconds to about 6 minutes."
[Video] Giant Panda cub born on June 12, 2017. A faint, dark pattern can be seen. Photographed around 10:20 PM on June 19, 2017.
The baby's ears and the area around its eyes have become even darker, and a faint black band is now visible on its back. When it's anxious, it cries out, but in the video, it's making a much calmer sound. The baby is now over a week old, and we will continue to observe it carefully.
*The "bamboo shoots" mentioned in the text are not the kind of bamboo shoots that humans eat, but rather bamboo species that have not yet produced leaves and are in an immature growth stage.
