Following on from the previous article, I will continue to share what happened during the quarantine period for Giant Panda "Xiang Xiang."

After successfully completing Xiang Xiang's X-ray examination, we began the process of placing her in the transport crate the following day, January 31, 2023. FamiliarityJunichi We have resumed the (acclimatization training). When transporting animals, they must be placed in a special cage called a "transport box," so it is necessary to train them to enter it beforehand. However, Xiang Xiang has never been wary of this transport box, and to our surprise, she entered it without any fuss, ate her food, and participated in the training. For that reason, we prioritized the inspections and medication in preparation for transport and put the acclimatization training to the transport box on hold for a while.

January 31st was the first training session in about a month, but Xiang Xiang showed no signs of being out of practice and smoothly entered the transport box and began training. However, immediately afterward, while sitting in front of animal keeper acting as her trainer, she inexplicably slowly fell backward and lay down on her back. As I stood there dumbfounded by this unexpected behavior and was about to get her to sit up again, my eyes were drawn to her "genitals," which were red and plump like a tomato!


Xiang Xiang undergoing training inside her transport crate (Photo taken on January 31, 2023)
The video shows it tipping over midway through.

A photo showing Xiang Xiang's genitals. Can you see that it's red and swollen?
In Giant Panda, estrus is identified by indicators such as changes in the shape of the genitals, increased activity levels, decreased food intake, and changes in hormone levels. Generally, females are said to reach sexual maturity between 3.5 and 4.5 years of age, so it's not surprising that Xiang Xiang, who is already over 5 years old, is going into estrus. Also, recently she has been restless and pacing around at the slightest provocation, frequently dipping into water or crawling under resting platforms, which I thought was unusual even for the sensitive Xiang Xiang. It's quite possible that this is due to estrus.

We suspected that Xiang Xiang might be in heat, so we intensified our daily observations and made an effort to treat her with even more care, as she was likely feeling nervous.

A few days after swelling of the genital area was observed, changes were seen such as a significant decrease in food intake and increased vocalization. Blood tests also confirmed a significant increase in blood hormone levels. Based on these factors, we concluded that Xiang Xiang was experiencing her first estrus cycle.

By mid-February, she had finally calmed down like a completely different person (or perhaps a different bread?), her food intake had increased dramatically, and it seemed her estrus had completely subsided.


Xiang Xiang has calmed down after her estrus period ended.
While the days from the decision on the return date to China to the actual departure passed by in a whirlwind, it became clear that Xiang Xiang herself was also undergoing a major change: estrus. We have witnessed Xiang Xiang's growth in various ways up until now, and it is always gratifying to see that she is growing up smoothly. However, we never imagined that she would show such a transformation right before her departure. Perhaps this is what makes her Kawakawa panda.

The next article will be the final one. We will tell you about Xiang Xiang on the day of her departure and the staff who saw her off.

[Ueno Zoo West Garden Animal Care and Exhibition Staff]

(May 6, 2023)