Panda Watch at the Memphis Zoo

In April of 2003 the Memphis Zoo opened the long awaited China exhibit. This exhibit is a wonder to the eyes. The entrance can't be missed with the tall red Pagodas and beautiful plants. As you walk down the back path of the zoo you are surrounded by rows of bamboo growing tall as if to tell you which exhibit you are approaching. The Memphis Zoo's China Exhibit includes many animals that are native to China such as many species of birds, deer, and monkeys. However, the main attraction of the China exhibit is none other than the Giant Panda.

The zoo built the 16 million dollar exhibit in the hopes that the talks with China would come through in Giant Pandas joining the other animals at the zoo, and it paid off. Memphis is becoming one of the stellar zoos in the United States, and the Giant Panda exhibit helps achieve that status. Only 4 United States zoos have the pleasure of exhibiting Giant Pandas. The Pandas have always been news worthy ever since their arrival in Memphis. Giant Panda's are an endangered species with only 1,600 total in captivity and the wild. Therefore, one of the main focuses of the zookeepers in the panda exhibit is to mate the panda's and add to the dwindling panda population. The zookeepers in Memphis have been working hard to mate their pandas and have not had much success over the last four years. However, in January of 2007 the zookeepers took semen from the 8 year old male panda, Le Le, and artificially inseminated the 6 year old female panda, Ya Ya. Ever since then it has been a waiting game.

Unlike humans, you can't just run out to the store and buy a panda pregnancy test. Pandas often exhibit signs of a pregnancy and they are not pregnant. When this occurs it is called a pseudo-pregnancy. Pseudo-pregnancies are very common with Giant Pandas. All the zookeepers can do is watch and wait. Ya Ya has been showing signs of pregnancy. Her appetite has decreased and she is spending much more time in seclusion. Because of this, the whole city of Memphis and the surrounding areas are all on Panda watch! Baby pandas are delivered on the 133 day of the pregnancy. May 10 marks day 112 since the artificial insemination. Only three more weeks of waiting.

On May 9, Ya Ya's zookeepers performed and ultrasound to try and detect the pregnancy. Nothing was found. However, it can even be difficult to see even on an ultrasound since new born pandas are so small, about the size of a stick of butter.

Memphis will continue to watch Ya Ya and wait to see if a new addition will be made to the zoo. If one or more baby pandas join the Memphis Zoo, then the zoo will surely be catapulted to the spotlight of zoos in the nation. The birth of baby panda's is a rare and wonderful event. Hopefully, Memphis will be experiencing this event very soon.