Er Shun

Last updated
Er Shun
Species Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)
SexFemale
Born (2007-08-10) August 10, 2007 (age 17)
Chongqing Zoo
ResidenceChongqing Zoo

Er Shun [1] is a female giant panda, born at the Chongqing Zoo.

On Monday, March 25, 2013, two giant pandas Er Shun (female) and Da Mao (male) arrived at Toronto Zoo, with their exhibit (the refurbished Amur tiger exhibit) opening to the public on May 18. The bears are on a 10-year Canada tour from the Chengdu Panda Base and Chongqing Zoo, residing in Toronto from 2013 to 2017 and at the Calgary Zoo from 2018 to 2022. When plans were first made to bring giant pandas to Canada, Er Shun was believed to be male, and had been paired with a female from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding for the journey. [2] Months before her departure her true sex was determined and the known female switched out for male Da Mao. Without blood testing, identifying panda sex is next to impossible until the animals reach full sexual maturity.

With the pandas' arrival, the Toronto Zoo has refurbished its seasonal attraction area into an extensive educational centre - the Giant Panda Interpretive Centre. In 2014, after her first estrus, Er Shun was artificially inseminated - the first such procedure performed on a panda in Canada. [3] No baby was born in 2014 and it was believed that Er Shun experienced a pseudopregnancy, [4] [5] a phenomenon common in giant pandas.

On October 13, 2015, Er Shun gave birth to two cubs - the first giant pandas born in Canada. [6] [7] One was born at 3:31 AM and weighed 187.7 g and the other was born at 3:44 AM and weighed 115 g. At this very small size, the cubs' chance of survival was low. It was announced on February 5, 2016, that the panda cubs were Male (the larger panda) and Female (smaller). They were not viewed by the public until the age of 5 months. The names of the cubs are Jia Panpan (male) and Jia Yueyue (female). [8]

On March 23, 2018, Er Shun, her cubs, and Da Mao all left the Toronto Zoo to begin a five-year stay at the Calgary Zoo, by the agreement between the Canadian and Chinese governments. In May 2020, the Calgary Zoo requested that both Er Shun and Da Mao pandas be returned to China due to the difficulty of importing bamboo during the COVID-19 pandemic. [9] [10]

Er Shun was born at the Chongqing Zoo on August 10, 2007 (Year of the Pig). Her mother Yalaoer (also called Ya Ya) raised her at the zoo; her father was Ling Ling. The name Er Shun means "double smoothness" because she was the second born and they hoped for smooth and healthy growth. Er Shun's grandmother Xing Xing was in Calgary, Canada in 1988 for a friendly half-year exchange.

Er Shun's character traits include being docile, lively, and affectionate towards her zoo keepers.

See also

Related Research Articles

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The giant panda, also known as the panda bear or simply panda, is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterised by its white coat with black patches around the eyes, ears, legs and shoulders. Its body is rotund; adult individuals weigh 100 to 115 kg and are typically 1.2 to 1.9 m long. It is sexually dimorphic, with males being typically 10 to 20% larger than females. A thumb is visible on its forepaw, which helps in holding bamboo in place for feeding. It has large molar teeth and expanded temporal fossa to meet its dietary requirements. It can digest starch and is mostly herbivorous with a diet consisting almost entirely of bamboo and bamboo shoots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red panda</span> Species of mammal in Asia

The red panda, also known as the lesser panda, is a small mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. It has dense reddish-brown fur with a black belly and legs, white-lined ears, a mostly white muzzle and a ringed tail. Its head-to-body length is 51–63.5 cm (20.1–25.0 in) with a 28–48.5 cm (11.0–19.1 in) tail, and it weighs between 3.2 and 15 kg. It is well adapted to climbing due to its flexible joints and curved semi-retractile claws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto Zoo</span> Largest zoo in Canada

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lun Lun</span>

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Da Mao is a giant panda that was born at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. He was born to Mao Mao (female) and Yuhin/Xiongbang (male). The name Da Mao means "first of Mao" as he was his mother's first born.

Jia Yueyue and Jia Panpan are twin giant pandas born at the Toronto Zoo on 13 October 2015, to mother, Er Shun and father, Da Mao. They were the first giant pandas to be born in Canada, and only the second giant panda twins to survive the neonatal period in North America. Their birth was the result of one of two artificial insemination procedures overnight from 13 to 14 May 2015. The pandas went on public exhibit at the zoo on 12 March 2016. The last day that the giant pandas were viewable at the Toronto Zoo was 18 March 2018. The two pandas have since left Canada and now reside at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

References

  1. "大熊猫"二顺"多伦多生崽"好事多磨"" . Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  2. "Toronto Zoo's mystery of the mistaken male panda". Toronto Star . 6 December 2012.
  3. "Toronto Zoo | Press Releases".
  4. "Toronto Zoo | Press Releases".
  5. Magnus, Gabriel; Dutton, Christopher; Mastromonaco, Gabriela; Gartley, Cathy; MacDonald, Suzanne; Franke, Maria (2022). "Luteal phase length, endometrial edema, and behavior differentiate post-ovulatory events in a giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)". Zoo Biology. 41 (2): 130–142. doi:10.1002/zoo.21655. PMID   34672395. S2CID   239051542.
  6. "Toronto Zoo announces birth of twin giant pandas | CBC News".
  7. Magnus, G.; Dutton, C.; Mastromonaco, G.; Gartley, C.; MacDonald, S.; Franke, M. (2022). "Luteal phase length, endometrial edema, and behavior differentiate post-ovulatory events in a giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) | Zoo Biology". Zoo Biology. 41 (2): 130–142. doi:10.1002/zoo.21655. PMID   34672395. S2CID   239051542.
  8. "Toronto Zoo | Press Releases".
  9. "Calgary Zoo to ship giant pandas back to China early due to bamboo supply problems". CBC. May 12, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  10. "Zoo to return pandas to China because bamboo too hard to get". NBC News. 15 May 2020. Retrieved 2022-01-08.