The morning of 7 November was a little different than usual for our male panda Jiao Qing (9). At around 7 a.m., instead of tucking into his usual substantial breakfast, the giant panda was coaxed into his transport crate and taken on the short drive from Zoo Berlin to the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) in the east of the city. Upon arrival, the 110 kg bear was put under general anaesthetic to allow the seven scientists and animal keepers to examine him using a computer tomography (CT) scanner.
The purpose of the scan was, first and foremost, to more closely inspect the condition of his kidneys, which were discovered to be different sizes during an ultrasound examination in the spring. “The scan confirmed our suspicions,” reports Zoo Berlin’s head veterinarian Dr Andreas Ochs. “Two kidneys are present, with one of them smaller in size. In order to avoid any health risks for Jiao, we decided not to administer a contrast agent. Although we were therefore not able to fully clarify just how well the smaller kidney is functioning, we are happy with the results.” The panda’s urination will now be observed and monitored to provide the scientists with more information.
Prof. Thomas Hildebrandt (IZW) and Dr Andreas Ochs will present and discuss their findings at the Conference for Giant Panda Conservation and Breeding & Annual Conference of the Chinese Committee of Giant Panda Breeding Techniques, held in Chengdu from 12 to 15 November 2019.
Since panda males are not involved in raising cubs by nature, the twins have not noticed anything of the panda dad's short excursion. In the meantime they used to cuddle with Mama Meng Meng alternately. Germany's first Panda offspring weigh around 4 kg each by now.
