Mei Sheng: Fulfilling His Destiny
Posted at 9:18 am July 26, 2007 by Ellie Rosenbaum
As many of you have probably heard by now, the San Diego Zoo has announced that Mei Sheng will be moving to China to join the breeding program at the Wolong Breeding and Conservation Center in Sichuan Provence. As sad as it will be to see him go, we’ve know that this would happen since his conception. He and his sister, Su Lin, are the only bearers of their father Gao Gao’s genes. Since Gao is a wild-born animal, this makes his genetic makeup, and by extension, Sheng and Su Lin’s, extremely valuable.
Genetic diversity helps insure healthy, viable captive populations. This is a consideration for all captive animals; individuals are often moved from one facility to another to prevent inbreeding among family members. Since so many countries increasingly value their native wildlife and plants, the days of bringing animals in from the wild for exhibit is, unless it’s necessary for their preservaiton, a thing of the past. The loaning of animals to maintain variety is common practice worldwide. Remember: even “our” own pandas are here on a research loan, and it’s Mei Sheng’s time to move to his ancestral homeland.
This won’t happen until October, though, and we have lots of time to enjoy his sweet, comic personality. As he and Su Lin meet more frequently at the introduction gate, there are more opportunities to learn from their behaviors and hear vocaliztions, but it’s going to take them some time to get their schedules coordinated. Su Lin approaches the gate more often than not when Mei Sheng is sleeping, and he sits at the gate when it’s nap time for Su Lin! Given the observed level of interest in each other, it shouldn’t take them long to work this out! Keep checking back, in person or on Panda Cam, and try to catch this brother-and sister duo nose to nose. It couldn’t be cuter!
Ellie Rosenbaum is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo.
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July 26th, 2007 at 9:37 am
I kept hoping that this day wouldn’t come and was trying not to think about it. I just hope that the Chinese realize just how special a bear that Mei Sheng is and not just for breeding. His personality is above all others and his gentle nature should help make working with him easier. From all the time i have seen him he always has a smile on his face. I am glad that he will still be here for his 4th birthday and i hope that something special is planned for that day. Travel well my sweet boy, we willsure will miss you.
July 26th, 2007 at 9:42 am
Just saw Su Lin hugging a tree by the howdy gate. What was that all about? She acted like there was something up that tree. Wow, she sure is getting big, especially when stretched out on her tiptoes. Then Mei Sheng came up to the howdy gate and there was some sweet interaction. Thanks to the Meerkats for some great camera work.
Does anyone worry about Mei Lan in Atlanta? Maybe I’m not watching at the right time, but she does not seem to be spending much time in the trees compared to Tai Shan & Su Lin at the same age. Every time I see her she’s in the indoor exhibit (but then I never get to see early morning). Maybe it’s the Atlanta heat keeping her inside.
July 26th, 2007 at 9:54 am
Thanks, Ellie, for gently reminding this that this is yet another step in the natural process to help conserve pandas worldwide.
Thanks also for adding more information about Su and Mei “greeting” each other. You previously mentioned that Mei patiently sat at the window waiting for Su Lin. Does she wait as patiently as he does? How long do they remain around the window, or do they peek, see the other is not there and move off to other activities?
July 26th, 2007 at 10:05 am
Mei Sheng was my first Cam Panda. I missed Hau Mei because my granddaughter was born August 24th of the same year so I guess I was engrossed in that event. Now I have all the cams on my desktop and check in multiple times a day on all the panda’s. My granddaughter just sighs and yells…”Mom…she’s looking at the Panda’s again.
I was so excited with every single milestone that he achieved as a baby. From determining he was a boy to his first trip outside. I don’t think I was ever that excited about my own children’s milestones. I hope we will be able to get updates on him when he leaves.
I do worry about his surroundings once he gets to China. He has always lived in such lush exhibits..[at least from the views I get on the Panda Cam] so different from our Zoo here in Richmond.
July 26th, 2007 at 10:08 am
With his charming personality, I’m sure Mei Sheng will be making lots of friends at his new home. I hope he gets to play with other kids before he gets too big.
I’m wondering if his fear of motor sounds (power tools, etc.) can affect his travel. Is he getting over it? Is he going to be OK with the plane noise? Is this something you’re working on during his crate training?
Dr. Swaisgood’s article in August issue of ZooNooz is a good companion to the Taste of CRES presentation I attended a couple of months ago. And Bai Yun looks mighty fine on the cover, too.
July 26th, 2007 at 10:11 am
Sharon, it’s interesting as I’ve had the same concern about little Mei Lan at Zoo Atlanta. Whenever I view the panda cam she (and Lun Lun) is always in the small indoor exhibit. I realize it’s hot in Atlanta now but I do hope she has lots of space to run & play besides just the small indoor area I always see her in.
Isn’t it cute how protective Lun is toward Mei Lan. Whenever Mei starts to climb up the logs inside Lun always runs over to pull her down! I guess she doesn’t want her to fall? But you’d think the mother bear would want her cub to develop her climbing skills that are so important for cubs.
July 26th, 2007 at 10:21 am
While I know we have no choice in the matter, and it is the “best” thing for the species, I still cannot reconcile the fact that we keep losing our beautiful panda babies (they will always be babies to me) and they are going to be in a strange environment that is not nearly as nice as their home here. I can only hope that someone there loves them as much as we do.
July 26th, 2007 at 11:16 am
I will be sad to see him go, but I know he must go to help keep the panda population strong I hope China will keep SDZ updated on his progress and that they will share the info with us. He will leave behind alot of broken hearts but for the sake of conservation and genetics I know he must return so that maybe some day panda will be off the endangered list and maybe one of Mei”s cubs will be the one to start the pandas back in the wild. I have grown so attched to these bears and I realize that I am being selfish in stating that I wish they could stay here for good but you have to allow a little selfish moment in all this. I wish Mei goodluck and god speed
July 26th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
#2 - Mei Lan does have access to an outdoor habitat that has trees and larger play structures. She and Lun Lun stay in the climate controlled day rooms when it is too hot or raining outside. Therefore, she is most often outside in the mornings during the summer months.
I sure wish we had some way of keeping track of our babies when we send them to China. Only info we seem to get is if we catch something in the China Daily.
July 26th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
K #6 - Mei Lan an Lun Lun are usually outside in the morning. I believe they just baby proofed the outdoor exhibit recently. And, yes, it’s HOT in Atlanta.
July 26th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
Now that Su Lin is starting to notice Mei how do you think she will react when he leaves? Will she miss someone to play with now that she is away from her Mom? I read in your blog that it is a good thing for young pandas to have other young pandas to play with.
July 26th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
At what age will Mei Sheng begin to mate?
July 26th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
Since the days when Mei was a cub and he used to try and climb the log in the outer enclosure, constantly falling and getting up to try again, he has been our savvy little clown. I agree with another writer, this little guy has always seemed to have a smile on his face…he seems to be so content. Like everybody else, so sorry to see this great panda go back to China. It will be a wonderful thing for the breeding centers and, no doubt, he will charm everybody there as he has here in the US.
To the staff of the San Diego zoo, thank you for making Panda Cam available for us. Without it, we wouldn’t know how to miss these great animals when it is time for them to leave.
July 26th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
K and Sharon, ZA puts out daily reports about Mei Land and in one this week they tell what hours Mei Lan and LunLun are normally outside and when they move them into their air conditioned dayrooms. Such is the pampered panda life in HOTlanta! YangYang also gets to stay in the A
TZA also wrote that they are in the process of “panda-toddler-proofing” a second outdoor yard so Mei Lan has more area to explore and enjoy. They haven’t used that area since her parents first arrived as adolescents themselves. She recently started exploring the “moat” that surrounds the outdoor exhibit. Just like Bai Yun and Mei Xiang did with their cubs, Lun Lun is very cautious about where she wants Mei Lan to go. At first she would either chase her or pull her out of the moat area. Now that she has been exploring there for a few weeks, mom just casts a careful glance now and again while she continues her bamboo snack and Mei Lan plays. It reminds me of when Su Lin and Tai Shan were first outside, discovered trees, and started to climb.
I have seen several shots of her up “high” looking down at her surroundings. It reminds me of Mei Sheng looking down at his admirers around the zoo earlier this year when he was in the back exhibits. I love the tale of him pulling his favored bamboo stalk up into the climbing structure only to have it fall out of reach. His quizzacle look from his perch at his lost snack must have been priceless. He is such a ham for his admirers. I wish he and Tai Shan had a chance to interact as adolescents. They are both playful and probably would have a blast chasing each other around and rolling down the hills at NZP. Unfortunately, by the time Tai gets to Wolong, Mei will be beyond the adolescent stage and into his solitary adult life. He will occasionally have the company of his lovely young panda harem, but otherwise he will live the “pampered” life of a very valuable breeding male.
I wonder if he will ever be close enough to Hua Mei to get a good sniff of her scent or hear her sounds. He might remember them from his babyhood at SDZ. I have read that a bear (I think it was Bai Yun) smelled the odor of their mother many years after they had been weaned and did a good deal of sniffing. She apparently recalled it fondly, although they had not seen each other since they were separated. When Bai Yun gets to Wolong it will be interesting to see if either Hua Mei or Mei Sheng shows any signs of recognition if they are close enough to be able to sense the others presence. Since they were with their mother three times longer than the cubs reared at Wolong, they have a much more likely chance of recalling her scent. Since Bai Yun was the first captive bred panda cub to survive at Wolong, she likely was with her mother longer than cubs are today.
I am trying to figure out what time of day to catch the siblings interacting. I haven’t been able to catch it on the time lapse in the past couple of days because there seems to be a challenge with the recording. 7/25 only lasts through about 45 minutes of the day with Bai Yun in her nest, and today didn’t seem to go through the whole day either. I hope someone is taking pictures and videos that can be made available online later.
July 26th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
I can’t wait to see official blogs tomorrow. It is 6:38 PM PDT, and it sure looks like Bai Yun is cradling and licking a cub. If it is not a cub, she is sure interested in her own anatomy. You go girl, we’re rooting for you!!!
July 26th, 2007 at 6:49 pm
Well she sure fooled me. After this episode, she got up and went out into her bedroom from her den and ate what appeared to be a snack. There were two small objects surrounded by wet spots. She picked one of them up and appeared to put it in her mouth. I was surprised that it might have been a cub this soon, because no one has officially confirmed such in an public announcement after an ultrasound. But, she sure knows what to do when she is alone in her den, that’s for sure.
July 26th, 2007 at 7:11 pm
I was so excited to see that our former baby, Hua Mei, has had another set of twins. Wow, six in three years, what a girl. She and her mother have helped the worldwide Panda population all on their own. I certainly hope when I’m down to SDZ that Bai Yun has her baby early. I, too, will miss Mei Sheng - “Born in the USA”!!!! What a character.
July 27th, 2007 at 7:17 am
This one brought tears to my eyes. Feel a real heartache - dread the day its our little princess. I understand the need, but its still breaks the heart.
July 27th, 2007 at 7:38 am
Will we be able to keep in touch with Mei Sheng’s progress at Wolong? He has been a part of our lives and we have watched him grow from helpless cub to the wonderful young male he is today.I do hope we will not lose him altogether. It would be wonderful to have a regular link with him and his beautiful sibling Hua Mei, who is also dear to our hearts.
July 27th, 2007 at 7:42 am
Will you keep up a contact with Mei Sheng in Wolong? We do not want to lose contact with him altogether.
July 27th, 2007 at 8:20 am
Conversation with Mei Sheng #17 (At the Howdy Gate)
Su Lin: Hello, Mei Sheng.
Mei Sheng: Hello, Su Lin.
S: Well, it’s nice to see you again. Where were you?
M: Oh, I was away in NJ constructing multi-level bamboo farms.
S: Wow! That sounds like fun.
M: Yeah, then I went to Trenton.
S: Trenton?
M: Yeah. Like where the State Capitol is.
S: So what did you do there?
M: I went to take a civil service exam.
S: A civil service exam? But didn’t you have to be a state resident?
M: Oh, I was granted honorary residency…
S: Wow. Really?
M: Yeah, it was on account of the bamboo farm development enterprise.
S: Oh.
M: It was our contribution to economic development.
S: So what exam did you take?
M: I took the Data Processing Systems Programmer exam.
S: So how was it?
M: Well, I thought it was to cover mainframe architecture and load balancing management.
S: I bet you studied for that, huh?
M: Yeah, but it turned out to be a network administration exam.
S: Oh. So what did you do then?
M: I did a brain dump as best I could.
S: So what do you plan to do now?
M: I think I’ll study network administration next.
S: Daddy-O Gao Gao will be thrilled.
M: Yup. He’ll be helping me expand his electronic dating service operation.
S: Exciting!
M: And then I’ll have an updated resume to bring with me to Wolong.
July 27th, 2007 at 10:29 am
P.Wong, luv it, but Mei Sheng will need alot of paper for his resume, Cute, handsome, smart,lovable, well read with all the panda tales, great actor and bon vivant and the list goes on , i’m sur gonna miss that bear. China probably never has met a panda like Mei, He’ one of a kind. Just bought a couple of bamboo plants from the nursery that i go to.
July 27th, 2007 at 11:51 am
I’m happy that Mei Sheng’s genes are valuable to the Panda population, but I’m sad that he’s leaving. Sob. Sob. It’s going to harder than the weaning process!!! Sob sob.
July 27th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Thanks for all the wonderful info on the pandas and the great job all the zoos do. I have been watching the cams since Su Lin’s birth and have gotten hooked like everyone else. No zoos here in Maine so it’s wonderful to be able to view all the animals. Sometimes Tai Shan holds a short piece of bamboo in his paws like a flute and it reminds me of the pied piper leading us all on a merry chase from panda web site to panda web site.
I have a few questions about the pandas
#1 - when a panda has twins, are the babies smaller than if the mother only has one baby?
#2 - do you keep track of characteristics inherited from the parents - like shape of face, distance between ears (I’ve noticed some of the ears seem further apart on different pandas), shape of circle around eye, length of stocking on back leg, etc.?
#3 - do pandas have different blood types like people do?
#4 - do the zoo personnel have any touching contact with the adult pandas or is it too dangerous?
Thanks for all the wonderful information you give and for letting us share in the birth and growth of all the pandas. It is so hard to see the young adults go to China but I know it is what is best for the breeding program. Will one of the keepers go with Mei Sheng and stay until he has acclimated to his new environment? This must be really difficult for all of you at the zoo who have spent every day with him.
July 27th, 2007 at 3:28 pm
Thank you to the Meerkats for the wonderful camera work the past few days. It was great to see sleeping Bai Yun up very close–I almost felt the fur around her face. And thanks for focusing on Su Lin and Mei Sheng, too–especially when they were visiting each other at the howdy gate. Also, the new pictures of Mei and Su in the photo gallery are outstanding. What gorgeous sub-adults the sibs are! And that they have been so lovingly cared for by SDZ is so apparent.
July 27th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
Margaret #15 + #16
I guessed you were on Bai Watch during recent days - I began to think I was the only person who watched the ‘Bai episode’ on 25th July ‘07
I refer you to my #34 blog on Panda Playtime, and also #2 blog - Zoofari Chats with Suzanne Hall re the Giant Panda Pregnancy Watch.
To date I have not read any official statement regarding this occurrence.
I thought it was too early for Bai to give birth, however at that moment in time I would not have been suprised to see a a newborn cub ‘wiggle’ up to Bai’s chest!
Today Bai appears back to her usual ‘laid back’ self, sleeping quite a lot and eating less?
Meanwhile I am back on Bai Watch….
kind regards…..
July 27th, 2007 at 7:35 pm
I’ve been dreading the time that Mei Sheng will leave the SDZ and head back to China. I suppose I’ve been secretly praying the decision would be made to keep him where he is, but I know that’s not part of the deal. He is truly a special boy, I’ll miss him so much and can’t imagine how hard this will be for his trainers. I love all those panda babies, but Mei Sheng holds a special warm spot in the middle of my heart..I’m hoping he’ll still be on exhibit when I get out there in late September to wish him a fond farewell.
July 27th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
How heartbreaking that Mei is headed back to China - why so soon - he is not of breeding age yet. All of us panda lovers that have watched this magnificent animal grow from 4 ounces to over 180 pounds adored, loved & babied by his keepers, wonder what kind of a life he’ll have in China. While he has great genes from Papa Gao am afraid he’ll just become a breeding machine. For those that say “he’s just a wild animal’ & has no feelings - just watch the news today about “Oscar the cat” who somehow is able to know when terminal patients are about to die. Doctors have documented 25 cases where Oscar has curled up next to these patients about 4 hours before they died. All animals have such insticnts & am sure panda know their keepers and will be upset when moved.
As Tia Shan was my first to watch on a panda cam I know I’ll lose it if he has to leave us. My heart goes out to all the SDZ.
Maureen
July 28th, 2007 at 9:33 am
I’m hopeful that Mei Sheng and Su Lin will be able to play together before big brother has to leave for China. My first visit to SDZ introduced me to Mei and my second to Su. I am a devoted fan of “everything Panda” and have quite a collection of souvenirs! I’m planning another visit soon to visit with all of the delightful family members.
P.S.
Keep up the good work with the panda cam. Wish I had more time to watch and enjoy.
July 28th, 2007 at 11:17 pm
P Wong, I have a degree in network administration, and would LOVE to work with Mei Sheng “in the field”! Your newest story is very cute! I too will miss this smart, personable, and very handsome young man. Bet the young panna gals in China eagerly await his arrival, as their newest Romeo!
July 29th, 2007 at 11:25 am
I believe the Chinese do know how special Mei Sheng is and they will treat him accordingly. I was rather hoping too that they might decide to leave him where he was but then I wondered where the new baby would go when he/she came along. When it comes time for Su Lin to go we will all have tears for her too.
The thing to remember though is that their genes mean diversity for the pandas and that means survival. Whatever else the Chinese do to their animals we know their hearts are firmly attached to the survival of the panda and that is why we have Bai Yun and Gao Gao.
So goodbye sweet Mei Sheng and may you be the father of many little pandas and remember everyone in San Diego. We have tears of sorrow at your departure but we will also have tears of joy when your mother delivers another baby sister or brother for you.
July 29th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Sharon #24 great questions. I look forward to furthering my panda education with the answers.
July 29th, 2007 at 9:16 pm
Won’t it be wonderful if Mei Sheng has inherited his dad’s ability to please the ladies?! I love the idea of an American-born Panda going back to his ancient home and showing all of those reluctant-to-breed male Pandas his California surfer-dude moves! Like his sister Hua Mei, Mei Sheng has received the best care, food, medical attention, training, and housing our great country can provide. Hua Mei has shown what an American-raised Panda can accomplish by having 6 babies in four years - which I firmly believe is due, at least in part, to the great start she got at SDZ. If Mei Sheng becomes the Primo Stud at Wolong, perhaps American zoo techniques for raising healthy Pandas will inspire other zoos and Panda Stations worldwide.
July 30th, 2007 at 9:51 am
I think that P.Wong should weigh in with a chat from the ladies of wolong about the impending arrival of Mei Sheng and what they have heard about him. Like all of us i will sure miss seeing him on the cam with that smile on his face, maybe that smile is because of what he knows will be waiting for him in China. Pamela G I agree with you that all the good things is because of the great start they got at SDZ that says alot about all the keepers, researchers and vets and all of you who watch over our babies. China look out here comes Mei Sheng.
July 30th, 2007 at 11:56 am
It’s time for our teenager to leave home and head for college, so that he can learn to be a panda. At least in Wolong, they’ll think he’s “different” only because he was born and raised in America. I think he’s still young enough to play with other kids, and I hope he gets to. I hope his new home will have lots of tall trees.
Now I have to start saving money for my Wolong vacation…
July 30th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
It will be a big loss for us when Mei Sheng goes to China, but there are some nice areas with big trees and a wild forest feeling to them where some of the adult pandas live at the Breeding Center in Wolong. Except for the fact those areas have to be fenced-in, they are natural panda habitat and are very suitable for the adults. They are still monitored and their well-being is important to the Chinese scientists and keepers who oversee their welfare.
Hopefully, Mei Sheng will be able to live in one of those places at least part of the time! I’d like to find out at what age the pandas are allowed to start living there, since I don’t recall it being mentioned here in the past or when some of us went to Wolong. I did take some pictures of grown pandas eating ‘boo in two of the closer-in places at Wolong where visitors can see them. It looked like a good place for our black-and-white friends!
July 30th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
Conversation with Gao Gao #21
Tourist: Hello, Gao Gao.
Gao Gao: Hello, Mr. Tourist.
T: Hey. Who’s that on your dating website?
G: Oh, it’s Wolong’s little Mei Niang, means “beautiful maiden.”
T: Such a sharp photo.
G: Yup. We’ve got the best of technologies nowadays.
T: So does she have a Western name, too?
G: Yes, it’s Helen of Troy.
T: Are you serious?
G: And one of her admirers is Paris.
T: So I suppose she has other admirers like Menelaus and Odysseus?
G: Yes. And Xerxes, Agamemnon, Henry VIII.
T: Henry VIII?
G: Yes, Henry VIII.
T: Why Henry VIII?
G: Well, I advised him against Ulysses S. Grant.
T: He chose Ulysses S. Grant? Why not just Ulysses?
G: He wanted something Anglo.
July 30th, 2007 at 9:07 pm
Cathy #36 thanks for sharing your first-hand personal observation of the living conditions at Wolong. Since I read a year or so ago that Hua Mei had special accomodations for at least a while after she arrived, mainly to help her acclimate to her new surroundings, hopefully Mei Sheng will also. He is equally genetically valuable and therefore will receive “special attention.” Besides, they know that they are being closely watched by their comrades at SDZ and the pandaholic community. They know they have a good partnership going, and they will want to keep “Western” funds coming in to fund their conservation projects. They will be sure Mei Sheng is taken good care of, and with continued great nutrition and veterinary care, he will live to a good old age in good shape like Shi Shi has.
July 30th, 2007 at 9:33 pm
Thank you to the Meerkats that we are getting a shot of Mei Sheng having his late night snack. As his date of departure approaches, I am sure that everyone appreciates more images of him in his daily routines to remind us how special he has been to us.
July 31st, 2007 at 1:51 pm
FYI - Mei Sheng will be the THIRD panda to be born outside of China and moved to China under the breeding loan programs. There was Hua Mei, and we all know that. Then, Yuhin from Adventure World moved to Chengdu in 2004 or 2005, I have to go and check for exact date. Anyway, you can say that Mei Sheng would be the SECOND panda to be born in the US to be moved to China or second to be moved to Wolong. And prior to this current program, I understand that one of the off-springs from Ueno Zoo moved to Beijing. In exchange, Ling Ling (current resident male) was sent to Ueno.
August 6th, 2007 at 8:55 am
Will we be able to see enough of Mei Sheng before he goes back to China? We are loving watching his wonderful mother with her new cub but we will be losing Mei Sheng in October. These are out last chances to see him.
August 8th, 2007 at 8:49 am
We also want to be able to watch Mei Sheng before he goes back to China. Visiting him is impossible so we watch him on the webcams. My family love all the pandas, and congrats to beautiful Bai on the new cub, but Mei Sheng will be going back and so no longer on the webcam. Please may we see him as much as possible before we lose him? My children love him and would have loved to visit, but it was not to be.
August 9th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Our son and his family were in from Colorado Springs and we all went to pay our respects to Mei Sheng and bid him a fond farewell as he
will soon undertake his representation among
the elite of the Panda World in China.
Mei Sheng was busy enjoying his bambo lunch
front and center. Someone in our group must have had on his favorite scent as he stopped
his chewing and gave us the heads up sniff.
Thank you Mei Sheng it was great to see you
close up and wake.