Mei Sheng's Early Years
Posted at 10:27 am February 2, 2007 by Kay Ferguson
We have always known that one day the male cub born August 19, 2003, at the San Diego Zoo will travel far away to the homeland of China, although that won't be for several more months. Looking back to the wonderful afternoon when he was born brings fond memories of his growth and his funny ways. Mei Sheng followed his mother, Bai Yun, everywhere. Their play times were filled with tumbles, rolls in the dirt, baths, and panda discipline from mom.
Learning to walk was quite eventful: he chose a long log to practice on and, starting at the very end, he would step up on the log, get about three inches from the starting point and fall off. Returning to the starting point, he would begin again. This little cub was so intent on making it to the top. He never gave up, never walked away from the challenge. What a great little bear.
Once he started climbing, he would spend hours in the trees sleeping. I never saw him fall out of the tree when asleep, just when he was awake and being his silly self. What a scare to see them fall, it is not a pleasant sight! Yet somehow they are not harmed, they just get up and walk away.
Mei Sheng was raised in the old exhibit area with a moat in front. One morning, when he was six months old, he tumbled into the moat! Oh my, are you all right? As I peered into the moat I saw this tiny little cub sitting and looking up. I knew he could not climb out so I called the keeper who took Bai Yun off view and then climbed down into the moat to retrieve him. Over the next few weeks, he fell a few more times into that moat and finally learned how to climb out all by himself.
As Me Sheng grew, he became a handsome young bear, learning how to eat bamboo all by himself and learning how to come to his keeper when called. One of the most impressive feats was learning how to place his upper leg into a blood pressure cuff to have his blood pressure recorded.
Mei Sheng is now three years old. He will be ready for mating sometime after five years of age. I'm not a researcher or scientist, I'm just one who watches and admires these great bears and hopes for a future of the species. Think of what Mei Sheng will give to his species!
Kay Ferguson is a panda narrator at the San Diego Zoo.
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February 2nd, 2007 at 11:03 am
Kay, what a wonderful story, one can only hope that when Mei Sheng is ready for breeding, any offspring that he produces will have all the wonderful qualities that he has. What a sight it must have been to see him in the moat and the keeper having to haul him out, he probably just loved that. But no matter what, he will always be in our hearts and minds when he leaves. I just hope China realizes just what a special bear they are getting and maybe if we are lucky he will return to us one day.
February 2nd, 2007 at 11:16 am
Is it just me or does Mei Sheng seem particularly tiny. I know that all pandas are born small but Mei Sheng seems to be much smaller than other panda newborns that I've seen pictures of.
How are Su Lin and Bai Yun doing? Has Su been entirely weaned yet? If not when do you think she will be?
February 2nd, 2007 at 11:51 am
Thanks, Kay. I have been excitedly waiting for the story of Mei Sheng's youth. Unfortunately I didn't know about the Panda Cams until a year ago. He is such a sweet funny bear. He will bring a lot to the gene pool. Hopefully he will be a prolific natural breeder like his sister and his dad. It is fun to watch his silly antics still. Are he and GaoGao being rotate in their new " guys pads?" It appeared that he was on the camera views last week, and this morning it looked like it might be GaoGao. Which one got to check out the new off-exhibit space first? If he did, I am sure his youthful exhuberance would have led him to explore galore. New trees and high places to climb and sleep. Oh what joy for that boy!
February 2nd, 2007 at 12:08 pm
P.S. Mei Sheng looks like the " plumpest" newborn panda cub I have seen? Did he weigh much more than his sisters? He definitely looks wider than Mei Lan did.
February 2nd, 2007 at 12:29 pm
Thank you for your Mei Sheng memories! I remember visiting SDZ when he was 1 month old and on the exhibit panda cam with Bai. I just fell in love with that little furball-he was the first panda I ever watched grow up. I also remember seeing pictures of little Mei climbing determinedly out of that moat. Because of him I joined SDZ and started visiting every other month, then monthly, from L.A. He is so handsome and smart, and what a ham, posing for photos & climbing to the tops of trees while his public watches breathlessly. Although he will leave us, he has many more adventures ahead of him in his homeland.
February 2nd, 2007 at 1:40 pm
Thank you for sharing the lovely memories with us. I do envy all of you for being able to visit SDZ personally and regularly and not just via webcam. However, I am very grateful that I can watch the lovely panda bears via the new technology, thank you so much.
A bit of consolation for me is the fact that hopefully in a few months' time I shall be settling not far away from Vienna where a pair of panda bears are being kept at Schoenbrunn Zoo. Needless to say that I already went to see them. Hopefully they will be successful in breeding and you can bet that I shall be one of the first people to go and see them.
February 2nd, 2007 at 5:41 pm
Thank you for the blog on Mei Sheng, Kay. He was my first baby panda and will always be special to me. I just know that, with his sweet and vibrant personality ('pandanality') he will do so well when he goes to China. I will miss him so much…love my little apple bear.
February 3rd, 2007 at 1:17 am
What a sweet bear Mei Sheng is,I first started watching the cam just before he was seperated from Bai Yun and he would climb all over her head and she would just carry on eating her bamboo as if to say " kids,they can't give you 5 minutes peace" I have seen him twice now,i visited the zoo on Christmas day and he was there,asleep in the tree,later he came out and was pacing the area ready for fresh bamboo.I really wanted to see him before he returned to China,yet I also wanted to see Gao Gao as I have never managed to see that handsome bear.Will the enclosure ever be extended so that 3 bears can be on exhibit at one time,I know space wise that might be a bit of a problem.I am not surprised the pandas are content where they are,the area is very calming and peaceful,I could spend the whole day there just watching the bears,they are very lucky!
JO ..U.K.
February 3rd, 2007 at 11:51 pm
Well, you got me again, Kay. I'm sitting in front of my computer welling-up as I read your beautiful description of the milestones of the wonderous Mei Sheng.
First, I must say how utterly delightful it was to meet you when I visited the SDZ during the holidays! What a great way to start out the New Year! My son pointed out that we were the first visitors to see Su Lin, Bai Yun and Gao Gao in 2007…I consider that an honor. After watching them on the panda cam; talking to them as I watch them on the panda cam (crazy, huh? I just love them!); adopting Su Lin's 1st BD pictures for my desktop and wallpaper, and proclaiming myself the head of the Su Lin Fan Club (I know I'll have a lot of objections and some stiff competition for that one), I finally got to see them in the early morning on the first day of the year! Needless to say, I was in tears as soon as I saw Su Lin facing us in the tree. She was so close and I could see her so well! I was so amazed and surprised, the panda cam gives the illusion that they are much further away. Su Lin is a bazillion times cuter than I ever thought she could be, she is so precious! Bai Yun is the most beautiful mother panda ever, her beauty along with her nurturing qualities touch my heart.
Before returning to Florida, we visited the zoo a second time, which is when I got the chance to meet you. It was such a pleasure after reading your insightful observations of the pandas. Your knowledge, enthusiasm and love of the pandas is wonderful and contagious! Thank you so much for your insight and communicating your observations to us. Upon this second visit, I also had the opportunity to introduce myself to the incredibly handsome Mei Sheng! He definitely is a lady killer. Gao Gao and Bai Yun can really produce beautiful babies!!! It will be a bittersweet day when Mei leaves the SDZ. Tears will flow even though we know he is setting out to propagate his species with more healthy, genetically diverse and beautiful pandas like himself.
February 5th, 2007 at 3:53 am
I can't believe he's leaving… I will miss him so much!
February 5th, 2007 at 9:37 am
Mei Sheng has such a special spot in my heart, I just adore that boy! Such a spunky, mischievious personality he has! I saw him about a year ago and he was running all over the exhibit, back and forth, up the tree trunk and down until he was out of breath! So much fun to watch! Thanks, Kay, for keeping us informed about him. I have got to get to the Zoo to see him one more time before he leaves. I know it's going to be hard for everyone to say goodbye!
February 5th, 2007 at 9:57 am
I have watched Mei Sheng on the panda cam ever since his birth. I too will miss him very much. I want to come so badly to see him but I live in Canada and the trip is so far……… Best of luck my sweet bear.
February 5th, 2007 at 8:57 pm
Kay,
Thank you for the update on Mei Sheng. I'm glad he's not leaving for several months. I hope to get back down to the zoo to see him one more time. I think the thing I have enjoyed about Mei since he was a tiny panda - he was always so funny. I'm sure everyone will miss him when he leaves, but what present we are giving back to China. Will he be going back to Wolong?
February 6th, 2007 at 2:46 am
A while back I saw a few pics of a very young Mei Sheng, and he had to be the cutest and fuzzy-wuzziest lil boy bear ever! His fur was just incredible, and you could tell by the look in his eyes how he adored mommy Bai Yun. Ruth, you mention the bears in Vienna, would this be Franz and Sissi? Lucky you for moving closer to be more able to visit! The nearest pandas to me are Ya Ya and Le Le in Memphis, a 9 hour road trip. Here is hoping they have a cub " in the oven" ~
February 6th, 2007 at 8:02 am
A friend from VA is visiting SD this week, and I told her she must visit SDZ and WAP while there. I am jealous, as I haven't been able to visit in 19 years! Yesterday, I told her that the 4 bears whispered to me that they are excited about her coming to see them. Especially Mei Sheng, so she and he can get acquainted before he goes to China. I am sure she will fall in love with the pandas as much as I have on Panda Cam.
I am certain that the visit to SDZ and WAP will be one of the highlights of her visit, as it is for everyone who comes there.
My boss will be visiting in March, and I hope he gets to see all the 2006 babies. His wife is a panda cub watcher too. He really enjoyed it last year, and got some fabulous pictures of ducks.