What Ever Happened to Hua Mei?
Posted at 2:00 pm August 15, 2005 by Ron Swaisgood
Here on the panda blog and elsewhere one of the most frequent questions we get is, " How's Hua Mei doing?" Hua Mei, of course, is our firstborn panda here at San Diego, now returned to China where she experienced a double dose of motherhood last year (twins boys!). As Suzanne mentioned in a recent blog entry, we also have hopes that she is again an expectant mother.
What is life like for Hua Mei and her cubs, now almost a year old? Well, they are living in the premiere panda breeding center in China, in the world for that matter. The Wolong Breeding Center is nestled in a little valley along the Pitiao River in the Wolong Nature Reserve, home to more than 100 wild pandas. So, Hua Mei and her cubs look out onto natural panda habitat and no doubt occasionally hear or smell the occasional wild panda traversing the mountain ridges above them. It's a beautiful lush green environment with surreal steep mountains enshrouded in mists much of the time. It has a mystical feel to it. They also have found the magic recipe for breeding pandas and right now they have 9 newborn cubs this year with more on the way!
More and more the environment inside their enclosures resembles that on the outside. In recent years they have built several new semi-natural pens where pandas can roam through an acre to two of their natural environment. As an expectant mom, Hua Mei is now in one of the smaller enclosures where they can monitor her closely and provide for her needs should she reward us with another cub or two in the next month. Later she'll return to one of the large naturalistic enclosures.
Unfortunately, none of our team has been over to Wolong to see the pandas lately (we used to spend several months a year there), but we get frequent updates from our friends and colleagues at the center. And we know, for example, that Hua Mei's cubs are doing exceptionally well, now living in the nursery area. A fairly recent addition, this enclosure is loaded with fun things for the cubs to do, not to mention four other panda cubs. Rough and tumble play consumes much of their time"”biting each others' ears, rolling around on the ground, playing king of the climbing structure. The nursery yard provides for all sorts of other activities. It has trees, stumps, bushes, grass, pools, and intricate climbing structures built with logs and branches. I've seen a cub spend an hour or more just dangling from one of these structures, often upside down, swinging back and forth, scratching the bark, and perhaps mouthing a piece of bamboo. And they have more " toys" rope tire swings, balls, piles of branches and rocks, burlap sacks stuffed with straw"”than many toddlers find under their Christmas tree here in the States.
So, our " grandcubs" can expect to grow up happy and healthy, well cared for in this secluded breeding center, and one day no doubt will sire cubs of their own. And with any luck they might be selected for release back to the wild, a goal that the center is pursuing with renewed vigor now that they have a successful " baby factory."
Many also ask whether Hua Mei's cubs are named. Although not a tradition, her cubs are named after their parents. You may recall that Hua Mei means China-USA, symbolizing the deep and abiding connection between our countries made by the first surviving panda cub born in the USA. Their father's name is Ling Ling. Combining their names, they came up with Hua Ling and Mei Ling. " Ling" means smart and talented, so you could say that one is a smart and talented Chinese and the other a smart and talented American, but of course we believe they're both smart and talented Chinese Americans!
Ron Swaisgood is a scientist with the San Diego Zoo's Office of Giant Panda Conservation.
View Bai Yun and her cub on Panda Cam
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August 15th, 2005 at 2:36 pm
Ron, thanks so much for answering the question of Hua Mei's cub's names. I think they are perfect!! And it sounds like they have an excellent environment in Wolong. You and your fellow scientists, American and Chinese, should be very proud of your accomplishments!
August 15th, 2005 at 3:12 pm
Aww, thank you so much for Hua Mei's update
it's so beautiful, the work that you all do at the zoo for pandas. It was only recently that I had a growing interest in the pandas at the San Diego Zoo. I hope to someday see them in person, but for now, the webcam is such a great idea 
and I am a big fan, just being able to see these 'teddy bear' bears living life 
I also bought a panda pillow this year to honor the new addition - and yes, I hope it is a baby girl
- maybe call her 'american girl' 
Judy
August 15th, 2005 at 3:15 pm
Thanks Ron for the information that we've been so waiting for! I wonder if the Wolong center is open to the public, because it would be fantastic to be able to see several cubs playing together!
August 15th, 2005 at 3:43 pm
Why is the panda cub's tail so long when as adults or even juveniles they appear like short stubs? How and when does it change? Is this a tell tale sign of their ancestral evolution ??? ( pun intended!) Just curious.
August 15th, 2005 at 4:03 pm
Thank you very much for your update on Hua Mei. I've missed her & am always wondering how is she doing in China now. I'm very delighted to hear that she had twin boys last year & have tried to find out her cubs' names; thank you again. ;=)
August 15th, 2005 at 4:16 pm
It is Hua Mei and the interest sparked by your Panda Team that I have become much more interested in attachment theory. I must say Bai Yun has a very cute personality so what is Hua Mei like? By the way I adopted Hua Mei's twins via Pandas International but their website claims the names are Da Hua Sheng and Hua Yun? Perhaps you could do an " adopt our baby panda" program this year? Lastly, you guys are great! Keep up the excellent work!
August 15th, 2005 at 4:36 pm
So happy to hear that the grandcubs are doing so well. The play area for the youngsters sounds wonderful. Any idea how many of the other Chinese cubs are female? Greatgrandcubs would be super, but in the meantime, is there any chance your colleagues in Wolong would send pictures of Hua Mei's twins to be published on the zoo website?
August 15th, 2005 at 4:50 pm
Ron that is very interesting. Thanks for teaching all of us about our wonderful pandas. I appreciate each one of you and all your efforts in your work to make this possible! Thanks again!
August 15th, 2005 at 4:53 pm
I absolutely loved hearing about our dear, sweet little Hua Mei and her babies. I really want to take a trip to China and visit the Wolong Nature Reserve on one of my next trips to Asia. Thank you so much for the update - and not to mention the amazing job you are doing to help preserve these beautiful creatures! Do you think that one day we can have a webcam from the Wolong Reserve? How wonderful would it be to check in on Hua Mei and see her babies playing… Thanks again - and please keep the stories and updates coming - I just love it!!
August 15th, 2005 at 4:54 pm
A panda fan Liz asked the question about the cub's tail; I'd like to post an answer copied from NZ D.C. :
What happens to the baby's tail? It's so long now.
The tail of a newborn panda is long relative to its body length. As the baby grows, the tail becomes proportionately smaller. The rest of the body grows at a faster rate than the tail. Think about a human baby, whose head is relatively large compared to the rest of the body. As the baby grows, other parts of the body grow more than the head does, so the proportion changes and head size relative to body size is " normal."
August 15th, 2005 at 4:56 pm
You say that Hua Mei may be expecting again and that her cubs are nearly a year old. In an earlier posting I read that baby Pandas stay with their moms for about eighteen months. So the Wolong Center weans the babies earlier than nature would. How is that working out for the cubs? I can see that it would make for more frequent births with less " down time" between cubs. How do the early-weaned cubs compare to the ones who spend more time with the moms? Are they more or less social with other pandas? How about their growth and development? How are they at taking care of their own babies? Does it seem to make any difference?
August 15th, 2005 at 5:13 pm
Thank you for the update on Hua Mei. You have perfectly described today's Wolong with its mystical, mist shrouded mountains. And your vivid portrayal of the panda cubs playing in the nursery is priceless and right on target. We were fortunate to have visited Hua Mei and her twins in Wolong last fall when the cubs were six weeks old. We will never forget our time there.
Richard & Carole
August 15th, 2005 at 5:20 pm
Thank you for the update! You are indeed making us happy with all this information. I'm very glad to hear the Pandas in China are doing so well. I would like to know about Mei Sheng too but I think we'll all get an update as his birthday approaches. Thank you so much!
August 15th, 2005 at 5:29 pm
Thanks again for the new video of the cub — that's one way to let us hear the sounds from the den… Reading the blog entries from different staff members has been great. Now we need a " panda keeper cam" .
August 15th, 2005 at 5:47 pm
It is so exciting to see this wonderful new panda cub. I am so excited you'd think I was the mom. How long will it be before you know what sex it is? I remember seeing Mei Sheng on like a time line when he was very young . Will you do the same with this cub?
August 15th, 2005 at 6:04 pm
First I would like to say THANK YOU for the webcam or as my husband would say " our new home page." We have the webcam up 24/7, I watch every free moment I have. We look forward to the time when Bai Yun leaves the den, watching her move with the baby and trying to get a peek at the baby is fun as well. It's great to see how Bai Yun cuddles and holds the baby, she is a great mother! I'm going back to school and I hope someday to work at the Zoo and be a part of the great work you all are doing. We love to read all the reports and updates on the Weblog site. Thanks and keep up the great work.
August 15th, 2005 at 6:40 pm
Thanks to all of you for these wonderful updates! I have been such a fan of your breeding program…Hua Mei…Mei Sheng…and now this cute little guy or gal! Please know how much many of us appreciate and value your work.
Perhaps a delicate question…are you concerned that the cubs at Woolong are weaned too quickly? I believe in San Diego you follow an 18 month cycle, giving the mother and cub a generous amount of time together—and then solitary time for Bai Yun before her return to motherhood. I'm sure the Wolong program is wonderful with lots of enrichment for their pandas, but just curious if maybe they push it too much.
August 15th, 2005 at 7:00 pm
8/15 19:48 AWSOME! We just watched Bai Yun leave the cub. The coloring is sure coming along. My daughter wanted to know if the baby was crying? I told her I didn't think so, I didn't see his mouth open ;-). I'm not sure if there is audio hook up but if so, what is the activity like? Thanks again for all great work.
August 15th, 2005 at 7:09 pm
I've been following your commentary, as well as watching panda cams. We visited Wolong on May 27, 2005 with part of a WWF tour group. Our group adopted one of Hua Mei's cubs, but I do believe so did two other groups. We named our child " Morning Sunshine" . We also visited the San Diego Zoo on July 27, 2005 and saw Mei Sheng. I have video on my computer from both Wolong and your research station. Additionally, we have stills of the nursery and pictures of the young pandas that have been sent to us from Cindy Lo. One of the great thrills of our life was getting to hold a panda. Some members of our group also went into the nursery to play with them. It was unbelievable! I would be happy to share photos if you like if you provide me with an e-mail address to send them to. I'm sure though you must receive regular information directly from Wolong. I do have a few questions. I've been watching Mei Xiang and her cub in D.C. Their temperaments seem so different then Bai Yun and her cub. Is it just their biology, or is it related to the sex of the cub, or the experience of the mother? Perhaps you could address this in one of your comments. In any event, congratulations to all who are so successfully breeding these beautiful, gentle, and loving creatures. You enrich us all.
August 15th, 2005 at 7:56 pm
Thank you so much for the information about Hua Mei and her cubs! We miss Hua Mei so much. Please ask someone to provide us photos of all three of them. Thanks.
August 15th, 2005 at 8:18 pm
I had the joy of seeing the new cub for several minutes tonight at around 7:30PM while Bai was out of the den. S/he was lifting his/her head and bobbing around and trying, unless I'm hallucinating, to locomote, including turning from its side to belly. You're absolutely right it's beginning to look like a panda. Obviously well fed. As I recall these motor skills are somewhat unusual for a cub not quite two weeks old. I have been a panda addict for the past 20 years even before the San Diego Zoo became a panda center. I have a sheepskin rug with a panda mom and cub. Various pottery from China brought as gifts from our Chinese friends who know what a panda fan I am. Keep up the great work. Thanks for your devotion and dedication.
Rita
August 15th, 2005 at 8:57 pm
Thanks for the Hua Mei update. I really miss her. Will she ever return to San Diego?
August 15th, 2005 at 8:58 pm
I really miss Hua Mei. Is there any chance for her return to San Diego in the future? Would certainly welcome it! She's the reason why I joined the S.D. Zoological Society.
August 15th, 2005 at 9:12 pm
I read at the Pandas International web site that Hua Mei's son #1 has been named Da Hua Sheng, which means " Older Chinese-American," reflecting the ties between China and America, while son #2 has been named Hao Yun, which means " Good Fortune." And now I read they have different names. So which is which? Please confirm. Thanks.
August 15th, 2005 at 9:17 pm
It's 10:00 pm, is the baby in distress being held down by the mother?
August 15th, 2005 at 10:16 pm
Thank you so much for updates on Hua Mei…she's just like our 1st born…always wondering what she's up to and how's life for her in China.
August 15th, 2005 at 11:10 pm
Thank you so much for all the interesting information. After being in such a protected and fun environment I can't imagine them being released into the wild. We have a wonderful zoo in Fort Worth, Texas. Please send some here for us to watch and enjoy seeing their cubs!!
August 16th, 2005 at 4:06 am
Thanks for the update on Hua Mei and her cubs. I became enthralled with the Pandas on my first visit to the great San Diego Zoo in 1998. Since I live on the East Coast I keep up with all of your Pandas by way of the Internet. I was so excited about the birth that I am constantly checking the cam. Thanks for all of your information and keep up the great research.
August 16th, 2005 at 5:17 am
I am a Chinese super panda fan! This April I travelled a thousand miles from HK to San Francisco to meet my friend, and we drove so many hours to San Diego Zoo to visit Bai Yun, Gao Gao and of course Mei Sheng! I was so excited to see Bai Yun, who is the mother of Hua Mei and Mei Sheng, and also their living environment in real! Well I had been to Wolong Research Centre some years ago, but now I am planning to go again, just because I want to visit dear Hua Mei and her two cubs! My friend in San Francisco introduced me to see Hua Mei in panda cam when she was a little cub, and I cannot believe now she is a mother of twins! Hua Mei is another panda mother hero next to Bai Yun!
August 16th, 2005 at 6:15 am
Do you know if there is a web cam for the the panda nursery in the Wolong Reserve in China? I had tried searching for one before, and never found anything. Your web site, panda cam, and new blog have just thrilled me so much to be able to see and know what's going on with these beautiful animals I'm obsessed with!! I was so thrilled to watch Mei Shung on the cam as he grew and then got to see him in the zoo last year. I'm sure I'll be doing the same with our new little baby. Thanks!
August 16th, 2005 at 6:22 am
Thanks for answering my question about their names.
August 16th, 2005 at 6:48 am
Thank you so much for the update on Hua Mei and her cubs. I know that all of us who watched her grow and develop over the pandacam are cheering her future at Wolong.
August 16th, 2005 at 6:48 am
Does the San Diego staff watch the National Zoo Panda Cam? Are you in touch with them comparing notes and updating on progress?
August 16th, 2005 at 9:12 am
Thanks for your updates about Hua Mei. I just saw the baby panda (10:08 ca time). Thanks for zooming in the camera just a little more closer, it really made it easy to see. Great job you folks are doing in CA with these pandas. You seem so dedicated in what you do. Thanks again!
August 16th, 2005 at 10:44 am
My son and I were privilaged to see HuaMei in the new research center the year it opened up. We are animal lovers and actually visited San Diego for the animals at the Zoo, Wild Animal Park and Sea World. (We came from Kansas.) When we arrived at the Zoo we made a beeline back to the pandas! What an amazing visit!! We appreciate the updates on her. I have also become an avid panda watcher now. Love the frequent updates.
August 16th, 2005 at 11:47 am
I'm in big trouble now…baby is becoming more active it appears so I'll never get any work done!! Thanks so much for the updates and information about the other Pandas and their environment; it would be a dream come true to be able to visit someday.
August 16th, 2005 at 1:23 pm
Thank you so much for all your wonderful work. I have been truly infatuated with pandas, even more so since Hua Mei and the pandacam. You've told us about Hua Mei and her twins, the fact that Bai Yun and Tian Tian (in D.C). are related, now we just need family trees for the pandas!! Anyone got a panda ancestry.com? I'm sure China has the records, but is there any way this information can be shared? Are any of the other U.S. resident pandas related?
August 16th, 2005 at 1:47 pm
I share the interest/concern mentioned in the comment by Robin Ruble regarding Hua Mei and her cubs not being allowed to bond. Isn't there a limit to the number of babies a female panda can have in her lifetime, or has new knowledge shown this not to be the case? We are seeing through the web cam what hard work it is to care for a baby cub that first month. I hope Hua Mei gets some time to recover between babies.
If Mei Sheng has to return to China next year I wonder how he will adjust. He is a zoo baby used to human contact, not a panda used to wilder settings–but for that matter so was Hua Mei.
August 16th, 2005 at 3:12 pm
How is Bai Yun's other cub Mei Sheng doing without her attention? Are 2 year old Panda's able to be on their own without mom? I am loving the great closeups of the new cub. You can even see its little claws. Thanks for the fantastic job you all are doing.
August 16th, 2005 at 5:35 pm
I noticed the cub has a tail and I didn't think Pandas had tails . Does it disappear as they get older?
August 16th, 2005 at 6:35 pm
Jules and Chet Chin - I believe Hua Ling / Mei Ling was the birth name given to Hua Mei's cubs by keepers at the Wolong Reserve in Chengdu. The cubs were REnamed Dai Hua Sheng and Hao Yun by the person / organization who adopted them. Also, Da Hua Sheng means, literally, Older China Born; Dai means bigger, or older, of the twins; Hua = China, as in " Hua Mei" (China USA); Sheng = Born, as in " Mei Sheng" (USA Born).
According to the Atlanta Zoo site, their giant panda Lun Lun's birth name given to her by keepers in Chengdu was Hua Hua. Lun Lun was renamed by a Taiwanese rock star, Su Huilun, who " adopted" her at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Their giant panda Yang Yang's birth name was Jiu Jiu. He was renamed by three organizations in the Netherlands that " adopted" him at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Yang Yang's name means " little sea."
Thanks so much for the panda cam!
August 16th, 2005 at 6:46 pm
Thanks for all the info on Hua Mei. Love her cubs' names. I look forward to reading all I can about these fascinating creatures.
How are daddy Gao Gao & big brother Mei Sheng doing? Will Mei Sheng & new cub ever meet at some point?
August 16th, 2005 at 7:52 pm
I watch the S.D. and D.C. pandas, and it seems the S.D. Zoo has a better baby den arrangement. Today I worried about the D.C. baby because it appeared that water was dripping into the nest area from above, and Mei Xiang had left the baby in a wet spot while she went out to eat. I was ready to make a call to D.C. and tell them to rescue the baby from the water. I'm so interested in all of the pandas and have watched the S.D. group from Day 1 of the Panda Cam. The features you have added to the website, such as these Blogs, are just great! It's good to know that others around the world are just as obsessed with the pandas as I am. Bai Yun is just the best!!! What a smart girl!
August 16th, 2005 at 8:41 pm
Exciting news just announced from Wolong Breeding Centre: Up to August 16th, 13 panda babies have been born this year at Wolong Breeding Centre, a record year. On August 16th alone, four babies were born. Stay tuned, more may still come!!
August 16th, 2005 at 9:44 pm
Thanks Andrew for answering my question. Also, thanks for the update of Hua Mei's news. She is the first panda that I fell in love with. After that, I become a big fan of pandas.
August 16th, 2005 at 9:44 pm
Pat Welch - giant pandas are born with tails that seem really long at the time of birth, and then they " grow" into their tails. Looks like an adult giant panda's tail remains the same length all its life!
August 17th, 2005 at 9:58 am
I'll never forget Bai Yun and Hua Mei's bedtime routine that I tried to watch every night. It was always bath time for Hua Mei before she was put to bed, and Hua Mei hated being licked and cleaned by her mother. She'd wiggle and squirm and try to get away. One night in the middle of the bath (on Bai Yun's bed), Bai Yun turned her head away for a moment so she could scratch her ear. Instantly, Hua Mei had a chance to escape, and she slipped off the bed and hid under the end of it. Bai Yun turned back to the bed and the baby was gone. For a long moment she just stared at the bed — her eyes widening. Then she put her head closer to the bed surface and scanned it - moving back and forth across it. She was starting to panic as she frantically searched for her baby — until she happened to look down at the floor and see Hua Mei's big feet sticking out from below the bed. She yanked Hua Mei out by one foot, put her back on the bed and started licking her with a vengeance. Hua Mei was " busted." It was so funny to see mom and baby play many tricks on one another over the months, and some were so elaborate you had to watch for several days to see the outcome. I still laugh when I think of them. Pandas can be real practical jokers.
August 18th, 2005 at 7:37 am
Thank you so much for the Hua Mei update. Having watched her grow into such a fine " young lady" and trying to keep track of her back in China, it was wonderful of you to update her life. I certainly hope she again produces some " grandkids." If she's anything like her mother, Bai Yun, she will continue to bring this endangered species into the world and be the excellent mother her mother is. Thanks.
August 21st, 2005 at 1:45 pm
Thank you so much for the blogs. I've watched your Panda Cam ever since Hua Mei was born, and I'm still enjoying any and all news about her. I love her and miss her. I enjoy watching Mei Sheng also, and was able to see him last October at the zoo. What a great thrill that was. Thanks again for all you do.
August 24th, 2005 at 6:08 am
Thank you so much for the wonderful update on Hua Mei!! We miss her so much! Just a few months before she left for China, my whole extended family chipped in to provide my son, Bryce, and I a trip from Massachusetts out to San Diego so he could finally meet her while she was still there. It was a dream come true for him! He had followed every step of Hua Mei's life from her birth, had adopted her through WWF, read and absorbed any panda facts he could get his hands on, and of course, watched the panda cam faithfully! It was such an amazing trip for him! I am so greatful to all of you for the work you do to bring such incredible, endangered species into our lives! It's so nice to know that we can still keep in touch with how Hua Mei and her boys are doing. Do you think China would ever let one of her cubs come here to the San Diego Zoo on a loan? Thanks for your time and please say " hello" to Dallas for us!!
September 2nd, 2005 at 8:56 am
I SEE WHERE HUA MEI GAVE BIRTH. WILL WE EVER GET PIX OF HER WITH HER TWINS NOW A YEAR OLD OR THE CURRENT SET OF TWINS. AS A LONGTIME ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY MEMBER IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE PIX IN THE ZOONOOZ OF HUA MEI WITH HER BABIES.
October 6th, 2005 at 5:04 pm
I was wondering, does anyone know how many babies can a panda have in a lifetime? Do they ever have more than one baby? Is the red panda even a panda?
December 24th, 2005 at 2:39 pm
I am so happy that Hua Mei was born I have been in love with pandas for years i am obsessed I am very excited about this birth