Hua Mei

Basic Profile

Hua Mei (Chinese name: 华美, studbook number 487) is a female giant panda born on August 21, 1999 at the San Diego Zoo in San Diego, California, USA. She is the first giant panda born in the Western Hemisphere since 1990 and the first to survive to adulthood in the United States. Her parents are Shi Shi (石石, studbook 381) and Bai Yun (白云, studbook 371), both on loan from China as part of a Sino-US cooperative research program.

Historic Birth

Hua Mei’s birth was achieved through artificial insemination. Zoo staff were uncertain whether Bai Yun was pregnant until a camera installed at the den entrance captured the birth. The cub’s first vocalization alerted keepers to her arrival. Within days, Hua Mei became an international sensation — her dedicated website drew 4.5 million visits from 40 countries, and 40 volunteers rotated shifts to monitor the mother-daughter pair around the clock.

Naming

On December 1, 1999, Hua Mei’s 100th day, then-Chinese Ambassador to the United States Li Zhaoxing (李肇星) named her “Hua Mei” (华美), meaning “Splendid China” — a name symbolizing the friendship between China and the United States.

Return to China

On March 13, 2004, Hua Mei returned to China, becoming the first overseas-born giant panda to be repatriated. She was housed at the China Conservation and Research Center’s Wolong base. A dedicated quarantine facility was built for her in a remote valley, complete with a 10-square-meter indoor enclosure and a 100-square-meter outdoor playground.

Breeding and Offspring

Hua Mei is one of the most prolific pandas in the global breeding program. Her offspring include:

• 2004: Twin sons Tuan Tuan (团团, studbook 588) and Mei Ling (美灵, studbook 589) — Tuan Tuan was sent to Taipei Zoo in 2008
• 2005: Twin son and daughter Ting Ting (婷婷, studbook 618) and Wei Wei (伟伟, studbook 619)
• 2007: Twin sons Hua Long (华龙, studbook 668) and Hua Ao (华奥, studbook 669)
• 2009: Daughter Hao Hao (好好, studbook 741) — now at Pairi Daiza in Belgium
• 2010: Son Yang Hu (阳虎, studbook 798) — died in 2012
• 2012: Daughter Jia Jia (嘉嘉, studbook 846)
• 2013: Son Hua Rong (华荣, studbook 874)
• 2018: Twins Yi Yi (壹壹, studbook 1133) and Jiu Jiu (玖玖, studbook 1134)
• 2019: Twins Meng Meng (盟盟, studbook 1225) and Jin Du Du (金嘟嘟, studbook 1226)

Later Years

In 2008, Hua Mei was evacuated from Wolong to the Ya’an Bifengxia Base following the Wenchuan earthquake. She was later moved to the Dujiangyan Base in November 2023. Her legacy as a reproductive success story and a symbol of international conservation cooperation remains unparalleled.