Mei Sheng

Basic Profile

Mei Sheng (美生) is a male giant panda born on August 19, 2003, at the San Diego Zoo. He is the first male giant panda cub born in the United States through natural mating. His name “Mei Sheng” means “born in America,” reflecting his status as one of the first US-born cubs. His studbook number is 563.

Family

Mei Sheng is the son of Bai Yun (studbook 371) and Gao Gao (studbook 415), making him the first natural-born cub of this renowned breeding pair. He has several siblings: older half-sister Hua Mei (through Bai Yun and Shi Shi), and younger full siblings Su Lin, Zhen Zhen, Yun Zi, and Xiao Liwu. All were born at San Diego Zoo through the zoo’s highly successful giant panda breeding program.

Life Journey

San Diego Zoo (2003–2007)

Mei Sheng spent his early years at the San Diego Zoo under the Sino-US cooperative breeding program. He was the second giant panda cub born at San Diego Zoo after Hua Mei (1999), and the first born through natural mating between Bai Yun and Gao Gao. His birth was a significant milestone, as Gao Gao was the first wild-born male panda to successfully sire cubs in the United States.

Return to China (2007)

On November 7, 2007, at approximately four years old, Mei Sheng was repatriated to China, settling at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) in Wolong, Sichuan Province. His return marked the second US-born panda to be repatriated to China.

Post-2007 Journey

Following the devastating 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, Mei Sheng was relocated to the Ya’an Bifengxia Base for safety. In 2009, he began participating in the center’s breeding program. Over the following years, he was moved multiple times between CCRCGP facilities, including stints at the Dujiangyan Base and Wolong Shenshuping Base.

In 2017, Mei Sheng was sent to Guangzhou Chimelong Safari Park on a loan arrangement. He returned to CCRCGP in 2019, and later that year was loaned to Nanjing Tangshan Ziqinghu Wildlife World, where he stayed until 2023. In August 2023, he returned permanently to Sichuan and retired at the Dujiangyan Base of CCRCGP, where both his parents, Bai Yun and Gao Gao, also lived in their later years.

Legacy

Mei Sheng is one of the foundational figures of the San Diego Zoo’s giant panda conservation legacy. As the first naturally conceived male cub born in the US, his life represents the success of international cooperative breeding programs. He contributed to the genetic diversity of the captive panda population through his participation in the breeding program and remains a beloved figure among panda enthusiasts worldwide.