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The day has finally arrived: Mei Sheng has returned to China. Mei Sheng is the second panda born in the United States to return to China, according to the loan agreements between China and the U.S. that stipulate that all pandas, even those born in the U.S., are part of a master breeding program. Since Mei Sheng's father, Gao Gao, was born in the wild, Sheng's bloodline is extremely valuable, as it is relatively underrepresented in the captive panda population. So it is Mei Sheng's destiny to return to China, to reside at the giant panda breeding center at Wolong, where, as the Chinese quaintly put it, he will "find a bride." (See China Daily article.)
Here's what we know about his trip: Mei Sheng was in training for the last several months to prepare him for the trip: he spent time in the crate in which he would be transported to China, and learned to eat the "bamboo bread" that pandas at Wolong are fed. His departure was originally supposed to be at the end of October, but was postponed a week due to the San Diego wildfires. At 2:00 a.m. local time on Monday, November 5, his keepers arrived to prepare him for departure and say goodbye. Here's Angie Fiore's description of how it went:
As usual, we moved him out to the service road where a forklift was
waiting, which he was used to, as this was part of his normal training
sessions. This time, however, he was loaded onto a truck. He handled it
all quite well, remaining very calm and eating the whole time. After
his crate was secured and packing lists double checked, Kathy and I fed
him some more treats and said our very difficult goodbyes. Then Mei
Sheng, accompanied by several Zoo staff, set out for the airport. We
are glad to report that he arrived safely at the airport and is being
loaded on the plane as I write this blog. Our team members report that
he remained calm during the entire ride up, either resting or snacking.
Mei Sheng will be flown to China from Los Angeles. The 20-hour flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai is Mei Sheng's first,
according to Sinotrans Air Transportation Development Co Ltd, which is
transporting the panda. (See Shanghai Daily article.) Since Mei Sheng was "born in the USA," just like his name means, he's never had a reason to leave the San Diego Zoo before, much less fly overseas.
Sheng's first stop will be in Shanghai, where he will stay overnight before traveling to Wolong on Wednesday. He is due to land at Pudong International Airport about 7pm local time on Tuesday, November 5. Shanghai
Customs officials will escort him to Shanghai Wildlife Park, where he
will have a single room and his favorite food. There he will be able to
recover from the flight before his next trip to Wolong on Wednesday. According to Zhang Yuan, a representative of the transport company, "If Mei Sheng is in good mood after landing, we'll send him to Wolong
on Wednesday as scheduled. But if he's upset by the long travel, or
shows signs of bad temper or poor appetite, he'll stay in the park for
a longer period for a break." (See Shanghai Daily article.)
When Mei Sheng arrives in Wolong, he will be greeted as befitting his celebrity status. The Wolong giant panda center has planned "an enthusiastic and grand welcoming ceremony as part of his homecoming." (See China Daily article.) Then he will be in quarantine for a month to "monitor any signs of infectious diseases and keep an eye on his mental state." (See Shanghai Daily article.) After release from quarantine, he will join other pandas at the center, and between March and May of next year will be his "wedding date." (See Shanghai Daily article.) (This article doesn't really address whether Mei Sheng will be part of a polygamous marriage -- will he have only one mate, or several?)
As I write this, Mei Sheng would have just arrived in Shanghai, according to the announced schedule. There are a lot of people around the world following your journey, Mei Sheng, and wishing you continued safe travels. As difficult as your departure has been to face, we can't wait to hear about your first fuzzy cub, hopefully sometime next summer.
San Diego Zoo: Video Portal (see a compilation video of Mei Sheng's life)
UPDATE 2: Cute Chinese translation alert:
"We'll choose several pandas that are unrelated to Mei Sheng and arrange dates for
him so he can choose the one he loves," Zhang told China Daily. He said the dating process will take place between March and May when Mei
Sheng is ruttish. Pandas are very particular about their mating partners. "Whether we can
succeed in finding a partner for Mei Sheng will depend onwhether he likes any of
the candidates chosen for him," Li said.
(See Panda Returns in Search of Love.)
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