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San Diego Zoo
San Diego, U.S.A.
Official website: www.sandiegozoo.org
San Diego Zoo
The 100-acre Zoo, one of the area's most popular attractions, is also a lush botanical garden. The San Diego Zoo is home to 4000 animals representing 800 species. Most of the Zoo's inhabitants live in enclosures which resemble the animals' natural homes in the wild. San Diego's ideal climate makes it possible for most of the Zoo's animals to live outdoors year-round and for visitors to have a pleasant visit no matter what the season.
Giant Pandas in San Diego
San Diego Zoo has 5 giant pandas:
Bai Yun, Gao Gao, Su Lin, Zhen Zhen & Yun Zi
Giant Pandas settle in at the San Diego Zoo
China agreed to loan a pair of giant pandas to the San Diego Zoo for 12 years in an international effort to save the rare animals from extinction. The zoo agreed to pay China 1 million USD a year and to contribute additional funds toward panda preservation. If the pair successfully mated, any panda cubs would belong to China.
On September 10, 1996 Bai Yun and Shi Shi arrived at the San Diego Zoo. A brand-new exhibit area was built for them, which has since been expanded and renovated and is now called the Giant Panda Research Station. The San Diego panda facility can comfortably house up to six pandas.
In December 2008, a new panda agreement was signed, keeping the pandas in San Diego for 5 years extra years.
Bai Yun
Bai Yun (female) was born on September 7, 1991 at the China Research and Conservation Center for Giant Panda in Wolong.
She has studbook number 371.
Her name means "White Cloud" in Chinese.
Her mother Dong Dong (358) and her father is Pan Pan (308).
Bai Yun's birth was unique as her arrival marked the first successful birth of a giant panda at the Wolong Giant Panda Research Center in China. Wolong scientists aren't sure if Dong Dong's pregnancy was a result of natural breeding or artificial insemination.
She came to the San Diego Zoo on September 10, 1996 with Shi Shi.
Bai Yun is the mother of Hua Mei, Mei Sheng, Su Lin, Zhen Zhen & Yun Zi.
Gao Gao
Gao Gao (male) was born approximately in 1992.
He has studbook number 415.
His name means "Big Big" in Chinese.
In March 1993, he was rescued from the wild in Baoxing due to dehydration and an injury assumed to be from another panda. He was taken to China’s Fengtongzhai Nature Reserve and nursed back to health. On December 25, 2001 he was transferred to the China Research and Conservation Center for Giant Panda in Wolong.
He came to the San Diego Zoo on January 15, 2003.
Gao Gao is described as rambunctious and will give Zoo researchers an opportunity to observe the actions of a male panda in the prime of his life.
Gao Gao is the father of Mei Sheng, Su Lin, Zhen Zhen & Yun Zi.
Su Lin
Su Lin (female) was born on August 2, 2005 at the San Diego Zoo.
She has studbook number 596.
Her name means "A Little Bit Of Something Very Cute" in Chinese.
Her mother is Bai Yun (371) and her father is Gao Gao (415).
She is the third cub to be born at the San Diego Zoo.
Zhen Zhen
Zhen Zhen (female) was born on August 3, 2007 at the San Diego Zoo.
She has studbook number 694.
Her name means "Precious" is Chinese.
Her mother is Bai Yun (371) and her father is Gao Gao (415).
She is the fourth cub to be born at the San Diego Zoo.
Yun Zi
Yun Zi (male) was born on August 5, 2009 at the San Diego Zoo.
His name means "Son Of Cloud" in Chinese.
His mother is Bai Yun (371) and his father is Gao Gao (415).
He is the fifth cub to be born at the San Diego Zoo.
More info on:
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/default/panda-cub-arrives/
History of Giant Pandas in San Diego
Short term loan - Ba Si & Yuan Yuan
The People's Republic of China sent two giant pandas, Ba Si and Yuan Yuan, to the San Diego Zoo for a 200-day loan in 1987. This loan was symbolic of the San Diego Zoo's long-term friendship and valuable animal trade relationship with the Chinese government and zoos.
The Fuzhou pandas were exercised daily by their keepers. More than two million people were able to view the pandas during their stay.
Ba Si (female) was born approximately in 1980.
She has studbook number 264.
She was found starving high in the rugged Qionglai Mountains of central China. The starving female panda, who was named Ba Si after the gully in which she was found (Ba Si Gou), was nursed back to health in a Baoxing County giant panda resuce station that had been set up by the Chinese government. Ba Si was starving because the bamboo died in 1983, the year before she was rescued, in several regions of the Qionglai Mountains.
After Ba Si regained her strength, she moved to the Fuzhou Zoo. She arrived at her new home on May 6, 1984.
She came to San Diego Zoo on July 23, 1987 with Yuan Yuan.
They left San Diego on February 10, 1988. One day later, they arrived back in their home town Fuzhou.
She was loaned to Chengdu Zoo in April, 1988 and to Beijing Zoo from September 16 until November 13, 1990.
Ba Si lives at Fuzhou Zoo.
Yuan Yuan (male) was born approximately in 1978.
He has studbook number 282.
He was found starving by a panda patrol during the bamboo die-off in the Qionglai Mountains in 1985. He was named Yuan Yuan after Yuantuo Shan (Round Head Hill), the area where he was found. He moved to the Chengdu Zoo on March 13, 1985. He was transferred to the Fuzhou Zoo on September 11, 1986.
He came to San Diego Zoo on July 23, 1987 with Ba Si.
They left San Diego on February 10, 1988. One day later, they arrived back in their home town Fuzhou.
Yuan Yuan died on July 9, 1995 at the Fuzhou Zoo.
Shi Shi
Shi Shi (male) was born approximately in 1980.
He has studbook number 381.
His name means "Rock" in Chinese.
On March 30, 1992 he was found critically wounded with slashes on his back, face and limbs, probably from a fight with another male panda in Wenchuan. A Chinese villager found Shi Shi, and he was rescued by the Forestry Bureau of Wenchuan County. He was transferred to the China Research and Conservation Center for Giant Panda in Wolong where Chinese veterinarians saved his life. He required several months of care for his wounds to heal and because of the seriousness of his injuries, he was not able to be returned to the wild.
He came to the San Diego Zoo on September 10, 1996 with Bai Yun.
He spent six years in the United States as part of San Diego Zoo's research program. Shi Shi went back home to the China Research and Conservation Center for Giant Panda in Wolong on January 9, 2003.
Shi Shi is the father of Hua Mei.
He moved to the Ghuangzhou Zoo on September 26, 2003.
Shi Shi died on July 5, 2008 at the Ghuangzhou Zoo.
Hua Mei
Hua Mei (female) was born on August 21, 1999 at the San Diego Zoo.
She has studbook number 487.
Her name means "China - U.S.A." and "Splendid Beauty" in Chinese.
Her mother is Bai Yun (371) and her father is Shi Shi (381).
She is the first cub to be born in the San Diego Zoo and the first cub born in the United States that survived.
On February 22, 2001, Hua Mei was separated from her mother. Giant pandas are solitary animals by nature and by this stage of development in the wild, panda cubs and their mothers would be parting ways and seeking their own territories.
Hua Mei left her birth town San Diego on February 10, 2004. She moved to her parents native country China, to participate in the giant panda breeding program. She will be living at the China Research and Conservation Center for Giant Panda in Wolong.
Hua Mei is the mother of 7 cubs.
She gave birth to a set of twins in September 2004, August 2005 & July 2007. She gave birth to a single cub in July 2009.
She moved to the Ya'an Bifengxia Base of CCRCGP on May 23, 2008 after an earthquake damaged Wolong.
Mei Sheng
Mei Sheng (male) was born on August 19, 2003 at the San Diego Zoo.
He has studbook number 563.
His name means "Born in the USA" and "Beautiful Life".
His mother is Bai Yun (371) and his father is Gao Gao (415).
He is the second cub to be born in the San Diego Zoo.
Mei Sheng left his birth town San Diego on November 5, 2007. He moved to his parents native country China, to participate in the giant panda breeding program. He will be living at the China Research and Conservation Center for Giant Panda in Wolong.
He moved to the Ya'an Bifengxia Base of CCRCGP on February 19, 2008.
The pictures of Yun Zi are made by Mollie Rivera. Visit ritapetita @ flickr
The pictures of Bai Yun, Gao Gao, Su Lin & Zhen Zhen from 2009 are made by Fons Jacobs.
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