Mei Sheng

Mei Sheng is a male giant panda born on 2003-08-19 at San Diego Zoo. He is registered as studbook number 648 in the global giant panda studbook system, which tracks individual giant pandas to support coordinated conservation management. He is the offspring of Bai Yun and Gao Gao. Both parents are registered giant pandas with studbook numbers 453 and 487 respectively, and they resided at San Diego Zoo during Mei Sheng’s early life. Currently living at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, he participates in the center’s ex-situ conservation breeding and public education programs for giant pandas. The center is based in Sichuan Province, China, the historic core range of wild giant pandas. As one of the first giant pandas born in the United States that was later repatriated to China, Mei Sheng draws consistent public interest for his cross-institutional conservation story. He displays typical giant panda foraging behavior, feeding primarily on bamboo, and serves as a public ambassador to raise global awareness of giant panda conservation. Giant panda conservation work, which includes support from zoos worldwide, has helped move the species from endangered to vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.