August 21, 1999: Hua Mei is born at 11:40 am. Her mother is Bai Yun (which means "White Cloud" in Chinese), who had been artificially inseminated from the father, Shi Shi ("Rock"). You can see Hua Mei's hind legs poking out from under Bai Yun's arm.
Panda Baby
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August 21, 1999: Hua Mei is born at 11:40 am. Her mother is Bai Yun (which means "White Cloud" in Chinese), who had been
artificially inseminated from the father, Shi Shi ("Rock").
You can see Hua Mei's hind legs poking out from under Bai Yun's arm.
August 25, 1999 (4 days old): The first good
view of Hua Mei, who looks more like a large mouse than a panda. Keepers estimate that she
weighs between 4 and 5 ounces. Bai Yun weighs 218 pounds. Following Chinese tradition, Hua
Mei will not officially be given her name until she is one hundred days old.
September 4, 1999 (14 days): Hua Mei gets her
first checkup. The distinctive panda coloring is starting to appear, but she still fits in
the veterinarian's hand, weighing only 12.5 ounces (less than one pound).
Her claws will later be used for climbing trees.
September 21, 1999 (1 month): More like a
panda, and more than a handful. Hua Mei gets her third checkup and weighs 2.3 pounds.
She's gaining about two ounces a day. She's learned roll onto her belly.
October 6, 1999 (1 month, 15 days): A great
big furry bowl of baby panda. Hua Mei weighs 4.75 pounds, is 15.2 inches long, and her
eyes are starting to open. She's also starting to be able to move herself around, but
she's still too young to walk.
October 13, 1999 (1 month 22 days): A real
live teddy bear, Hua Mei weighs 5.75 pounds and is 16 inches long with a 14 inch waist.
She can completely roll over by herself.
October 20, 1999 (almost 2 months): Hua Mei
can now lift her head. She weighs 7 pounds and is 18 inches long with a 17 inch waist.
October 27, 1999 (2 months, 6 days): Hua Mei moves around a lot.
She weighs over 7 pounds and is 22 inches long. Bai Yun is very attentive but now feels
comfortable leaving her alone in the birthing den for longer periods of time
November 3, 1999 (2 months, 13 days): Hua Mei
can lift herself up on her front legs and soon sits up for the first time. She weighs over
8 pounds and is 22 inches long.
November 23, 1999 (3 months, 2 days): Hau
Mei's teeth are starting to show, and she's making more panda sounds. She can crawl, but
hasn't been able to stand on all four legs yet. She weighs 10.7 pounds and is over 26
inches long.
November 30, 1999 (3 months, 9 days): Hau Mei
turns 100 days old and is officially given her name which had been a carefully kept
secret. It means "China USA" to symbolize the value of the two nations'
cooperative efforts in helping these extremely endandered animals. It also translates as
"Magnificent Beautiful." A special ceremony was held on December 1 which was
attended by An Wenbin, Consul General of the People's Republic of China. Meanwhile, Hua
Mei has tried to take her first steps.
December 8, 1999 (3 months, 17 days):
"Say Ahhh." Hua Mei gets regular checkups and medical attention. She weighs over
12 pounds and is frequently seen playing with Bai Yun.
December 15, 1999 (3 months, 24 days): Hua Mei
continues to grow and has been gaining over half a pound each week.
December 29, 1999 (4 months, 8 days): Hua Mei
has started walking and exploring the area right outside the birthing den. Bai Yun has
begun carrying her to other areas of the panda exhibit. She weighs 16 pounds and is over 2
feet long.
January 5, 2000 (4 months, 16 days): Hua Mei
is getting so big, it's becoming a little hard to carry her to her checkups (compare
this picture with September 4). She goes outside the birthing den all by herself.
January 12, 2000 (4 months, 23 days): Hua Mei
pretends to chew on bamboo like she's seen her mother do, but she's still to little for
solid food.
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