Mei Lan facts for kids
Two-year-old giant panda Mei Lan at Zoo Atlanta
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| Species | Giant panda |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Born | 6 September 2006 Zoo Atlanta, Georgia, US |
| Residence | Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Sichuan, China |
Mei Lan (simplified Chinese: 美兰; traditional Chinese: 美蘭, meaning "American orchid" or "beautiful orchid") is a male giant panda. He was born on September 6, 2006, at Zoo Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States. His mother, Lun Lun, had a very long labor, lasting 35 hours!
When Mei Lan was first born, the zoo staff thought he was a girl. But later, experts in China at the Chengdu Research Base of Panda Breeding discovered he was actually a boy. Mei Lan was the first cub born to his parents, Lun Lun and Yang Yang. He has several siblings, including Xi Lan, Po, and two sets of twins named Mei Lun and Mei Huan, and Ya Lun and Xi Lun. Mei Lan moved to Chengdu, China, on February 4, 2010.
Naming a Panda Cub
Mei Lan received his name at a special ceremony on December 15, 2006. This followed a Chinese tradition where panda cubs are named when they are about 100 days old.
The name Mei Lan means "American orchid" or "beautiful orchid." It was suggested by a TV station in Atlanta, WSB-TV. The public chose the name through an online poll, and "Mei Lan" won with 22% of the votes. Many of the names in the poll had words like "beautiful," "orchid," "peach," or "moon." These words are often used for girls' names in China. This is because everyone originally thought Mei Lan was a female cub!
| Name | Chinese | Meaning | Submitter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chang Jiang | simplified Chinese: 长江; traditional Chinese: 長江 | Yangtze River | Other |
| Cheng Ya | simplified Chinese: 成娅; traditional Chinese: 成婭 | pretty Atlanta girl from Chengdu | Zoo staff member |
| Mei Lan | simplified Chinese: 美兰; traditional Chinese: 美蘭 | beautiful peach | WSB-TV (ABC) |
| Mei Li | simplified Chinese: 美丽; traditional Chinese: 美麗 | beautiful | WAGA-TV (Fox) |
| Mei Tao | Chinese: 美桃 | beautiful peach | WGCL-TV (CBS) |
| Ming Xing | Chinese: 明星 | bright star | WXIA-TV (NBC) |
| Ming Yue | Chinese: 明月 | bright moon | Zoo staff member |
| Ping Bao | Chinese: 平宝 | precious treasure | AJC |
| Tai Ji | Chinese: 太极 | Tai chi | Other |
| Xiao Tao | Chinese: 小桃 | little peach | Panda Express |
Returning to China
Like other giant pandas born in zoos in the United States, Mei Lan legally belongs to China. This is part of special agreements between countries. He traveled to China on February 4, 2010. He even shared a flight with another famous panda, Tai Shan, who was from the National Zoo in Washington D.C. Today, Mei Lan lives at the Chengdu Panda Base. This is the same place where both his parents were born.
See also
- List of giant pandas
- List of individual bears
