Mei Lan, the only panda born outside China this year, was named
yesterday in a traditional Chinese ceremony at Zoo Atlanta in the
US.
More than 53,000 people cast votes on ajc.com, the website of
the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper, to decide the
panda's name, which was announced by Zhang Zhihe, head of the
Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base.
Zhang said that votes were cast by netizens from across the
globe, choosing from a shortlist of 10 names.
The 10 names ranged from the celestial (Ming Xing, or Bright
Star) to the agricultural (Xiao Tao, or Little Peach). Some
referred to the cub's Atlanta roots for example, Mei Lan, which
means Atlanta Beauty; and Chang Jiang (Yangtze River), which
reminds panda fans that the cub is only in Atlanta as a guest and
will return to her homeland one day.
Born on September 6, Mei Lan is the daughter of mother Lun Lun
and father Yang Yang from the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research
Base. They arrived at Zoo Atlanta in 1999 on a 10-year loan from
the Chinese government.
Soon after Mei Lan's birth, Zoo Atlanta decided to host a naming
ceremony in line with Chinese tradition when she was 100 days
old.
"Customs vary from region to region in a country as large as
China, but the 100th day tends to be the milestone that is most
often celebrated," said Denis Kelly, head of Zoo Atlanta.
According to Chinese tradition, the 100th day has particular
significance, given the high infant mortality rate in the past. A
baby's survival to the 100th day was therefore viewed as a cause
for celebration and an indication of its future health.
"Historically, the same was true for panda cubs, which often
didn't survive infancy," said Kelly.
Mei Lan weighed about 113 grams and was the size of a human hand
when she was born. On Thursday, Mei Lan underwent a check-up
conducted by Zhang and Maria Crane, Zoo Atlanta's senior
veterinarian, which found that she weighed 5.4 kilograms and was
about 67 centimeters long.
During the check-up, Mei Lan rose and took a few tentative steps
a first for the youngster.
"She wobbled like a drunk in a storm, but there was no mistaking
her intentions. She was ready to move on her own, nearly in time
for her naming ceremony," said Crane.
(China Daily December 16, 2006)
