Hua Mei — first US-born cub to survive

AUG 21 1999 · 12:00

On 21 August 1999, Hua Mei is born at the San Diego Zoo — the first giant panda born in the United States to survive to adulthood, conceived by artificial insemination. Her survival proves that Western zoos, too, can breed pandas, and she is later repatriated to China to join the breeding programme.