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San Diego, California - Change is in the air at the Giant Panda Research Station. While the development in the San Diego Zoo's newborn cub continues to add to the bank of information gathered on giant panda growth and the relationship between a mother and cub, the infant's sibling, Mei Sheng, is spending his last days at the Zoo.

Four-year-old Mei Sheng received a clean bill of health from veterinarians saying the sub-adult bear is ready for his airplane trip to China's Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Wolong Nature Reserve. Although Mei Sheng may be out of public view for short periods of time in preparation for his move, the public should be able to visit Mei Sheng through Saturday, Oct. 27 at the San Diego Zoo. Beginning Sunday, Oct. 28 he will be off exhibit in preparation for the trip.

His 11-week-old sister measured 1.8 feet long and weighed 8.6 pounds during her weekly veterinary exam Wednesday. Veterinarians say the unnamed female cub is growing at a normal rate and appears to be very healthy.

After Mei Sheng's departure the San Diego Zoo will still be home to four giant pandas: Bai Yun and her 11-week-old female cub, the father Gao Gao and 2-year-old Su Lin.

The 100-acre San Diego Zoo is operated by the not-for-profit Zoological Society of San Diego. The Zoological Society, dedicated to the conservation of endangered species and their habitats, engages in conservation and research work around the globe and is responsible for maintaining accredited horticultural, animal, library, and photo collections. The Zoological Society also manages the 1,800-acre San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park (more than half of which has been set aside as protected native species habitat) and the center for Conservation and Research for Endangered Species (CRES). The important conservation and science work of these entities is supported in part by the Foundation for the Zoological Society of San Diego.