SAN DIEGO -- Concern over severe acute respiratory syndrome prompted Chinese authorities to ask that giant panda Hua Mei remain at the San Diego Zoo months longer than scheduled before being sent to China, 10News reported.

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Hua Mei was scheduled to leave for China in June, but neither Chinese nor zoo officials wanted to put at risk the humans who would need to travel with her.

It is not immediately known when the panda will leave San Diego for China.

Hua Mei's health is not the issue since it is very unlikely a panda would be susceptible to the SARS virus, Donald F. Lindburg, head of the zoo's giant panda team, told the San Diego Union-Tribune.

China is restricting the travel of its own people, and the U.S. government is scrutinizing entry of travelers from China more closely than in the past, Lindburg noted.

"China's decision to postpone came as no surprise to us," Lindburg said. "They're taking this very seriously."

The panda was born at the zoo on Aug. 21, 1999.

The zoo now has three giant pandas on its grounds, more than any other zoo outside China. The panda trio includes female Bai Yun, Hua Mei's mother, and male Gao Gao.

In August, the zoo could have even more pandas on hand if Bai Yun has one or more cubs. She mated with Gao Gao in late March but nonetheless was artificially inseminated with frozen sperm from Shi Shi, who was returned to China in January.

Under the terms of the 12-year loan agreement that brought Bai Yun and Shi Shi to San Diego in 1996, all offspring are the property of China and must be sent there when they turn 3.