As of 2019, there are 27 zoos in 22 countries and area(s) outside of mainland China, (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Qatar, Scotland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Russia, Taiwan, Thailand, and the United States) that have giant pandas. These zoos have contracts with China to house these pandas for a few years. The two exceptions are the three pandas held at Taipei Zoo, which are given from the Chinese Mainland, and one panda held in Mexico. Giant pandas are on the IUCN Red List so part of the reason these contracts exist between China and international zoos is to try to help the species reproduce before they are brought back to their native land. For this reason, pandas are treated very well. [1] [2]
In Berlin Zoo, Berlin, Bao Bao (1978–2012) was one of the first two giant pandas [3] in Germany and became—for a time—the oldest known panda in zoos. He was together with the female panda Tjen Tjen (who died in 1984) given to West Germany by China in 1980. Between 1991 and 1993 Bao Bao was loaned to London Zoo. In 1995, back in his Berlin home, another female named Yan Yan was sent on loan from China in an attempt to mate Bao Bao. In spite of several artificial insemination experiments there were no offspring. Yan Yan died in 2007. [4] [5] [6] In summer 2017, giant pandas returned to Berlin, when Jiao Qing and Meng Meng arrived on breeding loan from China. [7] In September 2019, Meng Meng gave birth to twin panda cubs. [8]
ZooParc de Beauval, Saint-Aignan, Loir-et-Cher, France is home to Huan Huan (F) and Yuan Zi (M) since 15 January 2012. [9] She gave birth to two cubs in 2017 but only one survived, Yuan Meng. [10] She also gave birth to two other cubs in 2021: Petite Neige and Fleur de Coton. Both of them can be seen through a live camera in the zoo. [11]
Belgian zoo Pairi Daiza hosts five giant pandas; Hao Hao and Xing Hui since April 2014. Tian Bao was born in Pairi Daiza in 2016; he is the baby of Hao Hao and Xing Hui. [12] In 2019, Hao Hao gave birth to a male and a female. [13]
Chi Chi was a female giant panda born in Sichuan, China in 1954, and was caught in May 1955 in Baoxing, Sichuan, and moved to the Beijing Zoo in June. In May 1957, Kliment Voroshilov made a request for a panda for the Moscow Zoo during his visit to China, and she was sent to Moscow with another panda in the same month. However, despite this, their attempts to mate them were unsuccessful due to sexual imprinting as a result of being reared by human keepers. She was then moved to the London Zoo in 1958.
Tian Tian and Yang Guang are the pandas that were housed in Edinburgh Zoo in the UK. They lived in £275,000 suites and had organic food flown in from the Continent. They were on loan from China and returned in 2023. [14] "Tian Tian and Yang Guang have been put in enclosures designed by animal psychologists, which come complete with dens, private pools, a viewing platform and a room where the pandas will be given health check-ups." In their new habitats, each panda had a climbing frame that enabled them to see each other over the tops of their enclosures. The design of the habitat resembled their natural habitat in the wild. They had caves to sleep in and rocks where they laid.[ citation needed ] In December 2023, the Pandas returned to China after 12 years.
The former elephant enclosure became the Panda House at the Tiergarten Schönbrunn Zoo with well-structured grounds (1015 m2) adapted. These pandas are also fed a nutritious diet, and provided with proactive medical care and a dedicated nurse team—one of the most important aspects of the panda attitude. Air-conditioning and a fog machine were installed in their habitat to keep the pandas safe and happy on hot summer days. [15]
Finnish Ähtäri Zoo also hosts two giant pandas named Lumi (F) and Pyry (M). They arrived in Finland 18 January 2018 and opened for public 17 February, after one month of quarantine. They were named after the snowstorm that prevailed at the time they arrived in Finland. Lumi means snow in Finnish, while Pyry is the equivalent of snowfall. [16]
The Zoo Aquarium in Madrid is the home of Jin Xi (M) and Zhu Yu (F), who arrived in Spain in April 2024. [17] They will be on display to visitors from the end of May 2024, following a month of quarantine. [18]
Previously, Bing Xing (M) and Hua Zuiba (F) were at Zoo Aquarium Madrid from 2007 - 2024. [19] They gave birth to twin cubs You You (M) and Jiu Jiu (M) on 7 September 2010. [20] Further cubs Xing Bao (F), was born in 2013 and Chulina (F) in September 2016. [21] The zoo was also the site of the first giant panda birth in Europe, Chulin (M) in 1982 whose parents, Shao Shao (F) and Chang Chang (M), arrived in 1978. Chulin (M, 1982) was the first panda to be born in captivity in the western hemisphere by artificial insemination [22] [23]
On 4 April 2019 Copenhagen Zoo received two pandas, Xing Er, and Mao Sun. The pandas live in a brand new enclosure designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and civil engineer company MOE. [24] [25]
The Dutch Zoo Ouwehands Dierenpark houses two giant pandas named Xing Ya and Wu Wen. They live in a 3,400-meter2 Chinese-style enclosure. [26] Wu Wen gave birth to a cub on 1 May 2020. [27] The cub, named Fan Xing, has since been repatriated. [28] Wu Wen gave birth to two more cubs on 12 July 2024, of which only one survived. [29]
Since 2019, Moskovsky Zoopark in Moscow houses the two giant pandas Ru Yi and Ding Ding. [30]
Adelaide Zoo in Australia houses two pandas, Wang Wang and Funi, who were earlier loaned from China. They were loaned to Australia in 2009. They live together as male and female but also live with six red pandas. Space was created to provide comfort for the pandas but do not have the exhibit so big that the panda species would not be able to interact. In each inside room, there is "deep litter" which is a type of mulch to provide a clean inside for the pandas to live in. [31] [32]
The landscape of the exhibit was designed to mirror the native home of the two pandas, China. The giant panda exhibit is over 3,000 square meters and gives the pandas the options such as moving outside to lie on cool rocks or to bath in waterfalls. The two pandas that the Adelaide Zoo in Australia holds also have the option of staying inside in either air-conditioned rooms or in more natural caves to provide comfort for the pandas. The exhibit also has new 24-hour closed-circuit television to observe the pandas and how they interact with one another as well as other species in the exhibit. There is also a public viewing terrace under a bamboo canopy to accommodate the crowds but also to manage the privacy of the pandas. The zoo has specialist keepers just for the pandas as well as vets on hand at the zoo to make sure the pandas are well taken care of and protected. [33]
The wild giant panda population in China is no longer endangered, with a population in the wild exceeding 1,800 according to the fourth wild giant panda population investigation. [34] Around 75% of these pandas are found in Sichuan province, inhabiting 49 counties across Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces within a habitat area of 2.58 million hectares. To protect the wild population, China established 67 natural reserves for giant pandas, covering 53.8% of their habitat and 66.8% of the wild population. As of the end of 2020, there were 633 captive giant pandas, and 11 of them have been successfully reintroduced into the wild, with 9 surviving. These conservation efforts are crucial for the survival and long-term sustainability of the giant panda species. [35]
The largest panda exhibit built in Southeast Asia, this exhibit spans 1,500 m². Simulating the bears’ natural habitat with lush plantings, boulders, and water features, the state-of-the-art biodome is also temperature- and humidity-controlled to ensure the pandas’ comfort. [36] River Safari has two pandas named Kai Kai and Jia Jia on a 10 year loan. [37] On 14 August 2021, Jia Jia successfully gave birth to a panda cub named Le Le. [38]
There are currently three pandas living in Taiwan. Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan were sent by mainland China to Taiwan in 2008 as part of an exchange program. The couple has two cubs, Yuan Zai, born in 2013, and Yuan Bao, born in 2020. The two pandas were given to Taiwan rather than leased, thus them and their offspring are Taiwanese-owned. Tuan Tuan died in 2022. [39]
Ming Ming and Li Li were bred from 1994 to 1998.
Ai Bao (lovely treasure) and Le Bao (pleasant treasure) were sent by President Xi Jinping to South Korea in 2016 as a state gift. Ai Bao naturally conceived and gave birth to Fu Bao (happy treasure) on 20 July 2020. Fu Bao is the first panda to be born in Korea. The family currently resides in 'Panda World' of Everland, a popular theme park in Korea. Fu Bao received global attention when a video of her went viral on Youtube. [40] The Korea's first natural twin cubs, Rui Bao (wise treasure) and Hui Bao (shining treasure) were born on 7 July 2023. [41] They are assumed to be female, making Fu Bao the eldest sister of the Bao Family. As of 2024, Fu Bao has returned to China.
Ri Ri and Shin Shin joined Japan's oldest zoo, Ueno Zoo, in 2011. In 2012, they had a baby panda who did not survive long. But in 2016, Shin Shin gave birth to Xiang Xiang. [42] After nearly four years, the couple were found mating again, and in 2021 Shin Shin delivered twins, Xiao Xiao and Ray Ray. Ueno first exhibited pandas in 1972-1973 (Kang Kang and Lang Lang arrived in Tokyo to establish diplomatic relations with China and Japan, only for a temporary exhibition), and first bred them in 1986. [43]
Liang Liang and Xing Xing were sent to Zoo Negara, Malaysia on 21 May 2014 under the Giant Panda International Conservation Cooperation Agreement Programme. The agreement requires all giant panda cubs to be returned to China once they reach between 24 months and four years old. As of 2021, three panda cubs have been born in Zoo Negara—Nuan Nuan (born 18 August 2015), Yi Yi (born 14 January 2018) and Sheng Yi (born 31 May 2021). [44]
Cai Tao and Hu Chun were introduced to Taman Safari Indonesia in September 2017. Cai Tao and Hu Chun were born at the Bifengxia Panda Base in Bifengxia, Ya'an, Sichuan, China. The arrival process of Cai Tao and Hu Chun had been carried out for a long time, marked by the construction of the "Panda Palace" which would later become their home in Taman Safari. Cai Tao and Hu Chun have travelled more than 4,400 kilometres, taking off from Shuangliu International Airport in Chengdu, China on 28 September 2017, travelling five and a half hours until arriving at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport. After undergoing an adjustment period of approximately two months, the two of them finally began to be displayed in November 2017. [45]
Zoo Atlanta has several giant pandas being loaned from China. The loan fee that the zoo pays goes towards the conservation of giant pandas. The zoo itself has given over ten million dollars for giant panda conservation. Their projects include infrastructure, research, and management. [46] Zoo Atlanta’s loan is set to expire in 2024 with the pandas making their return trip some time at the latter part of year. [47]
In April 2003, the Memphis Zoo became one of only four U.S. zoos to exhibit the giant panda on a long term loan basis. One male and one female giant panda ("Ya Ya" and "Le Le") share their 3-acre (1.2 ha) home with several other species native to China, in the first Memphis Zoo exhibit to be built as a zoogeographical exhibit. The buildings, plant life and even the sounds of China are represented in this $16 million exhibit. [48] On February 3, 2023, the Memphis Zoo announced that Le Le had passed away at 25 years old. [49]
Ya Ya began the return journey to China, after twenty years at Memphis Zoo, in April, 2023. [50] [51] Chinese social media users and activists had showed concerns over the panda's welfare and treatment. [52] [51]
At the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, zookeepers provide various forms of enrichment to their giant pandas and switch up their routine. They provide honey, apples, and leaf-eater biscuits inside the panda toys. The toys are usually made of plastic, rubber, and bamboo to ensure that the pandas don't break the toys too easily. Giant Pandas are allowed to play with water bottles, burlap bags, blankets, boxes, and fruitsicles—frozen fruit juice and water with cut-up fruit inside. The exhibit itself includes a room with a waterfall and rocky outcrop, a den, and several sustainable design features. There are green roofs, a solar hot water system, and natural material for the visitor paths. Not only is the exhibit sustainable, but it also creates an environment that allows for the pandas to stay at a cool temperature when it is hot outside while providing areas for privacy. Short trees, shrubs, pools, and streams, allow them to stay comfortable at all times. [53] The National Zoo has had 4 cubs: Tai Shan, Bao Bao and Bei Bei, who all live in China (Bei Bei was sent to China on 19 November 2019. [54] ) The 4th, born 21 August 2020 is named Xiao Qi Ji (Mandarin Chinese for "Little Miracle") born when his mother, Mei Xiang was 22—the oldest female panda in North America to give birth.[ citation needed ] On November 8, 2023, the three pandas returned to China. [55]
The San Diego Zoo had Giant Pandas on-loan from China from 1996–2019 as part of the breeding program that successfully boosted the Giant Panda from "endangered" to "vulnerable." [56] The agreement for the San Diego Zoo to house the breeding pair of Bai Yun and Xiao Liwu ended in 2019, and the pandas returned on 27 April 2019. [57] In 2024, the San Diego Zoo signed another agreement to keep pandas on-loan from China, [58] and on 28 June 2024, the breeding pair Yun Chuan and Xin Bao arrived at the zoo, being the first pandas to be sent to the United States in 21 years. [59]
Other American zoos have hosted Giant Pandas on more limited basis prior to the requirement for long term periods of at least 10 years. Zoos such as Columbus Zoo and Toledo Zoo have hosted Giant Pandas in 1992 and 1988 respectfully.
The Chapultepec Zoo (Zoológico de Chapultepec) is one of the four zoos of Mexico City, and it is especially famous for its success in giant panda breeding; in 1980 Chapultepec Zoo became the first institution outside of China to successfully breed the previously endangered species in captivity. The first bear born, Xeng-Li, lived only eight days after its 10 August birth but was accidentally smothered by its mother, Yin-Yin. [60]
In total there have been eight live births at the zoo. The most famous panda to have lived at the zoo is Tohui (1981–1993). [61] As of November 2019, the two female giant pandas who live at the zoo, Shuan Shuan (b. 1988) and Xin Xin (b. 1990), are the oldest Giant Pandas in captivity. [62] Shuan Shuan died in 2022, leaving Xin Xin as the last surviving panda in Mexico. [63]
The pandas at Chapultepec are special in that China does not have ownership. The original pair was given to Mexico and subsequent pandas have all been born prior to the change in policy from gifting to loaning. Zoo officials have also come to an agreement with China that any new offspring born at Chapultepec will belong to China. However, these pandas will be allowed to stay at the zoo (in contrast to other institutions, where offspring have to be returned to China after reaching five years of age). [61]
Giant pandas Jia Yueyue and Jia Panpan were born to Er Shun and Da Mao at Toronto Zoo in Ontario. The twins were then relocated to the Calgary Zoo in March 2018. [64] They were relocated to China in 2020 due to a bamboo shortage caused by supply chain issues after moving to the Calgary Zoo in Alberta. [65] Prior to Jia Yueyue and Jia Panpan, the Assiniboine Park Zoo hosted the giant pandas Rong Rong and Chuan Chuan in the 1980s. [66]
The National Zoological Park, commonly known as the National Zoo, is one of the oldest zoos in the United States. The zoo is part of the Smithsonian Institution and does not charge admission. Founded in 1889, its mission is to "provide engaging experiences with animals and create and share knowledge to save wildlife and habitats".
The Toronto Zoo is a zoo located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Encompassing 287 hectares, the Toronto Zoo is the largest zoo in Canada averaging around 1.2 million visitors a year. The zoo is divided into seven zoogeographic regions: Indo-Malaya, Africa, Americas, Tundra Trek, Australasia, Eurasia, and the Canadian Domain. Some animals are displayed indoors in pavilions and outdoors in what would be their naturalistic environments, with viewing at many levels. The zoo also has areas such as the Kids Zoo, Waterside Theatre, and Splash Island. The zoo has one of the most taxonomically diverse collection of animals on display of any zoo worldwide and is currently home to over 3,000 animals representing over 300 species. The zoo is open to the public every day of the year.
The Berlin Zoological Garden is the oldest surviving and best-known zoo in Germany. Opened in 1844, it covers 35 hectares and is located in Berlin's Tiergarten. With about 1,380 different species and over 20,200 animals, the zoo presents one of the most comprehensive collections of species in the world.
The Memphis Zoo is a zoo in Midtown, Memphis, Tennessee, United States. There are no Tennessee Tuesdays in March at the Memphis Zoo. It is home to more than 3,500 animals representing over 500 different species. Created in April 1906, the zoo has been a major tenant of Overton Park for more than 100 years. The land currently designated to the Memphis Zoo was defined by the Overton Park master plan in 1888, it is owned by the City of Memphis. The zoo is set on 76 acres (31 ha), of which approximately 55 acres (22 ha) are developed.
Panda diplomacy is the practice of sending giant pandas from China to other countries as a tool of diplomacy and wildlife conservation. From 1941 to 1984, the Chinese government gifted pandas to other countries. Since 1984, they have been leased rather than gifted due to a PRC policy change.
Tai Shan is a giant panda born at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., on July 9, 2005. He is the first panda cub born at the National Zoo to survive for more than a few days. He is the oldest brother of Bao Bao, Bei Bei and Xiao Qi Ji.
Chapultepec Zoo is a zoo located in Chapultepec Park; it is one of four zoos near Mexico City, and the best known Mexican zoo. It was founded July 6, 1923, by Mexican biologist Alfonso Luis Herrera using donations from private citizens and governmental funds from the Ministry of Agriculture and Development, and also with funds from the Society of Biological Studies.
Hua Mei is a female giant panda. She is the first giant panda cub to survive to adulthood in the United States. She was born to Bai Yun (mother) and Shi Shi (father) at the San Diego Zoo. Millions of people around the world watched Hua Mei grow up via the zoo's Panda Cam.
Mei Xiang is a female giant panda who lived at the National Zoo in Washington D.C.
Tian Tian is a 275-pound male giant panda formerly at the National Zoo in Washington D.C. The panda was born on August 27, 1997, at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda at the Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan Province, to Yong Ba (mother) and Pan Pan (father). Tian Tian is the half-brother of Bai Yun, formerly at the San Diego Zoo.
Lun Lun is a female giant panda at Zoo Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia. The panda, now 242 pounds (110 kg), was born at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China on August 25, 1997. Her original name, Hua Hua, was changed to Lun Lun by her sponsor, the Taiwanese rock star Su Huilun.
Bai Yun was the first female giant panda who was born at the Wolong Giant Panda Research Center in China. From September 1996 she lived at the San Diego Zoo for more than 20 years, until being returned to China in May 2019. Bai Yun gave birth to her sixth cub in 2012 since arriving at the San Diego Zoo, considered the most surviving pandas born at a breeding facility outside of native China. Bai Yun returned to China with her last-born as the 23-year conservation loan of the pandas came to an end between China and San Diego Zoo Global.
The Madrid Zoo Aquarium is a 20-hectare (49-acre) zoo and aquarium located in the Casa de Campo in Madrid, Spain. The zoo is owned by the city, but is managed by the international entertainment operator Parques Reunidos. Opened in 1770, it is one of the largest zoos in Spain and one of the few zoos in the world that houses giant pandas.
River Wonders, formerly known as River Safari, is a river-themed zoo and aquarium located in Mandai, Singapore, it forms a part of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, consisting of the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and Bird Paradise and the upcoming Rainforest Wild Park. It is built over 12 hectares and nestled between its two counterparts, the Singapore Zoo and the Night Safari, Singapore. It is the first of its kind in Asia and features freshwater exhibits and a river boat ride as its main highlights. The safari was built at a cost of S$160m, with an expected visitor rate of 820,000 people yearly.
Bao Bao is a female giant panda cub who was born at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. She lived at the Zoo for four years until February 2017. She is currently located at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Sichuan Province. She is the sister of Tai Shan, Bei Bei and Xiao Qi Ji.
Er Shun is a female giant panda, born at the Chongqing Zoo.
Jia Yueyue and Jia Panpan are twin giant pandas born at the Toronto Zoo on 13 October 2015, to mother, Er Shun and father, Da Mao. They were the first giant pandas to be born in Canada, and only the second giant panda twins to survive the neonatal period in North America. Their birth was the result of one of two artificial insemination procedures overnight from 13 to 14 May 2015. The pandas went on public exhibit at the zoo on 12 March 2016. The last day that the giant pandas were viewable at the Toronto Zoo was 18 March 2018. The two pandas have since left Canada and now reside at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
Meng Xiang, nicknamed Pit, is a male giant panda. Born in the Berlin Zoo on August 31, 2019, Meng Xiang and his twin Meng Yuan were the first giant pandas born in Germany. Their father Jiao Qing and mother Meng Meng were both from Sichuan, and arrived in Berlin for 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Germany in 2017.
Meng Yuan, nicknamed Paule, is a male giant panda born on 31 August 2019, in the Berlin Zoo in Germany. Its parents are Sichuan-born Jiao Qing and Meng Meng. They are on lease from China for a provisional period of 15 years.
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