Da Mao
 Da Mao in 2014 | |
| Species | Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Born | September 1, 2008 Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding |
| Residence |
|
Da Mao (born September 1, 2008) is a giant panda that was born at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.[1] He was born to Mao Mao (female) and Yuhin/Xiongbang (male). The name Da Mao means "first of Mao" as he was his mother's first born.
Da Mao was brought to Canada in 2013 as part of a 10-year contract between the federal governments of Canada and China. He and his female counterpart Er Shun were supposed to spend five years each at Toronto Zoo and Calgary Zoo respectively. In May 2020, the Calgary Zoo requested that both pandas be returned to China due to the difficulty of importing bamboo during the COVID-19 pandemic.[2]
While in Toronto, Da Mao was the subject of multiple viral videos featuring him playing in the snow. The most popular featured his playful destruction of a snowman made for him by his keepers for behavioral enrichment.[3]
See also
References
- ^ "Toronto panda Da Mao celebrates birthday". Toronto Star. September 1, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
- ^ "Calgary Zoo to ship giant pandas back to China early due to bamboo supply problems". CBC. May 12, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
- ^ "Toronto Zoo Giant Panda vs. Snowman | Youtube".
