Da Mao in 2014 | |
| Species | Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Born | (2008-09-01) September 1, 2008Chengdu 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] The Calgary Zoo consented to this request and by the end of November, 2020, had sent Da Mao back to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.[3]Er Shun returned to the Chongqing Zoo at this time, while youngsters Jia Yueyue and Jia Panpan who had been born at the Toronto Zoo during their stay there had already been sent to the Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding.[4]
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.[5]