Da Mao

Da Mao (studbook number 719) is a male giant panda born on September 1, 2008, at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda. His parentage is officially recorded within the Chinese national giant panda breeding program, with father Ba Ke (studbook 461) and mother Xi Xi (studbook 452), both registered captive-born individuals part of the country’s structured species conservation efforts. As a formally registered entry in global giant panda captive breeding records, his lineage is fully documented to support evidence-based breeding management practices designed to maintain genetic diversity across the global captive population.

On his first birthday in 2009, Da Mao was transferred to the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo in Alberta, Canada, as part of long-term cooperative conservation breeding initiatives between the China Conservation and Research Center and North American zoological institutions. The arrangement operates under established international giant panda conservation partnership frameworks, which prioritize collaborative research, public education, and species survival planning. Since his arrival at the Calgary Zoo, he has been part of ongoing observational studies focused on giant panda dietary adaptations, reproductive biology, and behavioral patterns in managed care settings, with findings shared across global panda conservation networks to refine care protocols for the species.

As a prominent ambassador for giant panda conservation, Da Mao’s public presence at the Calgary Zoo draws hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, raising broad awareness of the threatened mountain ecosystems of central China that support wild giant panda populations. His nearly bamboo-exclusive diet, characteristic of the species, is often featured in educational programming to illustrate the tight ecological link between giant pandas and healthy, intact bamboo forest habitats. In addition to public outreach, his participation in collaborative breeding programs contributes to the long-term viability of the global captive giant panda population, a key buffer against risks facing wild populations affected by habitat fragmentation and climate-related ecosystem shifts. All care and research activities involving Da Mao align with international animal welfare standards and the shared conservation goals of the Sino-Canadian panda partnership.