Da Mao

Basic Profile

Da Mao (Chinese: 大毛), studbook number 732, is a male giant panda born on September 1, 2008, at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. He comes from an athletic family lineage: his mother Mao Mao (毛毛) was the inspiration for Jing Jing (晶晶), one of the five Fuwa mascots of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and his father Xiong Bin (雄浜) is a returned overseas giant panda. His siblings include Jun Jun (君君), Mao Zhu (毛竹), Mao Sun (毛笋), Mao Dou (毛豆), and Mao Tao (毛桃).

Journey to Canada

On March 25, 2013, Da Mao and female giant panda Er Shun (二顺) departed from China aboard a FedEx charter flight to Canada, as part of a 10-year Sino-Canadian giant panda conservation and research partnership. The pair first resided at the Toronto Zoo in Ontario, where they underwent a period of acclimation before being introduced to the public.

In 2015, Da Mao successfully fathered twin cubs Jia Panpan (加盼盼) and Jia Yueyue (加悦悦) via artificial insemination with Er Shun. The cubs were the first giant pandas born in Canada.

Move to Calgary and Return

In March 2018, Da Mao and his family moved to the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo in Alberta, Canada, as part of the second phase of their Canadian residency. The Calgary Zoo’s cooler climate was considered more suitable for giant pandas.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused severe disruption to international flights, making it impossible to deliver sufficient fresh bamboo from China. In November 2020, Da Mao and Er Shun returned to China earlier than planned — two years before the original end of their 10-year agreement. Jia Panpan and Jia Yueyue had already returned to China in January 2020.

Da Mao now resides at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, where he continues to participate in the national conservation breeding program.