Gu Gu

Basic Profile

Gu Gu (Chinese: 古古, nicknamed Gu Da Ye/古大爷 — “Uncle Gu”), studbook number 496, was a male giant panda born on September 25, 1999 at the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas (CCRCGP) Hetaoping Base in Wolong, Sichuan.

His mother was Tang Tang (唐唐, studbook 446) and his father was Pan Pan (盼盼, studbook 308). His siblings include Gong Zhu (公主), Ye Ye (晔晔), Long Hui (龙徽) — the Vienna male, Lin Yang (林阳), Lin Hui (林惠), and Ju Xiao (菊笑).

The Security Captain

Gu Gu earned his nickname “Beijing Zoo Security Captain” (北动保安队长) for his role in four separate incidents in which he bit visitors who entered his enclosure illegally.

In every case, the injured party was found to be at fault for entering the enclosure. Gu Gu was simply defending his territory. The incidents cemented his reputation as Beijing Zoo’s toughest resident.

The First Lady Visit (2017)

On November 10, 2017, following President Trump’s state visit to China, US First Lady Melania Trump visited Beijing Zoo’s panda pavilion. She was introduced to Gu Gu, who was on his best behavior — he calmly accepted bamboo from her hand and allowed her to touch his paw. Melania later tweeted about the encounter, calling it “wonderful.”

Keepers noted that Gu Gu seemed unusually cooperative, speculating that Melania’s black-and-white outfit might have reminded him of a fellow panda.

Death

In August 2024, Gu Gu began showing signs of ascites (abdominal fluid accumulation), loss of appetite, and lethargy. He was moved to a non-public area on January 9, 2024. On the afternoon of January 15, 2025, his condition deteriorated sharply. Despite emergency care, he died at 2:09 AM on January 16, 2025 at 25 years and 4 months of age due to age-related heart and liver failure.