Long Long

Basic Profile

Long Long (Chinese name: 龙龙) was a male giant panda born on September 14, 1995 at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong, Sichuan. His father was An An (安安) and his mother was Jia Jia (佳佳), the famous Hong Kong-donated panda. His studbook number per Baidu Baike is 433, but this could not be independently verified and is not included in the registry to avoid conflict.

Life Journey

Transfer to Kobe (2002)

After Jin Zhu (锦竹, first Xing Xing) was recalled to China due to its intersex condition, Long Long was selected as a replacement. He arrived at Kobe Oji Zoo on December 9, 2002 and was renamed Xing Xing (兴兴), continuing the name of the zoo’s resident male panda.

Life at Kobe Oji Zoo (2002-2010)

Long Long lived at Kobe Oji Zoo alongside female panda Dan Dan (旦旦, studbook 439, originally named Shuang Shuang/爽爽). They were a popular attraction, especially as symbols of recovery after the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake.

Death

On September 9, 2010, Kobe Oji Zoo staff detected hormonal changes in Dan Dan, indicating she was in estrus. They decided to perform artificial insemination. Long Long was anesthetized at 9:00 AM for semen collection. When the procedure was unsuccessful, it was stopped at 11:00 AM. Long Long failed to regain consciousness within the expected 30-minute window. Despite emergency care, his heart stopped at 12:00 PM.

A joint Chinese-Japanese investigation concluded that Long Long died from asphyxiation caused by gastric contents aspirated into the lungs during anesthetic recovery. Under the terms of the agreement, the city of Kobe paid US$500,000 in compensation to China.

A memorial flower station was set up at the zoo’s panda indoor exhibit, where visitors left carrots and apples — Long Long’s favorite foods.