Mao Tao

Basic Profile

Mao Tao (Chinese: 毛桃, studbook number 1017) is a male giant panda born on July 26, 2016 at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

His mother is Mao Mao (毛毛) — the inspiration for Jing Jing (晶晶), one of the five Fuwa mascots of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His father is Xiong Bin (雄浜, also known as Yu Hin, studbook 541), a returned overseas panda from Adventure World in Japan.

He comes from a true “sports family”: his grandmother Ya Ya (娅娅) was born on the opening day of the 1990 Beijing Asian Games.

Nickname

His fur has a noticeably yellowish tint, earning him the affectionate nickname “Yellow Peach” (黄桃).

Personality

Mao Tao is described as active and feisty (活跃好斗). He has developed many endearing human-like behaviors that fans love:

• Leg shaking (抖腿)
• Scratching his feet (抠脚)
• Various other entertaining mannerisms

The 2020 Duodenal Obstruction Crisis

Sudden Illness

On February 4, 2020, Mao Tao suddenly lost his appetite, became lethargic, and vomited. Over four days, his condition worsened despite supportive care.

On February 8, he began vomiting violently and showed signs of extreme depression. Emergency examination revealed a duodenal obstruction — a blockage in the upper small intestine. This condition had never been reported in any giant panda worldwide, and there was no established treatment protocol.

The Surgery

On February 10, the Chengdu Base veterinary team, in collaboration with surgeons from the Nuclear Industry 416 Hospital, performed exploratory surgery on Mao Tao. They successfully removed a bamboo food mass that was blocking his duodenum. The surgery itself took just over an hour — but the preparation and diagnosis took much longer.

Post-Surgery Shock

Despite the successful surgery, Mao Tao went into metabolic shock due to severe metabolic alkalosis caused by the prolonged vomiting and starvation. The veterinary team worked 36 hours without rest, performing continuous emergency treatment.

Mao Tao finally stabilized and regained consciousness. His keepers noted that he was remarkably cooperative during recovery — whenever he tried to scratch his surgical wound, just calling his name would make him stop and look at them.

Recovery

Mao Tao made a full recovery, progressing from liquid nutrition to bamboo shoots. By the time he was discharged, his daily fecal output was approximately 23 kg — a sign of healthy digestion.

This case became the first successful treatment of duodenal obstruction in a giant panda, filling a critical gap in panda veterinary medicine.

Family

• Mao Mao (毛毛): Mother, the Olympic mascot inspiration
• Xiong Bin (雄浜): Father, returned from Adventure World Japan
• Da Mao (大毛): Sibling
• Mao Zhu (毛竹), Mao Sun (毛笋): Siblings (2014 twin pair)
• Mao Dou (毛豆): Sibling