Gao Gao

Gao Gao is a male giant panda born on January 1, 1990 in the wild of the Qinling Mountains. His studbook number is 415, and he was captured as a wild subadult before being transferred to managed care for conservation research. He is the offspring of two unidentified wild giant pandas native to the Qinling Mountains. Gao Gao has fathered multiple offspring with the female giant panda Bai Yun during his time at the San Diego Zoo. Currently living at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Sichuan, he participates in the center’s coordinated giant panda conservation breeding program. This program supports genetic diversity management for the species’ ex situ population. As a wild-born Qinling giant panda, Gao Gao carries genetically distinct ancestry not found in most managed giant pandas, making him a valuable contributor to population genetic diversity. He gained international public attention during his 15-year residence at the San Diego Zoo, helping raise global awareness of giant panda conservation.