Mao Mao

Mao Mao is a female giant panda born on 1985-01-01 in the wild of Sichuan Province, China. She was rescued as a juvenile and transferred to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, where she was recorded in the international giant panda studbook under number 589. She remained at the base for the duration of her lifetime, passing away at the facility in 2013. She is the offspring of two unnamed wild giant pandas native to the Min Mountains, a major giant panda habitat in central China. No formal studbook records exist for her parents, as they were never taken into captivity. Currently living at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, she participates in long-term giant panda demographic research conducted by base staff. The base uses data collected from her lifetime to improve understanding of wild-born giant panda adaptation to captive conditions. As a wild-born giant panda, Mao Mao helped establish early captive breeding protocols at the Chengdu Research Base, and contributed to global public awareness of giant panda conservation. She was a calm, docile individual that regularly engaged with enrichment activities provided by caretakers. Her genetic profile is preserved in the base’s giant panda genetic resource bank, supporting ongoing conservation efforts for the species.