Da Mao facts for kids
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Da Mao in 2014
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| Species | Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) |
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| Sex | Male |
| Born | September 1, 2008 Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding |
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Da Mao is a male giant panda born on September 1, 2008. He was born at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China. His mother's name is Mao Mao, and his father's name is Yuhin (also known as Xiongbang). The name Da Mao means "first of Mao" because he was his mother's first baby.
Da Mao's Journey to Canada
In 2013, Da Mao traveled to Canada. This was part of a special 10-year agreement between the governments of Canada and China. The plan was for Da Mao and a female panda named Er Shun to live in Canada. They were supposed to spend five years at the Toronto Zoo and then five years at the Calgary Zoo.
Life in Canadian Zoos
Da Mao lived at the Toronto Zoo from 2013 to 2018. After that, he moved to the Calgary Zoo in 2018. However, in May 2020, the Calgary Zoo asked to send both pandas back to China. This was because it became very hard to get enough fresh bamboo for them during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pandas eat a lot of bamboo, and getting it from far away became a big problem.
A Star in the Snow
While Da Mao was living at the Toronto Zoo, he became quite famous! Many videos of him playing in the snow went viral online. People loved watching him have fun. One of the most popular videos showed him happily destroying a snowman. His zookeepers had made the snowman for him to play with. This kind of play helps animals stay active and happy. It is called behavioral enrichment.
See also
- List of giant pandas
- List of individual bears
