Su Lin (1930s giant panda) facts for kids
Su Lin (Chinese: 蘇琳; pinyin: Sūlín) was a famous giant panda cub. He was captured in 1936 and brought to America by an explorer named Ruth Harkness. Su Lin was the very first panda to live outside of China. Even though he lived for only two years, his arrival started a long history of pandas being brought from China to other countries.
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The Story of Su Lin: A Panda's Journey
Ruth Harkness wrote in her 1938 book The Baby Giant Panda about how Su Lin was captured. This happened near the Min River in Sichuan, China. Su Lin was only about 9 weeks old when he was found.
How Su Lin Got His Name
The panda was named after Su-Lin Young. She was the sister-in-law of Quentin Young, who was Ruth Harkness's Chinese-American partner on the trip. Ruth Harkness said that "Su Lin" meant "a little bit of something very cute." At the time, Harkness and Young did not know that the baby panda was actually a male.
Su Lin Comes to America
Ruth Harkness brought Su Lin back to America. She fed him with a bottle during the journey. Su Lin became the first live panda ever shown in the United States. In April 1937, the Brookfield Zoo near Chicago bought the panda. Many famous people came to see him, including Shirley Temple, Kermit Roosevelt, and Helen Hayes.
A Companion for Su Lin
In February 1938, Ruth Harkness brought a second panda, named Mei-Mei, to the zoo. The idea was for Mei-Mei to be a friend for Su Lin. However, the two pandas did not get along and fought with each other. They were soon separated.
Su Lin's Short Life
Sadly, Su Lin died from pneumonia just a few weeks after Mei-Mei arrived. He was replaced by another panda named Mei-Lan the following year. Su Lin's short life helped people around the world learn about giant pandas.
