Shi Shi (giant panda)

Shi Shi
Shi Shi at the San Diego Zoo
Other nameChinese: 石石
SpeciesGiant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)
SexMale
BornShi Shi
c. 1977
Sichuan Province, People's Republic of China
DiedJuly 5, 2008(2008-07-05) (aged 30–31)
Guangzhou Zoo, Guangzhou, China
Cause of deathNatural causes (old age)
NationalityChinese
OccupationBreeding panda
EmployerSan Diego Zoo (1996–2003), Guangzhou Zoo
Years active1996–2008
Known forSiring Hua Mei via artificial insemination
OwnerChina Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda
ResidenceGuangzhou Zoo, Guangzhou, China
MateBai Yun
OffspringHua Mei
Named afterMeans "Rock" in Chinese

Shi Shi (Chinese: 石石; pinyin: Shí Shí; lit. 'Rock Rock'; c. 1977 – July 5, 2008) was a male giant panda who briefly stayed at the San Diego Zoo. Bai Yun was artificially inseminated with Shi Shi's sperm, resulting in the birth of Hua Mei, the first panda to survive adulthood in the United States. He was replaced by Gao Gao as Bai Yun's mate in 2003 and sent back to China after veterinarians deemed Shi Shi too old to be part of the mating program.

Life

Shi Shi was born around 1977 in the wild in Sichuan, China,[1][2] and was rescued in 1992.[3] He was rehabilitated and sent to the San Diego Zoo as the mate for Bai Yun on September 10, 1996,[4] making them the first pandas sent to California,[5] but he was not in the mood to mate.[6] To prevent the two pandas from fighting,[7] Bai Yun was artificially inseminated with Shi Shi's sperm in 1999, and, on August 21,[8] she gave birth to Hua Mei,[9] who was the first giant panda born in the United States to grow into adulthood.[10]

Veterinarians eventually determined that Shi Shi was much older than was originally assumed, and in 2003, he was sent back to China and replaced as Bai Yun's mate by Gao Gao,[11][12][13][14] with whom she gave birth to five additional cubs.[15] Shi Shi lived out his remaining years in China at the Guangzhou Zoo and died on July 5, 2008.[13] The Smithsonian National Zoo was expected to receive Shi Shi's frozen sperm after his death.[16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Bamboo Bears". PBS. September 21, 2001. [In 1997] Bai Yun was a frisky five-year-old female — one of the first captive-born pandas produced by the Chinese. At 20, male Shi Shi was also an interesting story.
  2. ↑ DeWyze, Jeannette (July 2, 2026). "Why would the San Diego Zoo defy the Wildlife Fund on pandas?". San Diego Reader.
  3. ↑ Deason, Rachel (June 8, 2017). "The 12 Most Famous Pandas in China". The Culture Trip.
  4. ↑ Stickney, R (March 26, 2019). "Timeline Giant Pandas at San Diego Zoo". NBC San Diego.
  5. ↑ Hawkinson, Katie (August 8, 2024). "First giant pandas sent from China in decades make their debut at San Diego Zoo". The Independent.
  6. ↑ Fikes, Brandon (November 1, 2018). "A species revived: How the San Diego Zoo helped unlock the mystery of panda sex and parenting". Los Angeles Times.
  7. ↑ Owen, David (August 26, 2013). "Bears Do It". The New Yorker.
  8. ↑ "美国出生的中国大熊猫"华美"将"衣锦还乡"(图)" [American-born Chinese giant panda Hua Mei will 'return home in rich clothes' (photo)]. China News Service (in Chinese). Xinhua News Agency. August 24, 2002.
  9. ↑ Peterson, Karla (August 8, 2015). "San Diego Zoo's panda mom a giant gift to science". The San-Diego Union Tribute. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  10. ↑ Molnar, Phillip (March 25, 2019). "Last pandas at San Diego Zoo are leaving for China". The San Diego Union-Tribune.
  11. ↑ Johnson, Andrew (March 27, 2019). "Era, More or Less, Ended: Former Panda Team Leader at San Diego Zoo Doubts Return of Beloved Animals". NBC San Diego.
  12. ↑ Spagat, Elliot (August 5, 2009). "San Diego Zoo panda gives birth to 5th cub". NBC News.
  13. 1 2 "San Diego Zoo panda profile: Shi Shi". Archived from the original on December 3, 2013.
  14. ↑ Dillon, Katie (November 25, 2024). "How to See the San Diego Zoo Pandas: Tips, History & Tickets". La Jolla Mom.
  15. ↑ Taylor, Mia (August 8, 2024). "A brief history of panda diplomacy - with new additions to global zoos". BBC.
  16. ↑ "US zoo receives $4.5 mn panda donation". SKN Vibes. December 19, 2011.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.