Are you aware of where they were housed?
Zoo that used to display giant pandas
- Thread starter Nix
- Start date
woodward.72
New Member
My very first trip to the zoo was when they had those pandas. I was 6 at the time and I met Jack Hanna. He told me he liked my hat (it was orange with tiger stripes). Great memories.
I definitely remember having to go through the tunnel that passes under route 257 to see the pandas. According to some people on Reddit, the pandas were in what is now the bonobo habitat. That’s probably right. The habitat was actually built for the pandas. My memory is not very detailed, but whenever I think back on it, I think of the pandas as being near the Water’s Edge area. It seems like I remember the Water’s Edge area being open to the public back in those days. At least I remember getting to rest there and having a good view of the water. But now you can’t really do that without booking it for a private event.
I do remember now that you mention this about the bonobo exhiibit once housed pandas. I don't remember seeing them as it was long, long ago. But I do fluidly remember the Golden Monkeys exhibited temporary located in old exhibit just north of old bird building. I'm sure none of those building no longer are around.
Brookfield has a more extensive history with pandas than documented here, though hardly exciting.
As mentioned, Su-Lin was located by Ruth Harkness, living from April 1937 to June[?] 1938, mistaken for a female; just a few weeks after Harkness returned from a second expedition with Mei-Mei, intended as a male companion for Su-lin, but also mistaken for female; the two pandas were introduced in front of cameras and did not get along. (One of them hit the other on the nose.) I do not believe they were held together after this. Su-Lin died shortly later of pneumonia; the panda's correct sex was identified and he remains on display at the Field Miuseum in their Hall of Mammals, displayed with a red panda.
In 1938 or so, Mei-Mei was joined by Mei-Lan, who some sources claim was misidentified as female as well but contemporary newspaper accounts (circa 1941) discuss Mei-Mei incorrectly as female and Mei-Lan as male and as a potential mate. Mei-Mei died within a few years however, and Mei-Lan remained the zoo's only panda afterward. He was moved to a new exhibit near the other bear grottos and on one occasion bit a keeper; he was actually considered to have a temper by the keepers. He died in 1953.
In 1955, Brookfield purchased Chi-Chi, however entry into the United States was refused by the Treasury Department due to the embargo on Chinese goods, leading Chi-Chi to her more famous home at the London Zoo.
Brookfield was also rumored to be under consideration when then-President Richard Nixon famously received pandas as a diplomatic gift but that, of course, became the beginning of the National Zoo's long relationship with pandas. I don't think it is believed now that Brookfield was ever seriously in the running, but some believed Brookfield's history with the species would have been significant.
I do not believe the zoo has discussed pandas since then.
(Interesting to think the acquiring of Chi-Chi was a few short years after Mei-lan's passing, and the China trip was near the time of Chi-Chi's death; had Brookfield improbably won out on both deals, they would have had pandas for all but two or three years between 1937 and 2000.)
While double checking my facts for this post, I also found out here that Bronx and St. Louis had kept pandas sometime in the 1940s/1950s era as well, which as far as I know is new information for zoochat!
As mentioned, Su-Lin was located by Ruth Harkness, living from April 1937 to June[?] 1938, mistaken for a female; just a few weeks after Harkness returned from a second expedition with Mei-Mei, intended as a male companion for Su-lin, but also mistaken for female; the two pandas were introduced in front of cameras and did not get along. (One of them hit the other on the nose.) I do not believe they were held together after this. Su-Lin died shortly later of pneumonia; the panda's correct sex was identified and he remains on display at the Field Miuseum in their Hall of Mammals, displayed with a red panda.
In 1938 or so, Mei-Mei was joined by Mei-Lan, who some sources claim was misidentified as female as well but contemporary newspaper accounts (circa 1941) discuss Mei-Mei incorrectly as female and Mei-Lan as male and as a potential mate. Mei-Mei died within a few years however, and Mei-Lan remained the zoo's only panda afterward. He was moved to a new exhibit near the other bear grottos and on one occasion bit a keeper; he was actually considered to have a temper by the keepers. He died in 1953.
In 1955, Brookfield purchased Chi-Chi, however entry into the United States was refused by the Treasury Department due to the embargo on Chinese goods, leading Chi-Chi to her more famous home at the London Zoo.
Brookfield was also rumored to be under consideration when then-President Richard Nixon famously received pandas as a diplomatic gift but that, of course, became the beginning of the National Zoo's long relationship with pandas. I don't think it is believed now that Brookfield was ever seriously in the running, but some believed Brookfield's history with the species would have been significant.
I do not believe the zoo has discussed pandas since then.
(Interesting to think the acquiring of Chi-Chi was a few short years after Mei-lan's passing, and the China trip was near the time of Chi-Chi's death; had Brookfield improbably won out on both deals, they would have had pandas for all but two or three years between 1937 and 2000.)
While double checking my facts for this post, I also found out here that Bronx and St. Louis had kept pandas sometime in the 1940s/1950s era as well, which as far as I know is new information for zoochat!
By the early 1950s, Heller writes, “the number of pandas in America had dwindled to zero: Su Lin and two others, Mei-Mei and Mei-Lan, had died at the Brookfield Zoo; the Bronx Zoo’s four were dead; and the Saint Louis Zoo had recently mourned its last one, Pao Pei.”
New York had:-
"Pandora" 10th June 1938 - 13th May 1941
"Pan" 1st May 1939 - 5th May 1940
"Pan-dah" 30th Dec 1941 - 31st Oct 1951
"Pan-dee" 30th Dec 1941 - 4th Oct 1945
St. Louis had:-
"Happy" 24th Jun 1939 - 10th Mar 1946
"Pao-Pei 12th Sep 1939 - 24th Jun 1952
(Reference: Men and Pandas (Desmond & Ramona Morris; 1966)
felis silvestris
Well-Known Member
I know this was a while ago but according to one of the GWR books, Su-Lin passed away from “Choking on a twig.”
Reminds me of Hemsley's Aardwolf
Pleistocene891
Well-Known Member
Toronto zoo used to have them from 2013-2018
I regret to say I came very close to duplicating this thread today.
They seemed to stay at multiple locations in the 1980s as temporary stays, including Los Angeles in 1984, San Francisco from 1984 to 1985, San Diego in 1987, Bronx in 1987, Busch Gardens in 1987, Toledo in 1988, Cincinnati in 1988 and Columbus in 1992 -- does anyone know if this list is complete?
Were Bronx, Saint Louis and Brookfield the only early holders?
It has been said Oakland tried to pursue pandas but were rebuffed after considerable investment. Did this happen to any other zoos?
Before that, they were held in a smaller habitat near what is now Habitat Africa, I believe.
They seemed to stay at multiple locations in the 1980s as temporary stays, including Los Angeles in 1984, San Francisco from 1984 to 1985, San Diego in 1987, Bronx in 1987, Busch Gardens in 1987, Toledo in 1988, Cincinnati in 1988 and Columbus in 1992 -- does anyone know if this list is complete?
Were Bronx, Saint Louis and Brookfield the only early holders?
It has been said Oakland tried to pursue pandas but were rebuffed after considerable investment. Did this happen to any other zoos?
I recently found the primary home for the pandas was a secondary bear grotto located across from the primary bear grottos behind a 'beer garden'. This specific grotto I believe was demolished during construction for Hamill Family Wild Encounters. During my childhood visits, it was one of two grottos dedicated to Andean bear. I do not have any photos of it, nor do there appear to be photos in the Zoochat Gallery. This one looks close to my memory, although based on the numbering it is probably one of the five primary grottos.
Before that, they were held in a smaller habitat near what is now Habitat Africa, I believe.
San Francisco Zoo had giant pandas for three months in the autumn of 1984. We stood in line for two hours to watch a panda sleeping, but it was still a thrill to see one. They were in one of the big cat grottos. It was the same pair that had been at the Los Angeles Zoo earlier in 1984.
San Francisco Is No Stranger to Panda-Mania. Here's the Story
San Francisco Is No Stranger to Panda-Mania. Here's the Story
AnimalLover85
New Member
As I live in Cincinnati Ohio and just watched a friend of mine who is visiting Tokyo right now went and visited Pandas and I did screen record and take screenshots of what she posted on her stories so maybe I can share that on here but I'm new and just joined. So let me figure out how to add pictures and videos as I know I have some from when Chia Chia was at the Cincinnati Zoo when I was a child and visited.