Gu Gu

Gu Gu
古古
A male giant panda eating bamboo in a playground-like enclosure, which includes a tire swing and a sandbox
Gu Gu in 2019
SpeciesGiant panda
SexMale
Born(1999-09-25)25 September 1999
Died16 January 2025(2025-01-16) (aged 25)
Beijing Zoo, Beijing, China
ResidenceBeijing, China
ParentsPan Pan and Tang Tang

Gu Gu (25 September 1999 – 16 January 2025) was a male giant panda who lived at the Beijing Zoo since 22 October 2004. He received international attention for three incidents in which he attacked zoo visitors who trespassed into his enclosure. In November 2017, Melania Trump, the First Lady of the United States, visited him while her husband was in Vietnam.

Gu Gu's health began deteriorating on 9 January 2024 due to his age. He was replaced by another giant panda, Pang Dahai, who had moved into his enclosure the following day. The Beijing Zoo stopped reporting on Gu Gu in January 2025, and he died on 16 January 2025 from liver and heart failure.

Early life

Gu Gu was born on 25 September 1999 at the Wolong National Nature Reserve to Pan Pan and Tang Tang. He moved to the Beijing Zoo on 22 October 2004, and lived there since.

Attacks

On 19 September 2006, six-year-old Gu Gu bit Zhang Xinyan on both of his legs. Zhang was a drunk Chinese man who had jumped into his enclosure, trying to hug him. In an attempt to stop the attack, Zhang said that he tried biting Gu Gu's back, but his fur was too thick. Zoo officials sedated Gu Gu by spraying him with water, and Zhang was hospitalized after the incident. The zoo reported that besides a loss of appetite, Gu Gu was unharmed.

A second incident occurred on 23 October 2007, when 15-year-old Li Xitao, out of "curiosity", climbed into the panda exercise area where Gu Gu and another bear were being fed. Gu Gu bit him on both legs, ripping chunks of flesh from both of them. Li was taken to the Beijing Children's Hospital. A zoo official named Zhang was quoted as saying "We have to prepare against such behavior", and that visitors should be cautious and loving towards the animals. Zoo officials were reportedly considering unspecified measures to prevent further incidents. However, Zhang stated that the barrier around the exercise area could not be raised higher because it would block the view of the giant pandas.

On 7 January 2009, Gu Gu attacked another visitor, Zhang Jiao, who climbed over the barrier into the enclosure to retrieve his son's toy. Zhang, sustained damage to major ligaments in his legs and was hospitalized. According to witnesses, Zhang appeared to first look around to see if pandas were nearby before jumping in to get the toy. Zoo workers were forced to use tools to pry Gu Gu's jaws apart when he would not let go of Zhang's legs. On 18 May 2012, Gu Gu attacked a fourth tourist who illegally entered his enclosure, but the wounds were far less severe than those of the previous three incidents. The repeated incidents involving the panda resulted in CNN describing Gu Gu as "not your typical soft and cuddly giant panda". Despite his reputation overseas, HK01 described Gu Gu's personality as docile and tame, and breeders explained that Gu Gu would not attack people unless he was provoked. He was known as "Uncle Gu" and the "God of War" by Chinese-language news outlets.

Later life

In July 2010, Gu Gu and another female giant panda, Ying Hua, produced a pair of twin cubs.

Visit by Melania Trump

In November 2017, while Donald Trump was in Vietnam for diplomatic purposes, Melania Trump, the First Lady of the United States, visited the Beijing Zoo during a trip to China, where she was allowed to meet and feed Gu Gu and another giant panda, Meng'er. The Guardian referred to the event as an instance of panda diplomacy. She later signed a poster featuring Gu Gu and took pictures with him, and Twitter users pointed out that she was "photobomed" by Meng'er. Her husband tweeted that she would travel to Alaska afterwards.

Illness and death

On 9 January 2024, Gu Gu was moved to a non-public section of the Beijing Zoo to help him cope with medical conditions caused by aging. The following day, a new panda named Pang Dahai moved to Gu Gu's environment, the Giant Panda Pavilion. The Beijing Zoo stopped updating on Gu Gu's condition in January 2025. He died from heart and liver failure on 16 January 2025 at 2:09 am, at the age of 25. The Beijing Zoo announced his obituary three days later.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Chinese: 古古; pinyin: Gǔ Gǔ
  2. ↑ 胖大海; Pàng Dàhǎi; 'Fat Ocean'; "Malva nut"

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "25歲高齡大熊貓「古古」去世　曾4次遭入侵領地傷人被封「戰神」" [The 25-year-old giant panda "Gugu" passed away. He was injured in the invaded territory four times and was named the "God of War"]. HK01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 20 January 2025.
  2. 1 2 Dai, Lili (19 January 2025). "大熊猫'古古'离世" [Giant panda 'Gugu' passes away]. Beijing Daily (in Chinese).
  3. ↑ "25岁大熊猫'古古'离世，这算高龄吗？熊猫界有哪些知名的'寿星'" [The 25-year-old giant panda 'Gugu' passed away. Is this considered old age? What are some well-known 'birthday stars' in the panda world?]. QQ. 19 January 2025.
  4. 1 2 "大熊貓身體衰老　動物園停發近況影片" [Giant Panda Aging: Zoo Stops Releasing Updates on Its Condition]. HK ON CC (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 10 January 2025.
  5. 1 2 Green, Toby (8 January 2009). "Panda puts a third victim in hospital after attack at zoo". The Independent.
  6. ↑ "Man bites panda after zoo attack". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2 November 2025. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
  7. ↑ "Drunk bites off more than he can chew with Gu Gu". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 17 October 2008. Retrieved 9 January 2009.
  8. ↑ "The Independent | Panda bites man, man bites him back". Archived from the original on 13 August 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  9. ↑ "China Daily | Tourist's affection enrages panda". Archived from the original on 15 August 2009. Retrieved 9 January 2009.
  10. ↑ "Teenager Hospitalized After Panda Attack at Chinese Zoo". Fox News. 23 October 2007. Archived from the original on 23 October 2007.
  11. ↑ "Chinese panda mauls teenage boy". BBC News. 23 October 2007.
  12. ↑ "USA Today | Beijing Zoo panda bites teenage boy". Archived from the original on 23 June 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  13. ↑ "Gu Gu strikes again! Panda attacks zoo visitor". NBC News. Associated Press. 9 January 2009.
  14. ↑ "四次伤人！北京动物园这只熊猫火了！战斗力太强悍" [Four attacks! This giant panda at the Beijing Zoo has gone viral—what a formidable fighter!]. Sky Kiwi News (in Chinese). 24 February 2021.
  15. ↑ Vause, John (13 January 2009). "Giant panda in China bites third victim". CNN. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  16. ↑ Dai, Lili (19 January 2025). "大熊猫'古古'离世" [Giant panda 'Gugu' passes away]. Beijing Daily (in Chinese).
  17. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20160305041813/http://www.china.com.cn/info/pet/2010-07/04/content_20414743.htm
  18. ↑ "Great Wall and meet-and-greet with giant panda Gu Gu cap Melania Trump's China trip". South China Morning Post. 10 November 2017.
  19. 1 2 "Melania Trump Engages in Panda Diplomacy at Beijing Zoo". The Guardian. 10 November 2017.
  20. ↑ Bennett, Kate; Klein, Betsy (10 November 2017). "Melania Trump has 'wonderful' visit with star panda". CNN. Archived from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  21. ↑ "Internet Goes Gaga Over Melania Trump's Meeting With Panda Named Gu Gu". NDTV. 12 November 2017.
  22. 1 2 "北京：大熊猫'胖大海'搬新家 场地内徘徊适应新环境" [Beijing: Giant Panda 'Pang Dahai' Moves to a New Home, Wanders Around the Enclosure to Adjust to the New Environment]. China Youth Daily (in Chinese). 12 January 2024.
  23. ↑ "25 years old "Uncle Gu" passed away, cause of death announced".
  24. ↑ "Beloved Beijing zoo panda remembered online after death". Xinhua News Agency. 19 January 2025. Archived from the original on 21 January 2025. Retrieved 20 January 2025.
  25. ↑ "Giant panda Gu Gu passes away at Beijing Zoo". Archived from the original on 27 February 2025. Retrieved 19 January 2025.