Pi Pi

Basic Profile

Pi Pi (Chinese: 皮皮) was a male giant panda captured in the mountains of Sichuan Province, China in the mid-1950s. He was brought to Beijing Zoo and housed adjacent to a female panda named Li Li (莉莉).

As a pre-studbook panda, Pi Pi has no studbook number.

Role in History

Keepers at Beijing Zoo observed that Pi Pi became noticeably more active and vocal when Li Li was in estrus. In the early spring of 1963, recognizing this pattern, keepers opened the gate between their enclosures.

Pi Pi entered Li Li’s space. She did not reject him. The mating, observed by a small team of keepers, was brief but appeared successful.

Months later, on September 9, 1963, Li Li gave birth to Ming Ming (明明) — the first giant panda cub ever born in captivity worldwide. Pi Pi thus became the first panda to successfully father a cub in captivity.

Life After 1963

Pi Pi continued to live at Beijing Zoo through the 1960s. His role in the historic birth made him a minor celebrity — the first panda proven capable of siring a cub in human care.

He died at Beijing Zoo around 1968. Though he may have sired other cubs, Ming Ming’s birth is the only one documented with certainty. His genetic contribution to the early captive population, through Ming Ming and her descendants, makes him a foundational figure in panda conservation history.