You You

Basic Profile

You You (Chinese: 悠悠, studbook number 345) was a male giant panda born on June 23, 1988 at Ueno Zoological Gardens in Tokyo, Japan. He was the third giant panda cub born in Japan, following Chu Chu (1985, died at 43 hours) and Tong Tong (1986).

His parents were Fei Fei (飞飞, sb199) and Huan Huan (欢欢, sb201), a pair of pandas gifted by China to Japan in the early 1980s.

Life Journey

Birth at Ueno (1988)

You You was born at a time when Ueno Zoo was experiencing early breeding success. His mother Huan Huan had already given birth to Tong Tong (1986), and You You was the second cub successfully raised at Ueno.

Exchange Program (1992)

In 1992, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China, Ueno Zoo and Beijing Zoo arranged a historic exchange. You You was sent to Beijing Zoo in exchange for Ling Ling (陵陵), who went to Ueno. This exchange made You You the first overseas-born giant panda to return to China.

Life at Beijing Zoo (1992–2004)

You You spent the remainder of his life at Beijing Zoo. He was paired with female pandas for breeding, though detailed records of his offspring are not widely documented.

Death

You You died in March 2004 at approximately 15 years of age. His death marked the end of his unique journey as a panda who bridged Japan and China through his life and the historic exchange program.