Le Le
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27 years old
Memphis Zoo
Le Le was a male giant panda born on July 18, 1998 at Chongqing Zoo. He traveled to Memphis Zoo in 2003 with Ya Ya as pa...
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Memphis Zoo
zoo Memphis, United States
Memphis Zoo, located in Overton Park, Memphis, Tennessee, is an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited institution that hosts over 3,500 individual animals representing 500+ species, including IUCN Red List critically endangered taxa such as the Yangtze giant softshell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei), axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum), and Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii). Its 2003 China Exhibit, developed in partnership with the China Wildlife Conservation Association, housed giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) Ya Ya and Le Le for 20 years, with regular health and behavioral data shared with the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding to support global ex situ panda conservation efforts aligned with CITES Appendix I protection protocols.
How this page is organized
Start with the pandas, then move outward into the surrounding archive
This page gathers the residents linked to Memphis Zoo, the key moments recorded here, nearby institutions, and the articles that add context.
Resident archive
Pandas connected to this place
1 panda recorded
Previously recorded here
Pandas that were once linked to this institution.
Recorded moments
Archive timeline at Memphis Zoo
2023
Feb 1
Le Le passes away at Memphis Zoo
Le Le was found dead at Memphis Zoo at age 25. Joint necropsy identified cardiac lesions as the likely cause; over 70 tissue samples were tested.
Read update 2003
Apr 7
Le Le and Ya Ya arrive at Memphis Zoo
Le Le and Ya Ya arrived at Memphis Zoo, beginning their 20-year stay in the United States.
Read update 2003
Apr 7
In the library
Further reading on Memphis Zoo
đź Kids đź kids
Global Panda Map: Where Can You See Pandas Around the World?
Giant pandas don't just live in China â they're animal ambassadors in zoos across the globe! Grab your imaginary passport and take a tour of the world's panda hotspots, from Washington D.C. to Tokyo to Berlin to Seoul. Discover which countries host pandas, what makes each panda home special, and how you can visit pandas near you!
map global zoos
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Featured
Culture đ general
The Ultimate Panda Documentary Guide: 50+ Films Every Panda Lover Needs to Watch
A curated global guide to over 50 panda documentaries spanning seven decades, seven thematic categories, and ten countries â from Pan Wenshi's raw Qinling field recordings in the 1990s to the 2024 Korean theatrical release Goodbye, Grandpa. Every film is verified, reviewed, and linked to the real pandas, keepers, and breeding centers behind the footage.
documentary film guide
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Featured
Culture đ general
The Great Return: Why Overseas-Born Pandas Must Come Home
Every panda born outside China must return by age four â a clause that shapes the emotional landscape of international panda cooperation. From Tai Shan (2005) to Fu Bao (2024), this article traces the biological, legal, and emotional dimensions of the panda homecoming, examining what happens when an overseas-born panda lands in Chengdu and must learn to be a Chinese panda.
1 panda
homecoming return-clause overseas-pandas
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World map
Where this place sits in the wider panda world
đ All Locations
Coordinates: 35.1501 N, 89.9934 W
Archive notes
About Memphis Zoo
Memphis Zoo, located in Overton Park, Memphis, Tennessee, is an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited institution that hosts over 3,500 individual animals representing 500+ species, including IUCN Red List critically endangered taxa such as the Yangtze giant softshell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei), axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum), and Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii). Its 2003 China Exhibit, developed in partnership with the China Wildlife Conservation Association, housed giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) Ya Ya and Le Le for 20 years, with regular health and behavioral data shared with the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding to support global ex situ panda conservation efforts aligned with CITES Appendix I protection protocols.