On January 14, 2003, Gao Gao departed from
Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and arrived at the
San Diego Zoo on the evening of January 15. This journey followed after the return of the panda Shishi to
China. Throughout the journey, Gaogao was accompanied by research staff and many panda foods, including
bamboo and
steamed bread. After arriving at the San Diego Zoo, Gao Gao underwent a 30-day quarantine time to ensure his health and then met the public. In October 2018, Gao Gao finished his stay in
the United States and returned to China at the age of 28, which is equivalent to 98 years in human life. To protect his safety, the San Diego Zoo did not disclose the specific departure time and transportation mode. Considering Gao Gao's age and health problems, the zoo “prepared intensely.” Gaogao was trained in advance to be accustomed to staying in a crate and ignoring the noise from the environment. Two staff members accompanied Gaogao throughout the entire trip to provide care and support. Since returning to China, Gao Gao has lived in the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas in
Dujiangyan,
Sichuan, which is also his hometown. As of October 2023, he was still there. The experts at the center conducted a physical examination and designed a personalized plan to ensure Gao Gao’s well-being. Following a month-long quarantine period, Gao Gao met the public in early December 2018.
Health On May 6, 2014, Gao Gao received a one-hour surgery at the San Diego Zoo to have his right
testicle removed due to a tumor. The decision was made after considering Gao Gao was not at the age for breeding and approved by The Ministry of Forestry for the People’s Republic of China, which is the government sector in charge of the conservation of animals in China. He recovered well—eating and sleeping as usual. In June 2016, Gao Gao’s medical examination indicated that he had
pulmonic stenosis, which cannot be completely cured. This result represented a progressive condition from three years earlier when he had been initially diagnosed with a
heart murmur. The Zoo provided Gao Gao with medication and closely monitored his health.
Mating On August 19, 2003,
Bai Yun, a female giant panda at the San Diego Zoo, gave birth to
Meisheng. The DNA test showed that Gao Gao was Meisheng's father. In Chinese, Mei Sheng means "Born in the U.S.A.", and can also be interpreted as "beautiful life". Mei Sheng is Gao Gao and Bai Yun's first child and the first male giant panda born in the United States through natural mating. On April 9, 2005, the San Diego Zoo announced that Gao Gao and Bai Yun mated naturally twice in the past two days, and Bai Yun became pregnant. They are the first pair of giant pandas in the United States to successfully mate naturally this year. Then, on August 2, 2005, their second cub
Sulin, which means "a little bit of something very cute" in Chinese, was born. From 2003 to 2012, Gao Gao and Bai Yun produced five babies by natural mating, a prioritized way other than artificial insemination since the latter needs two steps, during both of which two pandas need to be sedated. == Death ==