The Giant Panda

A curated archive of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), from the earliest Chinese references and its 1869 "discovery" by Père Armand David, through the age of expeditions and the first live cubs in the West, the long history of panda diplomacy, its rise as the global emblem of conservation, the hard-won science of captive breeding, and its life as a worldwide pop-culture icon.

A chronological documentary of 1,454 moments spanning c. 3rd century BC–2026 on Loreline.

Curated by Olivier · last updated 2026-09-20

1. c. 3rd century BC - The earliest Chinese references. The ancient dictionary Erya records the mo (貘), a black-and-white bear-like beast of the mountains, traditionally identified with the giant panda. For two millennia the animal lives in Chinese texts as a half-mythical creature, a tribute beast, a symbol of peace, long before the outside world knows it exists.
2. 0685 - The first panda diplomacy. According to the chronicles, the Tang Empress Wu Zetian sends a pair of giant pandas (and seventy panda furs) as a gift to the Emperor of Japan. It is the earliest recorded instance of "panda diplomacy", the giving of pandas to seal goodwill between states, a tradition that will run for thirteen centuries.
3. 1869-03-23 - Père Armand David obtains the first specimen. In March 1869, the French Lazarist missionary and naturalist Armand David acquires the skin of a "black-and-white bear" from hunters in the mountains of Sichuan. He sends it to the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle in Paris, the moment the giant panda enters Western science.
4. 1870 - Ailuropoda melanoleuca gets its name. The zoologist Alphonse Milne-Edwards examines David's specimen and concludes it is not a bear but a relative of the red panda and the raccoons, coining the genus name Ailuropoda, "cat-foot." The giant panda is formally Ailuropoda melanoleuca: the black-and-white cat-foot.
5. 1902 - Cambridge Natural History Mammalia Fig 226. .smallcaps Fig. 226., Aeluropus melanoleucus. × 1 ⁄ 12. Accepted spelling is Ailuropoda melanoleuca.
6. 1928 - The Roosevelt brothers shoot a panda. Kermit and Theodore Roosevelt Jr., sons of the president, become the first Westerners known to shoot a giant panda, on the Kelley-Roosevelts Expedition in the mountains of Sichuan. Their account, Trailing the Giant Panda, turns the animal into a legendary big-game trophy and sets off a rush of collecting expeditions.
7. 1936 - Ruth Harkness brings out the first live panda. The American dress designer Ruth Harkness, completing her late husband's expedition, carries a tiny living cub, Su Lin, out of China in a wicker basket and into the United States. It is the first live giant panda the West has ever seen, and a global sensation.
8. 1937 - Su Lin goes on show at Brookfield Zoo. In 1937 Brookfield Zoo near Chicago acquires Su Lin, and crowds pour in to see the first giant panda on public display anywhere outside China. "Panda-monium" enters the language; the animal's career as the world's most adored zoo creature begins.
9. 1937 - The birth of the panda celebrity. With Su Lin's arrival the panda becomes the first true animal celebrity of the media age, splashed across newsreels and magazines, mobbed by crowds, merchandised into toys. The peculiar charm of a roly-poly black-and-white bear that sits up and eats like a person makes it irresistible.
10. 1937 - Mrs W. H. Harkness brings a new baby panda at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago,Illinois...HD Stock Footage. Su Lin went on show at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago in 1937. Su Lin survives as a mounted specimen in the Field Museum. Su Lin died in 1938 and is a mounted specimen at the Field Museum.
11. 1937 - Brookfield Zoo 1938 poster. Brookfield Zoo--By the "L" (or El). Poster showing a panda bear hugging a tree.
12. 1937 - Visit the Brookfield Zoo, WPA poster, ca. 1937. Brookfield Zoo--By the "L" (or El). Poster showing a panda bear balancing on one leg.
13. 1939 - 大熊猫“明”｜这是一段拍摄于1939年伦敦动物园的视频令人心碎. Life in China 这段拍摄于1939年伦敦动物园的视频令人心碎…… 英国殖民者曾经从中国偷盗了十二只我国的国宝大熊猫运往国内，每只大熊猫均以中国朝代名“唐”、“宋”、“明”等命名。 A newborn giant panda weighs 90 to 130 grams, about one eight-hundredth of its mother, and arrives pink, blind and toothless; the skin greys where the black fur will come in after one to two weeks, and the full pattern is there by a month.
14. 1939 - Whipsnade Zoo Carries On (1939). Full titles read: "WHIPSNADE ZOO CARRIES ON" Nice M/S's of two young girl looking at a panda at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire.
15. 1940 - Ming Back At The Zoo (1940). Various MSs and CUs of the giant panda Ming sitting in a chair in her cage at the London Zoo drinking from a cup. Chi Chi died at London Zoo on 22 July 1972 and was preserved for the Natural History Museum.
16. 1941-11-09 - Madam-Chiang-with-baby-Panda. Madam Chiang and Mr. Tee Van with baby Panda in Madam Chiang’s yard in Chongqing, November 9, 1941.
17. 1946 - Panda In Cage Aka Unity At Last (1946). A Chinese man strands beside the cage, he tugs the chain to make the panda react. Chi Chi was caught at Baoxing in May 1955 and reached London Zoo on 5 September 1958. Chi Chi died at London Zoo on 22 July 1972 and was preserved for the Natural History Museum.
18. 1949 - A face built to be adored. The panda triggers what ethologists call the "baby schema", big head, round face, large eye-patches that read as huge eyes, a clumsy gait. Konrad Lorenz argued such features hijack the human instinct to nurture. Evolution made a bear that the whole species is helpless to resist.
19. 1958 - Chi-Chi arrives at London Zoo. A young female panda named Chi-Chi reaches London Zoo in 1958 and becomes a national darling, and the most-seen panda in the West. Her image, sketched by the conservationists who would soon found a new global wildlife charity, is about to become the most famous animal logo in the world.
20. 1958 - Chi Chi the giant Panda from Red China at Frankfort Zoo Newsreel PublicDomainFootage.com. Visit: BUY THIS CLIP HERE: GIANT PANDA: At the Frankfort Zoo, Chi Chi, the giant Panda from Red China is charming all the kids, but chasing photographers who venture too close This footage is available for purchase and usage. Chi Chi spent seven months at Moscow Zoo in 1966 in a failed attempt to mate her with An An. Chi Chi died at London Zoo on 22 July 1972 and was preserved for the Natural History Museum.
21. 1960 - Who's Who At Zoo? (1960). London Zoo, Regent's Park and Chessington Zoo, Surrey. Chia Chia and Ching Ching went to London Zoo in 1974, presented during Edward Heath's dealings with Beijing. Chi Chi died at London Zoo on 22 July 1972.
22. 1960 - London Zoo in 1960 with Chi Chi Panda, Polar Bears, Penguins and Sea lions Feedings. This shows rare footage of CHi Chi the panda as well as a host of other animals at London Zoo. Chi Chi spent seven months at Moscow Zoo in 1966 in a failed attempt to mate her with An An. Chi Chi died at London Zoo on 22 July 1972.
23. 1960-06-27 - COOL, REAL COOL. 27 Jun 1960) A heat-wave's no good to a Giant Panda, and that certainly goes for Chi-Chi in the London Zoo. WWF was founded in 1961 and Peter Scott drew its panda emblem with Chi Chi in mind; the mark in use today is a 1986 redesign. Chi Chi died at London Zoo on 22 July 1972.
24. 1961-04-29 - The panda becomes the WWF symbol. When the World Wildlife Fund is founded in 1961, its founders, among them the artist and naturalist Sir Peter Scott, choose a giant panda for the logo, inspired by Chi-Chi at London Zoo. A black-and-white animal reproduces cheaply, and is beloved worldwide: the panda becomes the face of conservation itself.
25. 1963 - Wolong National Nature Reserve established. China establishes the Wolong reserve in the mountains of Sichuan in 1963, one of the first protected areas created specifically for the giant panda. It grows into the heartland of panda conservation: a vast sanctuary of bamboo forest and, later, the country's flagship breeding centre.
26. 1963-09-09 - The first captive-born cub. On 9 September 1963, Beijing Zoo records the first giant panda ever born in captivity, a male cub named Ming-Ming. It is the first crack in the panda's reputation as impossible to breed, and the beginning of a long scientific struggle to make captivity a source of new pandas rather than a drain.
27. 1964-07-10 - The Soviet Union 1964 CPA 3049 block of 4 stamps (Centenary of Moscow Zoo. Giant. Centenary of Moscow Zoo. Giant panda or panda bear (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Giant.
28. 1964-07-10 - The Soviet Union 1964 CPA 3049 stamp (Centenary of Moscow Zoo. Giant panda or panda. Centenary of Moscow Zoo. Giant panda or panda bear (Ailuropoda melanoleuca).
29. 1966-03-29 - CHI-CHI AND AN-AN - NO SOUND. 29 Mar 1966) There are only two representatives of these rare animals in the zoological gardens of Europe. Chi Chi died at London Zoo on 22 July 1972.
30. 1966 - Chi Chi The Panda In Moscow (1966). Moscow, Russia (Soviet Union, USSR) LONDON'S PANDA CHI CHI ARRIVES IN MOSCOW TO MEET AN AN THE RUSSIAN PANDA. China gave pandas as state gifts for more than two decades before any money changed hands. Edward Heath took delivery of Chia Chia and Ching Ching for London Zoo in 1974. Chi Chi died at London Zoo on 22 July 1972.
31. 1966 - Cine film London Zoo polar bears & chi chi panda 1966. Chi Chi was caught at Baoxing in May 1955 and reached London Zoo on 5 September 1958. Chi Chi spent seven months at Moscow Zoo in 1966 in a failed attempt to mate her with An An. Chi Chi died at London Zoo on 22 July 1972.
32. 1967 - Queen At Zoo (1967). Chi Chi was caught at Baoxing in May 1955 and reached London Zoo on 5 September 1958. Chi Chi died at London Zoo on 22 July 1972.
33. 1968 - An-An Arrival (1968). No title - Russian panda An-An arrives to meet Chi-Chi. Chi Chi died at London Zoo on 22 July 1972 and was preserved for the Natural History Museum. Chi Chi was caught at Baoxing in May 1955 and reached London Zoo on 5 September 1958.
34. 1968 - 1968 Day trips With footage of giant pandas Chi Chi and An An meeting for the first time (Silent). We end with a trip to London Zoo, we see Chi Chi, London Zoos female giant panda and An An, a male giant panda from Moscow Zoo. Chi Chi was caught at Baoxing in May 1955 and arrived at London Zoo on 5 September 1958; she died there on 22 July 1972.
35. 1968-09-03 - CHI-CHI AND AN-AN - NO SOUND. 3 Sep 1968) Pan from Penguin bay to crowds around Panda enclosure. Chi Chi spent seven months at Moscow Zoo in 1966 in a failed attempt to mate her with An An. Chi Chi died at London Zoo on 22 July 1972.
36. 1972-04-16 - Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing arrive in Washington. After President Nixon's historic February 1972 visit to China, Beijing gifts the United States two giant pandas. Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing arrive at the Smithsonian's National Zoo on 16 April 1972 to enormous crowds, the warm, fuzzy symbol of a Cold War thaw.
37. 1972 - First Lady Pat Nixon welcomes pandas to the National Zoo. Crowds of more than 20,000 came to see the first pair of Washington pandas on their opening day in 1972. Mei Xiang and Tian Tian produced seven cubs at the National Zoo, of which Tai Shan, Bao Bao, Bei Bei and Xiao Qi Ji survived.
38. 1972 - Welcome Ceremony for Giant Pandas at the National Zoo, 1972. On April 16, 1972, giant pandas Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing arrived at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Xiao Qi Ji was born at the National Zoo on 21 August 2020 and left for China with his parents in November 2023. Qing Bao arrived in Washington alongside Bao Li on the same flight in October 2024. Ling-Ling died at the National Zoo in 1992.
39. 1972 - Giant Panda at the National Zoo in Washington, DC. The panda is one of two, Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing, that were given to the United States by the Chinese government following President Nixon's historic visit to China in February 1972.
40. 1972 - Watch - the history of panda diplomacy. How China has used the giant panda as a tool of statecraft for over a thousand years, from Tang-dynasty gifts to the Nixon-era pandas to today's multimillion-dollar breeding loans.
41. 1972-10-29 - SYND 30-10-72 PANDAS ARRIVE FROM CHINA. 29 Oct 1972) Airport arrival of pandas from China Find out more about AP Archive: You can license this story through AP Archive:.
42. 1972-11-04 - SYND 5-11-72 CHINESE HAND OVER 2 PANDAS TO TOKYO ZOO IN OFFICIAL CEREMONY. China gave pandas as state gifts for more than two decades before any money changed hands. Japan kept pandas continuously from 1972 until the last animals left in January 2026.
43. 1973-12-12 - SYND 12-12-73 CHINESE DELEGATION HAND OVER TWO PANDAS AS GIFT. 12 Dec 1973) Panda bears relaxing in their new home at Vincennes zoo Find out more about AP Archive: You can license this story through AP Archive:. Deng Xiaoping ended the gift era in 1984; the first leases charged 50,000 US dollars a month per animal, beginning with the pair sent to Los Angeles for the Olympics.
44. 1974 - London Zoo Panda Bear Chia Chia To Move To Mexico! Thames News Report. Chi Chi died at London Zoo on 22 July 1972 and was preserved for the Natural History Museum.
45. 1974 - CHING CHING THE GIANT PANDA at London Zoo|Thames News. WWF was founded in 1961 and Peter Scott drew its panda emblem with Chi Chi in mind; the mark in use today is a 1986 redesign.
46. 1974-09-14 - SYND 14 9 74 TWO PANDAS ARRIVE IN LONDON FROM PEKING. 14 Sep 1974) Two Pandas - Chia Chia (Excellent) and Ching Ching (Crystal Bright) arrived in London from China Find out more about AP Archive: You can license this story through AP Archive:. Chi Chi was caught at Baoxing in May 1955 and arrived at London Zoo on 5 September 1958; she died there on 22 July 1972.
47. 1974-09-15 - SYND 15 9 74 HEATH VISITS ACQUIRED PANDA. 15 Sep 1974) British Prime Minister Edward Heath visits a newly acquuried panda at London Zoo. WWF was founded in 1961 and Peter Scott drew its panda emblem with Chi Chi in mind; the mark in use today is a 1986 redesign.
48. 1974-09-23 - PANDAS AT LONDON ZOO - COLOUR - NO SOUND. 23 Sep 1974) CUTS FOR STORY NUMBER 74/183 - 'Chai Chai' and 'Ching Ching', the two Giant Pandas from China are seen in their new quarters at the London Zoo. Chi Chi was caught at Baoxing in May 1955 and arrived at London Zoo on 5 September 1958; she died there on 22 July 1972.
49. 1974-09-23 - PANDAS AT LONDON ZOO. 23 Sep 1974) 'Chai Chai' and his friend 'Ching Ching', the two Giant Pandas from China are settling down in their new quarters at the London Zoo.
50. 1974-10-28 - DUKE AND THE PANDAS - COLOUR. 28 Oct 1974) As President of the Zoological Society the Duke of Edinburgh receives the two giant pandas Ching-Ching and Chai-Chai.

…and 1,404 more moments.

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