Ling Ling (giant panda)
Ling Ling at the Ueno Zoo in September 2007 | |
| Other name | 陵陵 |
|---|---|
| Species | Giant panda |
| Sex | Male |
| Born | September 5, 1985 Beijing Zoo, China |
| Died | April 30, 2008 (aged 22) Ueno Zoo, Japan |
| Nationality | China |
| Known for | Last panda owned by Japan |
Ling Ling (陵陵; September 5, 1985 – April 30, 2008) was a male Chinese-born giant panda who resided at the Ueno Zoo, the largest zoo in Tokyo, Japan. At the time of his death at the age of 22, Ling Ling was the only giant panda at the Ueno Zoo and the oldest panda in Japan. He served as an important symbol of the Ueno Zoo and of friendship between Japan and China.
Ling Ling, who was given to Japan in 1992, was the only giant panda in the country who was directly owned by Japan. There are eight other giant pandas in Japan as of April 2008, but they are all on loan to Japan from China. Despite being a male panda, Ling Ling's name meant "darling little girl" in Chinese.