Kobe Oji Zoo, Kobe, Japan - home to Xing Xing (M) and Dan Dan (F).
Name: Xing Xing, or called Koko (Chinese Giving Name: 龙龙)
Sex: Male
DOB: Sept 14, 1995 in China
Arrived in Kobe: Dec 9, 2002 from Chengdu Giant Panda Research Center
Name: Dan Dan, or called Tantan (Chinese Giving Name: 爽爽)
Sex: Female
DOB: Sept 16, 1995 in China
Arrived in Kobe: July 16, 2000 from Chengdu Giant Panda Research Center
Wildlife in Kobe is a major tourist attraction. For ages this port city has been blessed with a number of gardens and parks. Kobe is surrounded by sea and mountains, and the gardens and parks here are well maintained too. Meriken Park, Sumaura Park and several other parks are popular tourist attractions. Wildlife in Kobe thrives as the people here are quite conscious about the welfare of the animals. The most famous zoo in Kobe is the Oji Zoo.
The total area of Oji Zoo is more than 80,000 square meters and it houses more than 800 animals. Amongst these some are rare species too. The special attractions of this zoo are the giant pandas, XingXing (or called Koko), and DanDan (or called TanTan sometimes). Both pandas are born in 1995.
The female DanDan arrived first in Kobe on July 16, 2000, together with another male panda called Koko under Japanese-Chinese giant panda reproduction research program. On December 9, 2002, 6 years old Koko was replaced by 7 years old Long Long, and the Koko was sent back to China due to his lack of reproductive tendencies.
The original Koko's name was chosen from the public suggestions, means recovery ("fukko") from the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake that wreaked the port city. The city decided to continue naming the new male arrival Koko. The "original" Koko has been given a name of Jinzhu when he returned to China.
On August 26, 2008, DanDan was caught on camera to give a birth to a baby cup, which generated a nation-wide excitement in Japan. The birth marked the first successful artificial insemination in Japan since last successful through the same reproductive method about 20 years ago. Unfortunately, the baby cup died three days after the birth on August 29, in which the cause of the death is still unknown.
More information on Kobe Oji Zoo:
神戸王子動物園
〒657-0838 神戸市灘区王子町３-１
TEL 078-861-5624
