Gao Gao
("Big Big")
Gao Gao’s life had a difficult beginning. An injured young Gao Gao (pronounced gow-gow) was found in March 1993, dehydrated and with the left side of his head bloody where nearly two-thirds of his ear had been torn away. He was taken to China’s Fengtongzhai Nature Reserve and nursed back to health.
Gao Gao is rambunctious, inquisitive, and alert, and loves the variety of bamboo he is offered at the Zoo—keepers say he is a bamboo-eating machine! Gao Gao is the father of Mei Sheng, Su Lin, and Zhen Zhen.
Male
Born: estimated 1990, in wild near China's Fengtongzhai Nature Reserve
Arrived at San Diego Zoo: January 15, 2003, on a research loan from China
Current weight: 168–174 pounds (76–79 kilograms)