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A chimpanzee shown flexing at the Chapultepec Zoo of Mexico City.

Chapultepec Zoo is a Mexican zoo located in Chapultepec; it is one of four zoos near Mexico City, and the best known Mexican zoo. It was founded 6 July 1923 by Mexican biologist Alfonso Luis Herrera using donations from private citizens and governmental funds from the Ministry of Agriculture and Development, and also with funds from the Society of Biological Studies. The zoo is rather popular after a recent renovation begun in 1992 which took two years; estimates of its popularity range from 5.5 million visitors per year to as much as 8 million, who all come to see its large collection of over 2000 animals from more 200 different species. Its current director is Dr. Fernando Gual Sill.

Giant Pandas

The Zoo especially is famous for its three female Giant Pandas, Xiu Hua, Shuan Shuan and Xin Xin.

A panda playing on playground equipment.

Pandas

• Pe Pe and Ying Ying were a mated pair of Giant Pandas donated to the Zoo by the Chinese government in September 1975. They both died in 1989.
• Xengli was born on August 1980, but dies after 9 days.
• Tohui was born on July 21, 1981. She became a 'star', even having his own song, 'El Pequeño Panda de Chapultepec' (The Little Panda from Chapultepec) performed by Mexican singer Yuri.
• Liang Liang was born 22 June 1983.
• Xiu Hua was born in the Zoo on 25 June 1985; her parents were Ying Ying (mother) and Pe Pe (father).
• Shuan Shuan was born in the Zoo on 15 June 1987. She is a sibling to Xiu Hua.
• Xin Xin ("hope" in Chinese) was conceived via artificial insemination and was born in the Zoo on 1 July 1990. Her mother is Tohui (she died 16 November 1993) and her father is Chia Chia from the London Zoo.

External links

• National Advice of Fauna "Consejo Nacional de Fauna" -(in Spanish)
• Official Zoo website -(in Spanish)
• Article on the Zoo at "Giant Panda Planet.com"
• Review of the Zoo at "Mexico Desconocido Online"
• [1] at "The Good Zoo Guide Online"

19°25′26.11″N 99°11′21.18″W / 19.4239194°N 99.1892167°W / 19.4239194; -99.1892167