The loan of two giant pandas from China to Dublin Zoo in 1986 was hailed a great success – until one of the pandas died some time after returning to China.
Ming Ming and Ping Ping spent 100 days at Dublin Zoo from June to September 1986. The visit attracted much media attention and many visitors. It was estimated that around 400,000 people came to see them.
Two years later, there was a sad end to the story. In August 1988, Irish officials found out that Ping Ping died after his return to Chengdu, records in the latest release of State Papers show.
Staff at Dublin Zoo were “distressed” to find out there was a “suggestion that his death was a consequence of visit here”, one file notes.
The visit happened after months of planning between Irish and Chinese officials.
Dick Spring, who was tánaiste and Labour Party leader at the time, launched the visit to much fanfare on June 16th, 1986. Media reports noted that apes at the zoo starting to shout as Mr Spring spoke, prompting him to quip that they were “probably Fianna Fáil supporters”.
Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to see the pandas during their three-month stay in Dublin.
One of the few hiccups along the way was a mooted visit by one of the pandas to RTÉ – a plan that was scrapped amid concerns for the welfare of the animal.
Panda cubs Pit and Paule of Berlin’s Zoologischer Garten. Photograph: Odd Andersen/AFP
In correspondence sent in September 1986, officials in Dublin Zoo and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) discussed the possibility of extending the insurance for the trip to cover one of the pandas appearing live on The Late Late Show. Chinese authorities expressed “considerable reluctance” about the request, noting that “brightly lit and hot television studios are not the most favourable panda environment”, according to the documents. They also asked why a videotape recorded at the zoo could not be shown on RTÉ instead. Ultimately, the trip to Montrose never happened.
“The director fully understands the concerns expressed by the Chinese authorities and plans for The Late Late Show appearance have been dropped,” one document noted.
Overall, the pandas’ visit to Dublin Zoo was deemed a big success. At a closing ceremony on September 20th, 1986, Liam Kavanagh, the minister for tourism, said it “has been a major boost to both the zoo and the Irish public”.
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“I would like to commend the zoo authorities on their vision in bringing such fascinating animals to our attention and giving us all this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Ping Ping and Ming Ming,” Mr Kavanagh said.
He told the crowd that the visit was “a significant coup” and one of the most memorable moments in the zoo’s then 156-year history.
“By all accounts, the two pandas settled in very well here during their 100 days and they appear to be in good shape for their return journey tomorrow. In their relatively short time with us they have given great enjoyment to thousands of people,” the minister said.
However, one of the final documents released about the visit said Ping Ping, the male panda, died some time after returning home. A DFA document dated August 17th 1988 – nearly two years after the pandas left Ireland – stated that officials at Dublin Zoo had informed the department of Ping Ping’s death.
“They have read a report that he is dead and that there is a suggestion that his death was a consequence of [the pandas’] visit here. They are somewhat distressed and have asked if [the] embassy could obtain a copy of the postmortem report and forward it to them via DFA.”
Department officials were attempting to find out more information about the death, a note from August 19th stated.