Tohui

Tohui or Towi (July 21, 1981 - November 16, 1993) is the name of the second giant panda to be born in captivity outside of China, and the first overseas-born giant panda to survive into adulthood. She became a cultural icon in Mexico.

Tohui is from Tarahumara (the language of the Raramuri) and means "(male) child". (Variants: tohui, toui, towi). When Tohui was born it was believed she was male, and the contrary was only learned after a contest for the name was held. The female equivalent is Tehuete.

Biography

Tohui was born on July 21, 1981 at Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City. She is the daughter of 'Ying Ying' and 'Pe Pe', a pair of giant pandas gifted to Mexico by the Chinese government on September 10, 1975. In 1980 the couple had their first offspring Xen Li (the first live birth outside China), unfortunately Xen Li lived only eight days.

She had a daughter named Xin Xin, who was conceived naturally with a panda named 'Chia Chia' from the London Zoo.

Tohui died on November 16, 1993, at the age of 12, victim of a crisis of leptospira. Her remains are on display in Chapultepec Zoo along with her parents and her partner Chia Chia.