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On the occasion of the Rt. Hon Edward Heath's visit to China in June 1974, the Chinese Government made a gift of two Giant Pandas to the British people. Male Chia Chia means 'Most Excellent and Very Best'. Chia Chia (pronounces Cha Cha) was born in Bao Hsing county on the eastern side of Szechwan province. In 1981 Chia Chia was sent to Washington on an unsuccessful mating mission

Chi Chi was captured on 4th July 1957 by a Chinese collecting team. She was taken by rail to Peking Zoo, where she was cared for by a Chinese girl, who lived with her day and night. She was believed to be about six months old on capture.

In 1957 the Austrian animal collection, Mr Heini Denmer, then resident of Nairobi, was commissioned by an American Zoo to negotiate an exchange of animals from East Africa for one Giant Panda. He took a large collection of animals to China, and an exchange was arranged. He was given the choice of three Giant Pandas and he chose Chi Chi, the youngest, and took her into his charge on 5th May 1958. At this time America had broken off diplomatic relations with China, and had imposed an embargo on the importation of Chinese good into America. An import licence was, therefore, not granted to import Chi Chi into America.

Mr Denmer took Chi Chi on a tour of European Zoos and on 5th September 1958, they came to London Zoo - initially on a three-week visit. During this visit negotiations were entered into and, with the assistance of Granada Television, Chi Chi was purchased by the Zoological Society of London at 11.59 pm on 26th September 1958.

In March 1966 Chi Chi was invited to Moscow by the Russian Zoo authorities. She flew out in a specially converted BEA Vanguard, and shortly after her arrival was introduced to the Russian male Panda An An. This meeting was not successful and it was decided to leave Chi Chi in Moscow until the autumn mating period. In October the two Giant Pandas were put together in the same enclosure but Chi Chi rejected An An's advances and the mating attempt was called off. Chi Chi was returned to London, and early in 1967 London Zoo asked if Moscow Zoo would send An An to Regent's Park.

Brumas was born on 29th November 1949. Her mother was named Ivy and her father Mischa. She was the first polar bear to be successfully reared in Britain and was an immediate attraction with the public. She caused such interest that, in 1950, the Zoo's annual attendance figures reached the 3 million mark (around 1 million more than usual at that time). Although Brumas was female, the press had reported that the bear was a 'he' and the error was not corrected at the time, so the public thought that the baby was male. Brumas was so popular that newsreels, books, postcards, toys, and other souvenirs celebrated her fame. She died on 17th March 1958.