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Chi-Chi the Panda

Refused entry to America from China in 1958 because of the embargo on "communist goods", the giant panda Chi-Chi came to London Zoo - a constant object of media attention and public adoration. Eight years later she was sent on a diplomatic mission to Moscow to mate with the Russian panda An-An, though this attempt to start a thaw of the Cold War failed on day one when she hit An-An. Among those recalling this bizarre tale of sex, spies and the media are Desmond Morris , Sir Denis Forman and Edward Heath, who remembers his own brush with pandas when he was prime minister.

English
  • Originally Aired March 20, 1992
  • Runtime 60 minutes
  • Network BBC Two
  • Created June 12, 2023 by
    zoated
  • Modified June 12, 2023 by
    zoated