Voting Station

Ling-Ling & Hsing-Hsing

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Animals

The Resume

    (1970-December 30, 1992)
    Ling-Ling (female; 1969-December 30, 1992)
    Hsing-Hsing (pronounced 'Sing-Sing' - male; 1970-November 28, 1999)
    Donated by the People's Republic of China to President Richard Nixon and the United States (April 16, 1972)
    Mating pair of giant pandas were a gesture of friendship and goodwill between Cold War nations to commemorate Nixon's historic 1972 peacemaking visit
    Resided at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
    Ling-Ling died of a heart attack at age 23½
    Hsing-Hsing was euthanized due to progressive kidney disease at age 28½

Why they might be annoying:

    They were part of a peace mission, yet arrived in the U.S. under armed guard.
    Ling-Ling was extroverted. Hsing-Hsing was introverted.
    Hsing-Hsing was a picky eater, often refusing bamboo (which makes up 90% of giant panda diets).
    They were 5 time parents (through natural and artificial means), but none of their cubs survived more than a few days.
    Pandas are solitary by nature, so Hsing-Hsing didn't seem to care that Ling-Ling died.
    Both their skin and skeletal remains are in the National History Museum in Washington, D.C.

Why they might not be annoying:

    The U.S. hadn't had a panda for two decades before their arrival.
    When Ling-Ling rejected Hsing-Hsing's advances the National Zoo borrowed a panda from the London Zoo to mate with her. She spurned him and suddenly warmed up to Hsing-Hsing.
    Ling-Ling nearly died in 1983 from a severe kidney infection and anemia. She was treated successfully with antibiotics.
    The zoo had little recorded information on giant panda biology before their arrival. Since then the zoo has written over 45 scientific publications on giant pandas.
    Over 75 million people visited them.
    Ling-Ling lived longer than any other zoo panda outside China.
    Hsing-Hsing then broke that record by 7 years.
    Neither wore bling-bling (I know, corny).

Credit: Scar Tactics


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 8 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 5 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 97 Votes: 54.64% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 18 Votes: 22.22% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 11 Votes: 54.55% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 8 Votes: 12.50% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 8 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 40 Votes: 42.50% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 27 Votes: 48.15% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 21 Votes: 23.81% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 20 Votes: 45.00% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 70 Votes: 45.71% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 54 Votes: 44.44% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 41 Votes: 36.59% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 209 Votes: 44.02% Annoying
    In 2006, Out of 235 Votes: 43.83% Annoying
    In 2005, Out of 553 Votes: 44.67% Annoying