A Bao

Basic Profile

A Bao (Chinese: 阿宝), studbook number 703, is a male giant panda of the Qinling subspecies (秦岭亚种) — genetically distinct from the more common Sichuan pandas. He was born in the wild of Taibai County, Shaanxi Province around 2007, and was rescued in July 2008 by the local forestry bureau.

Qinling vs Sichuan

As a pure Qinling panda, A Bao exhibits distinct physical features:

• Rounder head with a shorter, blunter snout
• Larger ear arcs — 12° wider than Sichuan pandas
• Brown chest patch covering over 30% of his chest area
• More compact overall build

Life Journey

Rescue (2008)

In July 2008, villagers in Taibai County discovered an orphaned panda cub, approximately one year old. The Taibai County Forestry Bureau’s Sujiagou forest station rescued him and transferred him to the Shaanxi Rare Wildlife Rescue Center.

Chengdu (2017)

On March 28, 2017, A Bao was transferred to the Chengdu Research Base as part of a genetic exchange program between Shaanxi and Sichuan populations. He eventually returned to Shaanxi and now resides at the Qinling Sibao Science Park (秦岭四宝科学公园).

The Qi Zai Incident (2023)

On April 22, 2023, during breeding season, A Bao was interacting through a fence barrier with neighboring panda Qi Zai (七仔, studbook 802) — the world’s only captive brown-and-white panda. The interaction turned aggressive: Qi Zai bit A Bao’s right ear, creating a V-shaped notch in the ear edge.

Veterinarians confirmed the injury was superficial — only fur and skin, no cartilage damage. The ear healed within months, but the permanent V-notch became A Bao’s distinguishing mark. The incident generated over 20 million online discussions and brought renewed attention to the Qinling panda population.