A Jie

Basic Profile

A Jie (Chinese: 阿杰, studbook number 983), nicknamed “Little Worm” (小虫虫) and “Big Sister” (大姐头), is a female giant panda born on August 31, 2015 at the Ya’an Bifengxia Base.

Her mother is Min Min (闽闽) and her father is Jin Ke (津柯). Her siblings include Ling Yan (灵岩) and Man Man (满满).

Naming

Her name was given by keeper Mu Shijie (牟仕杰). In Tibetan, “A” means “child” and “Jie” means “outstanding” — a wish for her to grow up carefree and become outstanding among pandas.

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Personality: The Gang Leader

A Jie was a core member of the “Gengda Mountain Gang” (耿达山口组) — a playful group of young pandas at Wolong. She was the “Big Sister” (大姐头), known for being the toughest fighter among her peers. Despite her fearless reputation, she is also described as timid and alert (胆小但警惕性高), and once she knows you, she becomes affectionate and playful.

She has a voracious appetite — eating 4-6 meals daily, consuming up to 30% more than her peers. She has also mastered amusing skills like sitting in meditation pose (打坐) and dancing — which she picked up naturally at Ningbo Zoo.

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Life in Ningbo

On April 19, 2018, A Jie and Ya Jun (雅郡) flew to Ningbo Youngor Zoo (宁波雅戈尔动物园) in Zhejiang Province. In January 2023, they moved into a newly built “National Treasure Secret Realm” (国宝秘境) exhibit, a 2-year project designed as their permanent home.

Their birthdays have been celebrated annually with themed parties, drawing local fans and media.