An Bao

Basic Profile

An Bao (Chinese: 安宝, nickname Ka Wa Yi/卡哇一), also referred to as An An (安安), is a male giant panda born on August 14, 2022 at the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas (CCRCGP) Wolong Shenshuping Base in Sichuan. His mother is Zhang Ka (张卡).

His twin sister is Zhong Zhong (中中).

Siblings

An Bao’s siblings through mother Zhang Ka include Bao Le (宝乐), Ao Ao (傲傲), Zhang Xiang (张想), Su Shan (苏珊), Zhang Meng (张梦), and Zhong Zhong — his twin.

Life Journey

Early Signs (October 2023)

In mid-October 2023, when An Bao was just 14 months old, keepers at the Dujiangyan Base — where he had moved in July 2023 — noticed troubling changes. He was eating less. He was sleeping more. When awake, he seemed sluggish and unresponsive. Concerned, the base’s veterinary team initiated a full diagnostic workup.

The diagnosis was hydrocephalus (脑积水) — an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within the brain’s ventricles, causing pressure on brain tissue. In domestic animals, the condition is sometimes managed with medication or surgery. In a giant panda, it had never been treated before.

The Decision to Operate

Throughout 2024, An Bao’s condition was monitored closely. His symptoms persisted, and the medical team — a collaboration between CCRCGP veterinarians and specialists from multiple hospitals — concluded that conservative management was insufficient. The only viable option was a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt: a surgical procedure in which a catheter is inserted into the brain’s ventricle to drain excess fluid into the abdominal cavity, where it can be absorbed.

No one had ever performed this surgery on a giant panda.

The Surgery (December 2, 2024)

On December 2, 2024, at the CCRCGP’s medical facility, a combined team of panda veterinarians and human neurosurgeons performed the world’s first VP shunt implantation in a giant panda. The surgery involved:

1. Drilling a small access point in the skull
2. Inserting a ventricular catheter into the fluid-filled space
3. Tunneling the drainage tube under the skin, down the neck and torso
4. Placing the distal end in the peritoneal cavity
5. Installing a pressure-regulating valve to control flow

The entire procedure was completed without complications.

Recovery

The results were dramatic. Within days, An Bao’s energy levels rebounded. His appetite returned to normal. He began moving more, exploring his enclosure, and interacting with keepers in ways he had not since before his symptoms appeared.

The surgery was hailed as a breakthrough in panda medicine, demonstrating that advanced neurosurgical techniques developed for humans can be successfully adapted to treat otherwise fatal conditions in endangered species.

As of 2025, An Bao continues to thrive under close medical supervision, his VP shunt functioning as intended, his quality of life restored.