Bao Li

Bao Li (Chinese name 宝力, studbook number 1420) is a male giant panda born on May 15, 2024, at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda. His parentage is officially recorded in the global captive giant panda breeding registry: his dam is female panda Xing Xing (studbook number 1114), and his sire is the male panda listed under studbook number 1145. His lineage is carefully tracked as part of the coordinated international captive breeding program for giant pandas, which prioritizes maintaining genetic diversity across the managed global population to support long-term species resilience.

On his first birthday, May 15, 2025, Bao Li was transferred to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C., as part of the long-standing cooperative conservation agreement between the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda and the Smithsonian Institution. He resides at the zoo’s dedicated giant panda habitat, where he is cared for by a joint team of Chinese and American panda care specialists, with regular health and developmental monitoring to support his growth as a juvenile individual.

Bao Li’s presence at the Smithsonian National Zoo supports multiple core objectives of the binational conservation partnership. Care staff and researchers collect non-invasive data on his early development, feeding behavior, and social interactions to fill gaps in understanding of juvenile giant panda biology, insights that can be applied to both captive care protocols and wild population conservation strategies. He also serves as a high-profile ambassador for his species, drawing increased public attention to the threats facing wild giant panda populations in their native Qinling and Minshan mountain range habitats in central China, including habitat fragmentation and climate-related impacts on bamboo ecosystems. Public engagement programs centered on Bao Li’s daily life help the zoo educate visitors on global efforts to protect giant panda habitats and support the long-term viability of the species both in captivity and in the wild.