Bao Mei

Bao Mei is a female giant panda born on August 8, 2019, at Pairi Daiza, a zoological park in Brugelette, Belgium. She is registered in the global giant panda studbook under number 1187, making her a formally documented member of the managed ex-situ giant panda population. Her birth marked a notable success for the bilateral conservation cooperation agreement between China and Belgium, which first brought her parents to Pairi Daiza on long-term loan. She is the second cub born to her mother Hao Hao, studbook number 735, and father Xing Hui, studbook number 710, both of whom are part of the global managed panda breeding program overseen by the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda.

Bao Mei has resided at Pairi Daiza for her entire life, where she participates in the park’s ex-situ conservation breeding and public education initiatives. As a young female panda born outside of China, she fills a unique role in the global managed population, contributing to the long-term genetic diversity of captive pandas that helps reduce the risk of inbreeding and supports the overall resilience of the species. She displays typical giant panda behaviors for her age, spending much of her day foraging for bamboo, climbing enclosure structures, and resting, and her presence has become a major draw for visitors to the park.

Beyond her conservation contributions, Bao Mei acts as an informal cultural and conservation ambassador for her species across Europe. Giant pandas are classified as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and high-profile individuals born in European zoos help raise widespread public awareness of the threats facing wild panda populations, including habitat loss and fragmentation in their native mountain ranges in central China. Her regular appearance in Pairi Daiza’s public exhibits also supports the park’s educational programming, which teaches visitors about panda ecology, the importance of biodiversity conservation, and the value of international collaborative conservation efforts. As of 2024, she remains in good health and is expected to join the formal global panda breeding program once she reaches sexual maturity.