Bao Xing Second

Bao Xing Second (Chinese name: 宝星) is a male giant panda born on October 5, 2023 at Shanghai Zoo, assigned the global giant panda studbook number 1378 in the official breeding registry maintained by the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda. His parents are An An and Le Le, two captive-bred giant pandas that have been permanent residents of Shanghai Zoo since 2019, and his birth was the first successful panda breeding recorded at the institution in nearly two decades. As an individual tracked under the national coordinated giant panda breeding program, his lineage has been fully documented to ensure accurate genetic monitoring of the captive population.

He currently resides at Shanghai Zoo, where he is cared for by the zoo’s specialized panda management team as part of the coordinated species survival program for giant pandas, which are classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The primary goal of the program Bao Xing Second participates in is to preserve genetic diversity across captive giant panda populations, reducing the risk of inbreeding and supporting the long-term health of the species in human care. As a juvenile panda, he exhibits species-typical developmental behaviors, including sampling bamboo shoots and tender leaves as he transitions from his mother’s milk to a solid bamboo diet, and engaging in extended periods of solitary exploratory play within his designated enclosure.

Bao Xing Second has become a prominent draw for both domestic and international visitors to Shanghai Zoo, serving as a key educational ambassador for giant panda conservation efforts. His public exhibit is paired with informational materials that explain giant panda ecology, the threats facing wild populations, and the role of captive breeding programs in global species protection. His successful birth also contributes to broader conservation objectives, as a robust, genetically diverse captive population provides a potential source of individuals for future wild rewilding initiatives targeted at restoring and supplementing fragmented giant panda habitats in their native range in central China.