Da Li

Da Li is a male giant panda born on July 1, 2010, at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, with the global giant panda studbook registration number 790. He is the offspring of Pan Pan, a well-documented male giant panda that was a long-term resident of the Chengdu Research Base, and Ya Ya, a female giant panda part of the base’s captive breeding population. As a descendant of two prominent members of the base’s breeding program, his lineage contributes valuable genetic diversity to the global captive giant panda population, a key priority for species conservation efforts. He was transferred to Beijing Zoo on his first birthday, July 1, 2011, and has remained a resident of the zoo as of 2024.

As a participant in the China Giant Panda Conservation Research Program, a national initiative focused on maintaining sustainable captive giant panda populations and supporting endangered species public education, Da Li plays multiple roles in conservation practice. Care teams at Beijing Zoo monitor his daily behavior to support research on captive panda health and welfare, and he exhibits typical species-specific traits, including spending up to 12 hours each day foraging on bamboo. He is consistently one of the most frequently visited animal residents at Beijing Zoo, drawing attention from both domestic and international visitors throughout the year.

His placement in a high-traffic urban zoo makes him a prominent flagship species for giant panda conservation outreach. Public engagement with Da Li supports education efforts that raise awareness of the threats facing wild giant panda populations, including habitat loss and fragmentation in their native ranges in the Qinling and Minshan Mountains of southwest China. His public profile also helps drive public support for targeted habitat protection initiatives and community-based conservation programs designed to support long-term coexistence between wild pandas and human populations in their natural range.