Dian Dian

Dian Dian (Chinese name: 点点, studbook number 971) is a female giant panda born on June 20, 2015, at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda. Her sire is Tu Tu, identified by studbook number 700, and her dam is Yun Hui, both of whom are captive-bred individuals housed at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda and active participants in the center’s coordinated species breeding program. Dian Dian was formally registered in the global giant panda breeding registry upon her birth, and has been certified as a healthy adult individual by international conservation authorities.

On June 20, 2016, her first birthday, Dian Dian was transferred to Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo in Jiangsu Province, where she has resided permanently in the years since. She is a core participant in the zoo’s giant panda ex situ conservation initiatives and public education programs, with regular public viewing access arranged to help visitors learn about the species’ natural history and the threats facing wild giant panda populations. Dian Dian displays the species’ characteristic behavioral traits, including a strong dietary preference for bamboo and a gentle, slow-paced daily activity pattern that aligns with the typical routine of healthy captive giant pandas.

Dian Dian is one of the most popular animal residents at Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo, drawing millions of domestic visitors each year. Beyond her public appeal, her presence at the zoo supports ongoing research into captive giant panda behavior, dietary adaptation, and welfare optimization, generating data that informs evidence-based improvements to captive care protocols globally. As a representative of the vulnerable giant panda species, she serves as a tangible ambassador for broader conservation efforts, helping to build public support for habitat protection and species recovery programs targeting wild giant panda populations in their native range in central China.