Ei Mei

Ei Mei (Chinese name 永明, studbook number 390) is a male giant panda born on September 14, 1992 at Beijing Zoo. His parents, father Yong Ba and mother Dong Dong, were both part of the captive breeding program administered by the China Wildlife Conservation Association, residing at Beijing Zoo in the years preceding Ei Mei’s birth. His lineage traces directly to wild giant panda populations captured from the Qinling Mountains during the 1970s, placing him among a well-documented genetic line central to early captive breeding efforts for the species. Following standard species-appropriate husbandry protocols developed by Chinese wildlife conservation specialists, he received specialized care in his first year of life to support healthy development.

On his first birthday, September 14, 1993, Ei Mei was transferred to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, where he has resided continuously as of 2024. The Chengdu Base is a leading global institution dedicated to giant panda conservation, applied research, and public outreach, welcoming millions of domestic and international visitors each year. Ei Mei participates in both the facility’s captive breeding initiatives and its public education programming, serving as a visible representative of the species for guests.

As one of the oldest living captive male giant pandas recorded in the global breeding registry, Ei Mei exhibits characteristic gentle foraging and resting behaviors consistent with typical giant panda ecology, making him a consistently popular attraction for visitors to the Chengdu Base. His extended life under professional human care has provided researchers with long-term, continuous data on giant panda aging, dietary needs across life stages, and best practices for long-term captive husbandry. These insights are actively integrated into broader conservation strategies to support both captive breeding programs and protection efforts for wild giant panda populations across their native range in Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces.