Fu Ban

Basic Profile

Fu Ban (Chinese: 福伴, “Happy Companion”), studbook number 1027, is a male giant panda born on August 7, 2016 at Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna, Austria. He is the son of Yang Yang (阳阳) and Long Hui (龙徽, studbook 526) and the twin brother of Fu Feng (福凤) .

A Historic First

Fu Ban and Fu Feng are the world’s first twin giant panda cubs to be raised entirely by their mother through natural maternal care, without any hand-rearing or human assistance. Their birth and successful rearing were hailed as a landmark achievement in panda reproductive biology, proving that captive pandas could successfully raise twins without intervention.

Naming

On November 23, 2016, a naming ceremony was held at Schönbrunn. Chinese Ambassador to Austria Li Xiaosi and Austrian Vice-Chancellor Mitterlehner unveiled the names. “Fu Ban” (福伴) means “Happy Companion,” chosen through a public vote.

Life Journey

Fu Ban returned to China on December 4, 2018, flying from Vienna via Frankfurt to Chengdu. After quarantine at the Wolong Shenshuping Base, he was transferred to the Nanjing Tangshan Ziqinghu Wildlife World on August 28, 2019.

He is described as active, curious, and highly social — he loves climbing, playing in snow, and interacting with enrichment toys. In 2025, a birthday celebration featured hand-knitted wool “soccer balls” as enrichment.