Hua Zui Ba

Hua Zui Ba, a female giant panda with the global studbook number 563, was born on September 16, 2003, at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China. She is the offspring of Pan Pan (studbook number 462) and Ji Ni, both captive-bred giant pandas housed at the Chengdu facility at the time of her birth. Her first year of life was spent at the Chengdu base, where she received standard captive care as part of the base’s broader giant panda breeding and conservation program. On her first birthday, September 16, 2004, she was transferred to Zoo Aquarium de Madrid in Spain as part of a long-term international cooperative agreement.

As of 2024, Hua Zui Ba remains a resident of Zoo Aquarium de Madrid, where she participates in the joint giant panda conservation and research program co-managed by the China Wildlife Conservation Association and the Madrid institution. The program integrates two core priorities: coordinated captive breeding efforts to support the global giant panda population, and public education programming that teaches visitors about giant panda ecology, habitat threats, and the value of cross-border species conservation. Her long-term presence at the zoo has made her one of the most well-documented giant pandas in European zoological collections, with routine health and behavioral observations contributing to global research on captive panda care.

Hua Zui Ba’s residency in Madrid has also played a role in raising broader public awareness of giant panda conservation outcomes across Europe. The 2016 reclassification of giant pandas from Endangered to Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species was a milestone that reflected the success of coordinated conservation work led by Chinese authorities and international partner institutions including Zoo Aquarium de Madrid. Her consistent popularity with zoo visitors has helped sustain public support for these conservation initiatives, both for giant pandas and for other at-risk species native to central China’s temperate forest habitats.