Jia Yue Yue

Jia Yue Yue (Chinese name: 加悦悦, studbook number 1101) is a male giant panda born on October 15, 2013 at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan, China. He is the offspring of Jia Pan and Wu Wen, two captive-bred giant pandas with documented lineages in Sichuan’s regional conservation breeding program, which has been central to global efforts to sustain the genetic diversity of captive panda populations. On his first birthday, October 15, 2014, Jia Yue Yue was transferred to the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo in Alberta, Canada, as part of a long-term international collaborative agreement between the Chinese and Canadian conservation bodies.

As of 2024, Jia Yue Yue remains in residence at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo, where he participates in the joint giant panda conservation and education program run by the zoo and the China Wildlife Conservation Association. He exhibits all standard behavioral and physiological traits of his species, with a diet consisting primarily of locally sourced bamboo and consistent daily activity cycles that align with the species’ natural patterns. Zookeepers and researchers monitor his health and behavior regularly to gather data that informs best practices for captive panda care and breeding protocols.

Jia Yue Yue serves as a prominent animal ambassador for giant panda conservation at the Calgary Zoo, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year who learn about the threats facing wild giant panda populations, including habitat fragmentation in the Qinling and Minshan Mountains of central China. His presence in Canada also supports ongoing international research into giant panda reproductive health and captive population management, contributing to the global goal of maintaining genetically robust, self-sustaining captive populations that can act as a buffer against potential declines in wild populations. The collaborative program he is part of also allocates a portion of related public engagement revenue to on-the-ground habitat protection efforts in giant panda range regions in China.