Kou Hin

Kou Hin (Chinese name 幸滨, studbook number 598) is a male giant panda born on August 23, 2005 at Adventure World in Wakayama, Japan. His sire is Ei Mei (studbook number 390, also referenced as Xiong Bang) and his dam is Mei Mei (studbook number 412, also referenced as Mei Hua), both of whom were part of the collaborative giant panda breeding partnership between Chinese and Japanese wildlife conservation institutions. Both parents were born and raised in formal captive breeding programs structured to support the long-term viability of the vulnerable giant panda species, as part of global coordinated conservation efforts.

On his first birthday, August 23, 2006, Kou Hin was transferred to his current residence at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu, China. As of the most recent official global captive giant panda population survey, he remains in good health at the facility. He is an active participant in the base’s formal captive breeding initiative, which is designed to preserve and expand genetic diversity across the global captive giant panda population, a core priority for preventing inbreeding and supporting the long-term resilience of the species.

Beyond his conservation role, Kou Hin serves as a visible link in the long-standing cultural and conservation exchange relationship between China and Japan, as one of the offspring from the decades-long collaborative panda breeding partnership between the two countries. He is a popular draw for visitors to the Chengdu Research Base, where his natural feeding, climbing, and resting behaviors are regularly observed by guests, supporting the facility’s public education mandate to raise awareness of giant panda habitat protection and broader biodiversity conservation efforts. His inclusion in the breeding program has already contributed to expanding the available genetic pool for captive panda reproduction, aligning with international targets to support both captive population stability and potential future reintroduction efforts for the species.