Kouhin

Kouhin (Chinese name: 幸浜, studbook number 605) is a male giant panda born on August 23, 2005 at Adventure World, a zoological park in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan that has operated giant panda breeding partnerships with Chinese conservation institutions since the 1990s. His sire is Eimei (Yongming), and his dam is the panda with studbook number 480, Meimei, both of whom were loaned to Japan from China as part of long-term international collaborative conservation efforts for the vulnerable species. Kouhin’s birth was recognized as a key milestone for the cross-border breeding program, marking one of the many successful panda births recorded at Adventure World through the bilateral initiative.

Kouhin was transferred to the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong, Sichuan on his first birthday, August 23, 2006, as part of standard panda cooperation agreements that require offspring of pandas loaned internationally to be returned to China for integration into national conservation programs. As the world’s largest dedicated giant panda conservation facility, the Wolong center has managed captive panda populations, conducted reproductive and genetic research, and led reintroduction efforts for wild population recovery for decades. Following his arrival, Kouhin was integrated into the center’s formal captive management framework, receiving regular health monitoring and species-appropriate care aligned with global panda welfare standards.

As an adult male descended from two distinct genetic lines represented in the international breeding program, Kouhin makes a valuable contribution to the genetic diversity of the global captive giant panda population. His participation in the center’s conservation breeding program helps reduce inbreeding risk in the managed population, a core priority for maintaining long-term population viability for the species. He also supports ongoing research into giant panda reproductive biology, genetic trait mapping, and pre-release training protocols designed to prepare captive-born pandas for potential reintroduction to suitable wild habitats. His life history stands as a documented example of the tangible outcomes of international collaborative conservation work for giant pandas, demonstrating how cross-border partnerships can support both population growth and long-term species recovery goals.