Panda archive

Lu Lu (#503)

芦芦

deceased male Born January 1, 1999

Lu Lu (芦芦), studbook #503, was a male giant panda rescued from the wild in 1999 in Lushan County, Ya'an, Sichuan. Named after the location of his rescue, he became one of the most prolific sires in the captive breeding program, fathering over 50 offspring including Hua Ni (爱宝), Fei Yun (飞云), and Xing Hui (星徽). He passed away on April 4, 2025, at the age of 26 due to intestinal perforation and multi-organ failure.

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This page brings together the core facts, timeline, family graph, media, place journey, and related reading for Lu Lu.

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Profile snapshot

Quick facts

Birth date

January 1, 1999

Birth place

Wild (Sichuan)

Current location

Wolong Shenshuping Panda Base

Status

Deceased

Studbook

#503

Archive activity

3 updates · 0 media

Narrative

Life story

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Short version

Basic Profile

Lu Lu (Chinese: 芦芦) was a male giant panda rescued from the wild in 1999 in Lushan County (芦山县), Ya’an, Sichuan Province. Named after the location of his rescue, he carried the global studbook number 503 and became one of the most genetically valuable sires in the history of the captive breeding program.

Rescue & Early Life

On an autumn day in 1999, Lu Lu was discovered in the wilds of Lushan County, Ya’an, dehydrated and in need of assistance. Rescue teams transported him to the Wolong Hetaoping Base on October 26, 1999, where he received immediate veterinary care. As a wild-born male, he brought valuable genetic diversity to the captive population.

Relocation History

Throughout his life, Lu Lu was moved between facilities as part of the national breeding program:

1999-10-26: Wolong Hetaoping Base
2003-12-22: Ya’an Bifengxia Base
2004-07-01: Wolong Hetaoping Base
2008-07-21: Ya’an Bifengxia Base
2016-05-06: Wolong Hetaoping Base
2017-05-25: Wolong Shenshuping Base (final residence)

Breeding Legacy: The Prolific Sire

Lu Lu was one of the most successful breeding males in panda conservation history, fathering over 50 offspring. His calm, non-aggressive temperament made him an ideal breeding candidate, and his wild-born genetics were highly valued for maintaining population diversity.

Notable Mating Records

April 2015, Bifengxia Base: Lu Lu mated with Zhen Zhen (珍珍) for nearly 8 minutes, breaking the base’s duration record at the time. Days later, on April 4, he mated with Xi Mei (喜妹) for an unprecedented 18 minutes and 3 seconds, captured live on the iPanda channel and watched by millions worldwide.

Notable Offspring

Lu Lu’s descendants have spread across China and the world:

Hua Ni (华妮/爱宝): Female, born 2013-07-13. Now living at Everland Resort in South Korea, mother of Fu Bao (福宝), Rui Bao (睿宝), and Hui Bao (辉宝)
Fei Yun (飞云): Female, residing at Dalian Forest Zoo
Xing Hui (星徽): Male, studbook 745, at Pairi Daiza in Belgium
Gong Gong (贡贡): Male, born 2013-08-18, at Hainan Tropical Wildlife Park
Shun Shun (舜舜): Male, born 2013-08-27, at Hainan Tropical Wildlife Park
Bai Tian (白天): Female, born 2018-08-20, at Beijing Zoo
Fu Xing (福星/Pang Da Hai): Male, born 2017-06-25, at Beijing Zoo
Yao Man (姚蔓): Daughter and mother of Si Hai (四海)

Health & Final Years

2020: The “White Nose” Incident

In June 2020, keepers observed that Lu Lu’s eye rings and nose were beginning to lose pigmentation, turning from black to white. The phenomenon sparked widespread public concern on Chinese social media. The China Conservation and Research Center issued a statement on September 25, 2020, explaining that this was a pigmentation metabolism issue seen in some aging pandas, similar to three other elderly pandas at the center who had experienced the same condition. The center confirmed that Lu Lu’s appetite, energy levels, and overall health remained normal, and the condition did not affect his wellbeing.

2019: Retirement from Breeding

Due to his age and the sufficient representation of his genetic line in the population, Lu Lu was retired from the breeding program in 2019. He spent his remaining years at the Wolong Shenshuping Base receiving geriatric care.

2025: Final Days

In early 2025, Lu Lu began showing reduced appetite and energy. The Panda Center collaborated with specialists from leading hospitals to develop treatment plans. Despite medical interventions, his condition worsened. On April 4, 2025, at 11:15 AM, Lu Lu passed away due to intestinal perforation complicated by massive ascites and extensive intestinal necrosis, which led to diffuse abdominal infection and ultimately multiple organ failure (kidney and lung failure). He was 26 years old.

Legacy

Lu Lu’s genetic legacy continues through his more than 50 offspring and their descendants, who are found across China and in zoos worldwide. His calm temperament, wild-born genetic diversity, and extraordinary breeding success made him one of the cornerstones of modern giant panda conservation. His descendants include third-generation pandas such as Fu Bao (福宝), one of the most famous pandas in the world, and Yu Ke (渝可) in Chongqing.

Evidence

Life timeline

Key updates and milestone events tied to Lu Lu.

3 updates

2025 (1)

Death Apr 4, 2025

Lu Lu Passes Away at Age 26

Lu Lu passed away at Wolong Shenshuping Base.

2000 (1)

Transfer Sep 21, 2000

Lu Lu transferred to china_conservation_and_research_center

Lu Lu was transferred to CCRCGP.

1999 (1)

Birth Sep 21, 1999

Birth of Lu Lu

Lu Lu was born at chengdu_base.

Knowledge graph

Family and network

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Children

Showing all 22 known offspring

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captive-bred

Lu Lu (#503)

Start with the profile, then expand into the archive around this panda

Quick facts

Life story

Basic Profile

Rescue & Early Life

Relocation History

Breeding Legacy: The Prolific Sire

Notable Mating Records

Notable Offspring

Health & Final Years

2020: The “White Nose” Incident

2019: Retirement from Breeding

2025: Final Days

Legacy

Life timeline

Lu Lu Passes Away at Age 26

Lu Lu transferred to china_conservation_and_research_center

Birth of Lu Lu

Family and network

Other pandas connected to Lu Lu

A Ling

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Bai Tian

Bing Hua

Bing Jing

Cui Cui

Fei Yun

Fu Ni

Han Han

Hao Hao

Ji Nian

Lang Lang

Lu Lin

Ning Ning

Shu Qin

Shun Shun

Tao Tao

Xing Hui

Xing Xing

Xue Xue

Ying Ying

Zhi Chun

An An

Bing Bing

Bing Li

Gu Gu

Gu Gu

Hua Mei

Jia Yuan

Mao Mao

Peng Peng

Qi Yuan

Qi Zhen

Shu Qing

Ye Ye

Yuan Yuan

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Place journey

Wild (Sichuan)

China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda

Wolong Shenshuping Panda Base

Current location

Archive paths

Mentioned in archive reading

The Ultimate Panda Documentary Guide: 50+ Films Every Panda Lover Needs to Watch

The International Studbook: How Big Data Prevents Panda Inbreeding

How to Trace Any Giant Panda's Family Tree: The Studbook Guide

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