Lu Lu

Basic Profile

Lu Lu (Chinese: 禄禄), studbook number 936, is a female giant panda born on August 16, 2014 at the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas (CCRCGP) Ya’an Bifengxia Base. Her mother is Shui Xiu (水秀).

She was moved to the Dujiangyan Base on April 9, 2015, where she has since resided.

Offspring

Nong Nong (檂檂) — Surviving Son

On August 28, 2020, Lu Lu gave birth to a male cub named Nong Nong (檂檂, studbook 1257). On February 22, 2021, mother and son were transferred to the Dujiangyan Panda Paradise, where they continue to live together.

Lu Lu Zi (禄禄仔) — The Tragedy

On August 10, 2019, Lu Lu gave birth to a female cub, provisionally named Lu Lu Zi (禄禄仔). The cub was healthy and active, and on the night of April 8, 2020, at approximately 8 months old, she was in the outdoor exercise yard of the Shenshuping Base nursery.

Around 2:00 AM on April 9, 2020, Lu Lu Zi climbed onto a wooden frame fitted with a hanging enrichment ball toy. As she played, the rope securing the ball became wrapped around her neck and front leg. She struggled briefly, then stopped moving. The entire event lasted only minutes.

The accident occurred at night. Because Lu Lu Zi’s position — slumped against the wooden frame with the rope around her neck — resembled a normal sleeping posture from a distance, the night patrol keepers did not detect anything unusual. It was not until approximately 9:00 AM, when the daytime keeper entered the enclosure, that the cub was discovered. She was already deceased.

CCRCGP conducted an investigation and implemented new measures:

• Enhanced safety inspections of all enrichment items in juvenile panda enclosures
• Comprehensive reviews of potential entanglement hazards
• Strengthened nighttime patrol protocols with improved visibility checks

The incident was widely covered in Chinese media as a tragic reminder of the vulnerabilities of captive panda cubs and the constant vigilance required in their care.