Ning Ning

Basic Profile

Ning Ning (Chinese: 宁宁, “Peaceful Peaceful”), studbook number 714, was a male giant panda born on July 27, 2008 at the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas (CCRCGP) Ya’an Bifengxia Base. His father was Lu Lu (芦芦) and his mother was Bai Xue (白雪).

He had eight siblings: Lin Lin (琳琳), Xiu Xiu (秀秀), and six others.

The Acrobat Panda

Ning Ning was not a typical panda. From his earliest days, he displayed an unusual enthusiasm for acrobatics. He could perform:

• Somersaults — controlled, deliberate flips
• Hanging upside down — suspending himself from climbing structures by his hind legs for extended periods
• Standing upright — he was trained to stand on his hind legs for up to ten seconds using a red ball as a target, rewarded with a treat upon completion

His keeper described him as “quick to learn and eager to please” — a combination that made training sessions productive.

Life Journey

Liugong Island (2010–2023)

On November 5, 2010, Ning Ning and female panda Zhu Ling (竹灵) were transferred to Weihai Liugong Island National Forest Park in Shandong — a scenic island in the Yellow Sea. They would spend the rest of their lives there.

Life on the island suited Ning Ning. He adapted well to the northern climate, playing enthusiastically in the snow during winter and maintaining a healthy appetite year-round. His diet consisted of:

• Special wowotou (窝窝头) — a custom-baked cornbread made from corn flour, soybean flour, rice flour, sugar, and oil, each weighing approximately 400 grams. The treat was so popular that a video of him eating it went viral, with viewers mistaking it for a simple cornbread
• A rotating selection of fresh bamboo
• A “small meals, frequent feeding” schedule designed for the northern winter

Keepers also used training as enrichment: Ning Ning learned to respond to a red target ball, touching it with his nose to earn treats. His training sessions became a regular feature of visitor programming.

Birthday Traditions

Ning Ning’s birthdays on Liugong Island were celebrated with ice cakes — custom frozen treats made from fruit juice and decorated with bamboo shoots, apples, and carrots:

• 2011 (age 3): His first birthday on the island
• 2021 (age 13): His 13th, marked with a special ice cake

Death

In early 2023, Ning Ning’s health declined rapidly. He was diagnosed with pericarditis and epicarditis — inflammation of the membranes surrounding the heart — leading to chronic heart failure with acute episodes. On March 24, 2023, he died from respiratory failure caused by an acute attack of the underlying cardiac condition. He was 14 years old.