Panda Archive

Qi Yuan

奇缘

Qi Yuan is a female giant panda born on 4 September 1999 at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. She has a studbook number of 499, and is recognized by Chinese wildlife authorities under the name Qi Yuan, which translates roughly to "fate’s wonder" in English. She is the offspring of Ba Xing and Bing Bing, both captive-bred giant pandas housed at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding during her conception and birth. Her lineage traces to wild giant pandas captured in the Minshan mountain range of Sichuan Province in the 1980s. Currently living at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China, she participates in the base’s captive breeding and public education programs for giant panda conservation. The base is one of the world’s leading facilities for the ex-situ conservation of the species. As a mature, long-lived captive giant panda, Qi Yuan demonstrates calm foraging and resting behaviors that are typical of the species, attracting regular observation from researchers and visitors. She contributes to public awareness of giant panda conservation, and her genetic material is preserved as part of regional efforts to maintain the genetic diversity of the captive giant panda population.