Panda Archive

Qi Zhen

奇珍

Qi Zhen is a female giant panda born on September 4, 1999 at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. She is registered as studbook number 498 in the global giant panda studbook managed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. She is the offspring of Ba Xiong (studbook 365) and Ya Ya (studbook 450), both giant pandas housed at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding at the time of her birth. Currently living at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China, she participates in the base’s coordinated ex situ conservation breeding program for giant pandas. The program works to maintain genetically diverse, self-sustaining populations of the species. As an adult female giant panda, Qi Zhen displays typical foraging behaviors, spending over 10 hours daily consuming bamboo. She is a popular attraction for domestic and international visitors to the Chengdu base, helping raise public awareness of giant panda conservation. Her participation in the breeding program contributes to long-term efforts to protect the species and its native mountain habitat in southwest China.