Sa Er

Basic Profile

Sa Er (Chinese: 仨儿), studbook number 892, is a female giant panda born on August 19, 2013 at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Her name literally means “Three” — she was the only survivor of a rare triplet birth. She weighed only 96 grams at birth, one of the smallest recorded, and required intensive hand-rearing. By September 5, 2013, she had passed the critical period and weighed 329 grams.

Her mother is Jiao Zi (娇子, studbook 425).

Nickname

Sa Er is affectionately called “Little Fox” (小狐狸) due to her unusual dental structure — unlike most pandas who have an underbite (地包天), Sa Er has an overbite (天包地) combined with a pointed chin, giving her a fox-like appearance from the side.

Siblings

Sa Er’s siblings through mother Jiao Zi include:

• Xiao Jiao (小娇)
• Jiao Yang (娇阳)
• Jiao Xiao (娇小)
• Jiao Qing (娇庆)
• Da Jiao (大娇)
• Ke Lin (科琳)
• Miao Miao (淼淼)

Life Journey

Early Years (2013-2016)

Sa Er spent her early years at the Chengdu Research Base. She was known for her clever, fox-like personality — she would wait by the iron gate where keepers fed apples, earning the nickname “Little Gate Guardian” (小门神).

Shanghai Wildlife Park (2016-2017)

On February 2, 2016, Sa Er was transferred to Shanghai Wildlife Park alongside two other female pandas — Meng Meng (梦梦) and another Xi Xi (茜茜, different from studbook 476). The trio was dubbed the “Three Sisters” and debuted during the Spring Festival. Sa Er was described as the most mischievous of the three.

She returned to the Chengdu Base on January 14, 2017.

Hohhot Daqingshan Park (2018-2025)

On April 19, 2018, Sa Er and Xi Xi (茜茜, studbook 889) moved to Hohhot Daqingshan Wildlife Park in Inner Mongolia for a three-year educational exhibition. Sa Er quickly adapted and made her public debut on April 29, 2018.

In August 2024, the park held a multi-day birthday celebration for Sa Er’s 11th birthday.