Sheng Yi

Sheng Yi is a female giant panda born on May 31, 2021 at Zoo Negara, the National Zoo of Malaysia, as part of the long-term international giant panda conservation collaboration between China and Malaysia. Her birth marked the third giant panda cub successfully born at the Malaysian institution under the partnership. She is registered in the global giant panda studbook under number 1310, with her lineage tracing to two pandas on loan from Chinese conservation facilities: her father, Xing Liang, listed under studbook number 631, and her mother, Niu Niu, listed under studbook number 632, both of whom were sent to Zoo Negara from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda prior to her birth.

Per standard protocol for giant pandas born in international cooperative breeding programs, Sheng Yi was transferred back to her native range in China on her first birthday, May 31, 2022, and took up residence at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong, Sichuan Province. She was integrated into the center’s coordinated captive breeding and ecological research programs immediately after her arrival, contributing to ongoing work focused on supporting the long-term viability of the giant panda species. As a young panda, she exhibits typical species-specific behaviors including regular climbing and foraging, with her diet composed primarily of locally sourced bamboo grown in the Wolong region.

Sheng Yi holds both practical conservation value and broader cultural significance as a tangible symbol of Sino-Malaysian diplomatic and conservation partnership. Her inclusion in the global captive panda population expands the available genetic diversity for coordinated breeding efforts, a core component of strategies to prevent the species’ extinction. Long-term monitoring of her health, behavior, and reproductive potential as she reaches maturity will provide researchers with actionable data to refine captive care practices and improve outcomes for both captive and wild giant panda populations.