Panda Archive

Shi Shi

石石

Shi Shi is a male giant panda born on 1982-01-01 in the wild of Sichuan Province, China. He was captured in 1987 and transferred to the Beijing Zoo before later moving to dedicated giant panda conservation facilities. His studbook number is 315, which allows researchers to track his lineage and demographics across conservation institutions. He is the offspring of two unnamed wild giant pandas from the Min Mountains population in central China. This wild origin makes him a valuable contributor to the captive breeding program aimed at preserving the genetic diversity of the species. He sired multiple offspring during his time in the captive breeding program, including several individuals that later participated in conservation initiatives. Currently living at China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, he participates in the center’s long-term captive breeding and research programs for giant pandas. Giant pandas are classified as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and programs at the center support species recovery and habitat protection across southwestern China. As a wild-origin giant panda, Shi Shi carried genetic variation rare in early captive populations, improving the overall genetic health of the captive giant panda community. He was a calm, adaptable individual that adjusted well to captive conditions, making him a reliable breeder for early conservation efforts. His life contributed to foundational research on giant panda biology that continues to guide current conservation work.