Shu Qing

Shu Qing (Chinese name: 蜀庆) is a female captive giant panda, formally registered under global giant panda studbook number 640. She was born on September 8, 2004, at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, to two pandas documented in the same studbook system: father Xiong Ke (studbook number 393) and mother Ya Ya (studbook number 397), both previously housed at the Chengdu base. Her birth was part of China’s national coordinated captive giant panda breeding program, which is designed to preserve the genetic diversity of the global captive panda population and reduce inbreeding risk for the vulnerable species. Full biological and population records for Shu Qing are maintained by Chinese giant panda conservation authorities as part of the standardized global panda tracking system.

On September 8, 2005, her first birthday, Shu Qing was transferred to Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou, where she has resided in the decades since. She is a core individual in the park’s ex-situ giant panda conservation program, as well as a central part of its public education initiatives focused on panda ecology and species protection. The park’s giant panda exhibit, where Shu Qing is a featured resident, receives millions of domestic and international visitors each year, and her presence helps demystify panda biology and conservation needs for general audiences.

Shu Qing displays characteristic giant panda foraging behaviors, consuming roughly 15 kilograms of bamboo per day as part of her routine care. As one of the most high-profile captive giant pandas in southern China, she contributes to multiple areas of panda research, including studies on captive panda welfare, dietary patterns, and social behavior in managed care settings. Her inclusion in the national coordinated giant panda breeding network also supports long-term efforts to maintain a genetically robust captive population, which serves as a critical safety net for the species as wild populations continue to face habitat fragmentation and other environmental pressures.