Thuraya

Thuraya, known in Chinese as Sihai, is a female giant panda born on July 26, 2019, at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda. She is assigned studbook number 1193 in the official international giant panda studbook, the global registry that documents genetic lineage and demographic data for all captive giant pandas to support coordinated species management. Her father is Jing Jing, listed under studbook number 631, and her mother is Wu Wen, also recorded as Xi Zhi with studbook number 872; her genetic lineage is formally tracked as part of the captive giant panda breeding program overseen by Chinese wildlife conservation authorities, which prioritizes maintaining diverse, viable populations of the vulnerable species.

On her first birthday, July 26, 2020, Thuraya was transferred to Al Khor Park in Qatar, as part of a long-term joint conservation, education, and research partnership between Chinese and Qatari environmental institutions. She is the first giant panda to take up long-term residence in the Middle East, and her arrival marked a key milestone in cross-regional collaboration for endangered species protection. As of 2025, she remains housed in the custom-built giant panda habitat at Al Khor Park, where care teams monitor her health, behavior, and dietary needs to support her long-term wellbeing.

Now in young adulthood, Thuraya exhibits standard species-typical behaviors, with bamboo making up the vast majority of her daily diet, alongside specialized nutrient supplements provided by her care team. She has become a prominent public draw at Al Khor Park, introducing hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the Middle East to giant panda ecology, the threats facing wild giant panda populations in their native mountain habitats in central China, and global conservation efforts to safeguard the species. Her presence serves as a cultural and conservation ambassador, strengthening international collaboration frameworks for giant panda protection and raising regional awareness of broader biodiversity conservation priorities.