Xi Xi

Basic Profile

Xi Xi (Chinese: 茜茜), studbook number 476, is a female giant panda born on August 13, 1998 at the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas (CCRCGP) Hetaoping Base in Wolong, Sichuan. Her parents are Pan Pan (盼盼, studbook 308) and Yong Ba (永巴, studbook 274).

The “Runaway Bride”

Xi Xi earned the nickname “Runaway Bride” (逃跑新娘) for her three documented escapes:

1. June 2007: Escaped during a rainstorm, returned after three days
2. May 2008: Disappeared during the aftershocks of the Wenchuan earthquake when her enclosure was destroyed by falling rocks. She was missing for days before being spotted by soldiers from the Chongqing Highway Emergency Rescue Team on May 25. After three failed tranquilizer attempts, she was successfully sedated and rescued on May 26.
3. 2008 (after relocation): After being moved to the Ya’an Bifengxia Base following the earthquake, she escaped again when a tree fell against the wall during heavy rain.

Offspring

Xi Xi gave birth to 9 cubs across multiple litters, making her one of the most productive mothers in the program:

Life Journey

Early Years and Breeding (1998-2008)

Xi Xi spent her early years at the Wolong Hetaoping Base. On July 13, 2004, she gave birth to Rong Rong (融融) — the first giant panda cub born worldwide in 2004, conceived through artificial insemination using semen from An An (安安) of Hong Kong Ocean Park.

Earthquake and Escape (2008)

During the May 12, 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, Xi Xi’s enclosure was destroyed. She escaped into the surrounding forest and was missing for two weeks. Soldiers from the Chengdu Military Command conducted a grid search over a 5 km radius and found her on a cliff edge on May 24. After three anesthesia attempts, she was secured and brought to safety on May 26.

Later Years (2008-2020)

Following the earthquake, Xi Xi was moved to the Ya’an Bifengxia Base on June 24, 2008. She was relocated multiple times between Bifengxia, Wolong Shenshuping, and Dujiangyan bases.

On August 28, 2019, she was sent to Nanjing Tangshan Ziqinghu Wildlife World as part of a group of 10 pandas. She returned to the Dujiangyan Base in August 2020.