Xin Bao

Xin Bao (studbook number 1196) is a female giant panda born on August 9, 2016, at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan, China. Her official Chinese name translates to "Happy Treasure" in English, and she is registered in the international giant panda studbook, a centralized database that tracks genetic lineages and demographic trends for the entire global captive giant panda population. Xin Bao was transferred to the San Diego Zoo in California, United States, on her first birthday, August 9, 2017, as part of a long-standing cooperative conservation partnership between Chinese and U.S. wildlife institutions.

Xin Bao’s lineage is closely tied to the decades of collaborative research between Chinese conservation bodies and the San Diego Zoo. Her parents, Shuang Shuang and Da Mao, are part of the global captive panda breeding program that has contributed critical data on panda reproductive biology, nutritional needs, and behavioral patterns over multiple generations. Her genetic profile is considered valuable for maintaining the genetic diversity of the captive panda population, a key priority for ensuring the long-term resilience of the species as a whole.

Xin Bao currently resides at the San Diego Zoo, where she participates in the institution’s giant panda conservation breeding program and public education initiatives. These programs operate under a formal cooperative agreement between San Diego Zoo Global and the China Wildlife Conservation Association, with joint goals of advancing panda scientific research and expanding public outreach for wild panda habitat protection in China. Captive-bred individuals like Xin Bao support ongoing research into panda physiology and behavior, findings that directly inform conservation strategies for wild giant panda populations across their native range in the mountainous regions of central China.

As a prominent public ambassador for her species, Xin Bao draws millions of visitors to the San Diego Zoo annually, raising global awareness of the threats facing wild giant pandas, including habitat fragmentation and climate change. Observations of her typical species-specific behaviors, which include spending 10 to 16 hours a day foraging for bamboo and interacting with habitat enrichment items, provide accessible educational opportunities for visitors to learn about panda ecology and the importance of cross-border conservation collaboration.