XUE

Panda archive

Xue Xue (#850)

雪雪

deceased female Born August 15, 2012

Xue Xue (雪雪, studbook #850) was the fourth captive-born giant panda released into the wild. Born August 15, 2012, at Wolong Hetaoping Base, she was mother-reared by Si Xue (思雪). On October 14, 2014, she was released into Liziping Nature Reserve. Tragically, she died 42 days later on November 23, 2014, from a suspected pathogenic bacterial infection — a sobering lesson about disease risks facing rewilded pandas.

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This page brings together the core facts, timeline, family graph, media, place journey, and related reading for Xue Xue.

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Profile snapshot

Quick facts

Birth date

August 15, 2012

Birth place

Wolong Hetaoping Base of China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda

Current location

Wild (Sichuan)

Status

Deceased

Studbook

#850

Archive activity

3 updates · 0 media

Narrative

Life story

Start with a concise summary, then continue into the full narrative record for Xue Xue.

Short version

Basic Profile

Xue Xue (Chinese: 雪雪, “Snow Snow”, studbook number 850) is a female giant panda born on August 15, 2012 at the Wolong Hetaoping Wild Training Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP). She weighed 117 grams at birth.

Her mother is Si Xue (思雪, sb625), a wild-born panda with strong maternal instincts and a vigilant temperament. Her father is Lu Lu (芦芦, sb503), a wild-born male from Lushan with valuable wild genetics. She was described as having a round, gentle face and being somewhat dependent on her mother.

Wild Training

Xue Xue participated in the second-phase rewilding program (二期野化培训项目) alongside Xin Yuan (新媛). She was raised entirely by her mother Si Xue in a large semi-wild enclosure at Hetaoping, learning essential survival skills:

Foraging for wild bamboo
Finding natural water sources
Building dens
Recognizing and avoiding predators
Navigating complex terrain

On September 3, 2013, a panel of experts evaluated both Xue Xue and Xin Yuan, concluding both pandas had developed adequate survival skills for wild release.

Release into the Wild

On October 10, 2014, Xue Xue was successfully recaptured for pre-release health checks. She weighed 53.4 kg with all physiological indicators normal.

On October 14, 2014, Xue Xue was released into the Liziping Nature Reserve in Shimian County, Ya’an, Sichuan. The ceremony was led by the State Forestry Administration and Sichuan Provincial Government, with officials including Vice Administrator Chen Fengxue and Ya’an Party Secretary Ye Zhuang in attendance. She was the fourth captive-born giant panda released to the wild, following Xiang Xiang (祥祥), Tao Tao (淘淘), and Zhang Xiang (张想).

Death and Lessons Learned

Tragically, on November 23, 2014 — just 42 days after release — Xue Xue was found dead in the Dahongshan area of Liziping Nature Reserve. Post-mortem analysis suggested she died from a pathogenic bacterial infection (条件性致病菌感染), though the exact cause required further investigation.

Her death was a sobering setback for the rewilding program. Unlike Xiang Xiang who died from fighting with wild pandas, Xue Xue’s case highlighted an unexpected threat: disease susceptibility in captive-born pandas released into the wild. The captive environment may not adequately expose pandas to the full spectrum of wild pathogens, leaving their immune systems unprepared.

Legacy

Xue Xue’s brief time in the wild — only 42 days — provided critical data on post-release disease risks. The rewilding program incorporated these lessons into later releases:

Enhanced pre-release health screening for latent infections
Gradual exposure to natural pathogens during training
Improved post-release monitoring protocols

Despite the tragedy, the program continued and evolved, with Hua Yan (华妍, sb888, released 2015) and Zhang Meng (张梦, sb916, released 2016) building on these hard-earned lessons.

Xue Xue’s mother Si Xue continues to live at the Shanghai Wild Animal Park, and her siblings include Ying Xue (映雪) and Xue Bao (雪宝).

Evidence

Life timeline

Key updates and milestone events tied to Xue Xue.

3 updates

2014 (2)

Death Nov 23, 2014

Xue Xue Found Dead 42 Days After Release

Xue Xue (雪雪, sb850) was found dead in the Dahongshan area of Liziping Reserve, only 42 days after her release. Post-mortem analysis suggested a pathogenic bacterial infection as the likely cause — the first rewilded panda to die from disease rather than physical trauma.

Transfer Oct 14, 2014

Xue Xue Released into the Wild

Xue Xue (雪雪, sb850), the fourth captive-born panda released to the wild, walked out of her transport cage at Liziping Nature Reserve. She weighed 53.4 kg and had completed two years of mother-rearing rewilding training under Si Xue.

2012 (1)

Birth Aug 15, 2012

Birth of Xue Xue

Xue Xue (雪雪, sb850) was born at Wolong Hetaoping Base to mother Si Xue (思雪, sb625) and father Lu Lu (芦芦, sb503). She was the fourth panda selected for the second-phase rewilding program.

Knowledge graph

Family and network

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Father Mother Half-siblings (grouped)

Xue Bao #1117 Ying Xue #955

Xue Xue has 23 half-siblings. The majority share the same father, Lu Lu , indicating a highly prolific paternal lineage.

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Xue Xue (#850)

Start with the profile, then expand into the archive around this panda

Quick facts

Life story

Basic Profile

Wild Training

Release into the Wild

Death and Lessons Learned

Legacy

Life timeline

Xue Xue Found Dead 42 Days After Release

Xue Xue Released into the Wild

Birth of Xue Xue

Family and network

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Place journey

Wolong Hetaoping Base of China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda

Liziping Nature Reserve

Wild (Sichuan)

Current location

Archive paths

Mentioned in archive reading

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