Cai Tao
彩陶
16 years old
indonesia_zoo
Cai Tao (彩陶, studbook #778) is a male giant panda born on August 4, 2010 at the Ya'an Bifengxia Base. In September 2017,...
captive-bred indonesia overseas
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YUA
Panda archive
Yuan Yuan (#488)
园园
alive male
Born August 23, 1999
Yuan Yuan (园园), studbook #488, is a male giant panda born on August 23, 1999, at Beijing Zoo. He is the son of Liang Liang (良良) and Yong Yong (永永). In 2001, he traveled to Moscow Zoo, becoming one of the first pandas to live in Russia. After returning to China in 2004, he was transferred to Wolong as part of a panda exchange program. In 2019, he traveled to Vienna's Schönbrunn Zoo for a four-year research cooperation. He returned to China in September 2024 and currently resides at the Dujiangyan Base. Yuan Yuan is a prolific sire, fathering multiple cubs including Jia Jia (Hue Bao, 沪宝).
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This page brings together the core facts, timeline, family graph, media, place journey, and related reading for Yuan Yuan.
Profile snapshot
Quick facts
Birth date
August 23, 1999
Birth place
Beijing Zoo
Current location
China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda Dujiangyan Base
Status
Alive
Studbook
#488Archive activity
4 updates · 0 media
Narrative
Life story
Start with a concise summary, then continue into the full narrative record for Yuan Yuan.
Short version
Yuan Yuan (园园), studbook #488, is a male giant panda born on August 23, 1999, at Beijing Zoo. He is the son of Liang Liang (良良) and Yong Yong (永永). In 2001, he traveled to Moscow Zoo, becoming one of the first pandas to live in Russia. After returning to China in 2004, he was transferred to Wolong as part of a panda exchange program. In 2019, he traveled to Vienna's Schönbrunn Zoo for a four-year research cooperation. He returned to China in September 2024 and currently resides at the Dujiangyan Base. Yuan Yuan is a prolific sire, fathering multiple cubs including Jia Jia (Hue Bao, 沪宝).
Basic Profile
Yuan Yuan (Chinese: 园园) is a male giant panda born on August 23, 1999, at Beijing Zoo. He holds the global studbook number 488. His parents are Liang Liang (良良, studbook 253) and Yong Yong (永永, studbook 245), making him a brother of Ying Ying (迎迎, studbook 369) and Yong Ming (永明, studbook 329).
Moscow: First Panda in Russia
On July 13, 2001, Yuan Yuan was sent to Moscow Zoo, becoming one of the first giant pandas to live in Russia. He spent three years there before returning to China.
Domestic Exchange Program
In October 2004, China’s National Forestry Bureau initiated a panda exchange program between Beijing Zoo and Wolong to maintain genetic diversity. Under this agreement, Yuan Yuan and Ying Ying (迎迎) were transferred to Wolong’s Hetaoping Base. In exchange, Wolong sent Da Di (大地) and Gu Gu (古古) to Beijing Zoo. Yuan Yuan was initially expected to stay at Wolong for 15 years.
Relocations
- 2004-10: Transferred to Wolong Hetaoping Base
- 2008-05-07: Moved to Ya’an Bifengxia Base
- 2011-08-06: Returned to Beijing Zoo
- 2015-06-24: Moved to Dujiangyan Base
Journey to Austria
On April 15, 2019, Yuan Yuan departed for Vienna’s Schönbrunn Tiergarten in Austria for a four-year research cooperation alongside Yang Yang (阳阳), who had already been living in Austria. This was a renewal of the Sino-Austrian panda cooperation agreement. Chinese experts accompanied the pandas to assist with health assessments.
On May 20, 2019, Yuan Yuan made his public debut at Schönbrunn Zoo.
Return to China
In September 2024, as the cooperation agreement concluded, Yuan Yuan and Yang Yang returned to China, arriving safely in Chengdu on September 14. Yuan Yuan currently resides at the Dujiangyan Base of the China Conservation and Research Center.
Offspring
Yuan Yuan is a prolific sire with many offspring, including:
- Yuan Xin (园欣): Son who became Le Bao (乐宝) in South Korea
- Hu Bao (沪宝/Jia Jia): Daughter, now in Singapore
- Min Min (闽闽): Daughter
- Pu Pu (浦浦): Son
- Hua Bao (华豹): Son
- Xing Ya (星雅): Son
- Shan Hu (山虎): Son
- Xin Yuan (新媛): Daughter
- Xing An (星安, #880): Daughter
- Fa Fa (发发): Daughter
His descendants include third-generation pandas such as Fu Bao (福宝, at Everland, Korea), Fan Xing (梵星), and Le Le (叻叻, Singapore-born).
Evidence
Life timeline
Key updates and milestone events tied to Yuan Yuan.
2024 (1)
2019 (1)
Knowledge graph
Family and network
See the core family graph first, then continue through related pandas and archive themes.
Children
Showing all 9 known offspring
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Why these profiles appear here
1
Cai Tao
Offspring: Cai Tao
2
Ei Mei
Same mother (SB 245)
3
Fa Fa
Offspring: Fa Fa
4
Hua Bao
Offspring: Hua Bao
Gallery
Media gallery
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Connected archive
Follow this profile into places, articles, and related pandas
This is the next layer around the profile: place journey, current geography, reading context, and nearby panda records.
Place journey
Beijing Zoo
Birth placeBeijing, China
1999 to 2001
Zoo
Moscow Zoo
Yuan Yuan Transferred to Moscow ZooMoscow, Russia
2001 to 2019
Zoo
Tiergarten Schönbrunn
Yuan Yuan Arrives in AustriaVienna, Austria
2019 to 2024
Zoo
Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
Yuan Yuan Returns to ChinaChengdu, China
2024 to present
Breeding center
China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda Dujiangyan Base
Current residenceDujiangyan, China
2024 to present
Breeding center
Current location
China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda Dujiangyan Base
Dujiangyan, China
Yuan Yuan is currently linked to China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda Dujiangyan Base.
Mentioned in archive reading
culture
Where Pandas Live: The Complete Global Distribution Guide
The giant panda diaspora spans 58 locations across continents — from the misty bamboo forests of Sichuan to climate-controlled enclosures in Singapore, from mountain reserves that shelter free-ranging pandas to urban zoos that host celebrities. This article provides the definitive guide to panda geography: where they live, why they're there, what the distribution reveals about conservation history, and how the map has changed from 1869 to today.
culture
80 Years of Panda Diplomacy: From Wartime Gifts to Global Research Loans
Trace the transformation of giant panda diplomacy from 1941, when Soong Mei-ling gifted the first pandas to America, through the landmark 1972 Nixon-era exchange, to today's international research loan agreements that channel millions of dollars annually into wild habitat conservation. This is the untold story of how a reclusive mountain bear became the world's most powerful diplomatic animal.
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Behind Every Name: The Art and Meaning of Naming Giant Pandas
From 'Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan' (symbolizing reunion) to 'Fu Bao' (lucky treasure), every giant panda name carries layers of cultural meaning, political significance, and public sentiment. This article explores the naming traditions, the global naming contests, and how panda nicknames — like Hua Hua's 'Guo Lai' — have become a unique form of modern Chinese internet folk culture.
nature
Feeding Pandas Across Europe: The Transnational Bamboo Supply Chain
Every panda in a European zoo eats 12-38 kilograms of fresh bamboo daily — none of which grows naturally in European forests. This article traces the hidden logistics infrastructure: dedicated plantations in southern France, weekly refrigerated truck deliveries crossing borders, the economics of panda food, and the emergency networks that keep pandas fed when supply chains break.
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Sources and references
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Primary source types
- Conservation institution records
- Official panda databases
- Research publications and archive reporting
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