ZHE

Panda archive

Zhen Zhen (#694)

珍珍

alive female Born August 3, 2007

Zhen Zhen (珍珍, studbook #694) is a female giant panda born August 3, 2007 at the San Diego Zoo — the third cub of Bai Yun and Gao Gao. Her name, meaning "precious," won a national US vote with 50,000 ballots. She returned to China in 2010 and has produced 8 cubs. In 2018, she made headlines by wandering into a Sichuan village during a wild breeding experiment, inspecting an excavator and a farmer's pantry.

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

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Profile snapshot

Quick facts

Birth date

August 3, 2007

Birth place

San Diego Zoo

Current location

China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda

Status

Alive

Studbook

#694

Archive activity

1 update · 0 media

Narrative

Life story

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Short version

Basic Profile

Zhen Zhen (Chinese: 珍珍, “Precious”), studbook number 694, is a female giant panda born on August 3, 2007 at the San Diego Zoo in California, USA. She is the third cub of Bai Yun (白云) and Gao Gao (高高) — one of the most successful breeding pairs in panda conservation history.

Naming (2007)

The San Diego Zoo launched a national naming contest across the United States, narrowing the entries to four finalists. “Zhen Zhen” won with over 50,000 votes — meaning “precious” or “valuable.” She made her limited public debut on December 21, 2007 at 20 weeks old, appearing for just two hours daily (9-11 AM) to minimize stress.

Siblings

Zhen Zhen’s siblings through Bai Yun and Gao Gao include: Hua Mei (华美), Mei Sheng (美生), Su Lin (苏琳), Yun Zi (云子), and Xiao Liwu (小礼物).

Return to China (2010)

On September 26, 2010, Zhen Zhen arrived in China after a 30-hour journey. She underwent a month-long quarantine at the Ya’an Bifengxia Base before settling at CCRCGP.

The Wild Breeding Experiment (2018)

In 2018, Zhen Zhen was selected for a groundbreaking program: 野外引种 (wild breeding introduction) — releasing a captive-born female into the forest to mate with wild pandas and introduce new genetics to the captive population.

On March 5, she was transferred to the Tiantai Mountain area of Wolong Nature Reserve. For two months, she adapted to the wild environment while researchers tracked her via GPS collar and radio signals. In early May, she entered estrus and began roaming widely.

On May 30, Zhen Zhen made international headlines: she walked out of the forest and into Bogao Village, Wenchuan County, where she calmly inspected a villager’s house, examined an excavator, and helped herself to some food. The video went viral — a collared panda appearing perfectly at ease in a human settlement.

Researchers safely recovered her the next day. While it could not be confirmed whether she had successfully mated with a wild panda, the experiment was considered a valuable first step. She did not produce cubs from the encounter.

Offspring

Zhen Zhen has given birth to 8 cubs:

Name	Studbook	Birth	Notes
Tuan Zi (团子)	967	2015-08-08	Female; at Nanjing Ziqinghu
Chun Qiao (春俏)	968	2015-08-08	Female; at Yangzhou Expo
Xin Xin (新新)	1089	2017-07-30	Male; at Jiuzhaigou
Xing An (兴安)	1090	2017-07-30	Male; at Fenghuang, Hunan
Yun Chuan (云川)	1193	2019-07-28	Male; to San Diego Zoo, 2024
Zhen Lan (珍兰)	—	2021-07-17	Male twin
Sheng Lan (胜兰)	—	2021-07-17	Male twin
Jin Hui (金辉)	—	2024-07-29	Male

Her son Yun Chuan (originally called Chuan Chuan/川川) was selected alongside Xin Bao (鑫宝) to travel to the San Diego Zoo in June 2024 — returning to the very zoo where Zhen Zhen was born, marking a full-circle moment in panda conservation.

Evidence

Life timeline

Key updates and milestone events tied to Zhen Zhen.

1 update

2007 (1)

Birth Aug 3, 2007

Birth of Zhen Zhen

Zhen Zhen was born at San Diego Zoo, named by US public vote.

Knowledge graph

Family and network

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Father Mother Full siblings Half-siblings (grouped)

Full siblings 6 same father & mother

Mei Sheng #563 Su Lin #603 Su Lin #596 Xiao Liwu #851 Yun Zi #749 Zhen Zhen #696

Gong Zhu #477 Hua Mei #487 Long Hui #526

Zhen Zhen has 6 full siblings and 3 half-siblings. The majority share the same mother, Bai Yun .

Related profiles

Other pandas connected to Zhen Zhen

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Bai Yun

白云

Alive

35 years old

dujiangyan_base

Bai Yun (白云, "White Cloud"), studbook #371, is a female giant panda born September 7, 1991 at Wolong Hetaoping Base. She...

Zhen Zhen (#694)

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

Quick facts

Life story

Basic Profile

Naming (2007)

Siblings

Return to China (2010)

The Wild Breeding Experiment (2018)

Offspring

Life timeline

Birth of Zhen Zhen

Family and network

Other pandas connected to Zhen Zhen

Bai Yun

Gao Gao

Gong Zhu

Hua Mei

Long Hui

Mei Sheng

Su Lin

Su Lin

Xiao Liwu

Yun Zi

Zhen Zhen

A Bao

Er Shun

Fu Long

Hua Ao

Hua Long

Ji Li

Jin Xin

Jin Yi

Kai Kai

Ke Lin

Qing Feng

Shu Lin

Shu Rong

Shui Ling

Wu Jie

Wu Jun

Xiang Bing

Xin Ni'er

Xing Ya

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Place journey

San Diego Zoo

China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda

Current location

Archive paths

Mentioned in archive reading

San Diego's Frozen Zoo: Preserving Panda Genes for the Future

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