Da Shuang

Da Shuang is a female giant panda born on September 7, 1996 at Chongqing Zoo. Her official studbook number is 1286, and she remained a permanent resident of her birth institution throughout her entire lifespan. This giant panda is one of the well-documented captive individuals managed under China’s national giant panda captive breeding program. She is the offspring of Xiong Ke and Niu Niu. Xiong Ke and Niu Niu were both adult captive giant pandas held at Chongqing Zoo during the 1990s, and they contributed multiple offspring to the early regional captive breeding network for the species. Currently living at Chongqing Zoo, he/she participates in the institution’s public education and captive breeding programs for giant pandas. Chongqing Zoo, located in Chongqing, China, is one of the oldest zoos in the country participating in giant panda conservation outreach to domestic and international visitors. As a docile, adaptable captive giant panda, Da Shuang was a popular fixture in visitor programming at Chongqing Zoo, helping introduce millions of guests to giant panda ecology. She contributed to early research on captive giant panda reproduction, supporting the long-term goal of sustaining a genetically diverse healthy captive population for the species.