Xi Xi

Xi Xi is a male giant panda born on 1 January 1990 in the wild of Sichuan Province, China. He was rescued as an orphaned cub by wildlife workers and transferred to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding shortly after birth, where he received captive care for the rest of his life. His studbook number registered with the International Union for Conservation of Nature is 596. He is the offspring of two unidentified wild giant pandas native to the Min Mountains, a major giant panda habitat in southern China. No formal genetic records of his extended lineage were collected during his early life, due to his wild birth. Currently living at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu, Sichuan, he participates in the base’s public education and captive breeding programs for giant pandas. He was a popular exhibit animal for visitors from across China and abroad, and sired three cubs during his time in the captive breeding program. As a wild-born giant panda integrated into captive management, Xi Xi contributed valuable genetic diversity to the captive giant panda population. He was known for his calm, gentle temperament around keepers and visitors. His life helped researchers improve protocols for rescuing and rehabilitating orphaned wild giant panda cubs, supporting long-term conservation efforts for the species across China.