Xiao Ya

Xiao Ya is a female giant panda born on 2012-07-28 at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda. She is listed as studbook number 846 in the global giant panda breeding registry maintained by the center’s conservation program. This captive-bred individual represents a generation of giant pandas managed for long-term species survival. She is the offspring of Pan Pan, studbook 730, and Tang Jia, studbook 724. Both of her parents are established captive giant pandas that have contributed to the China Conservation and Research Center’s breeding program. Her lineage traces to wild giant panda populations native to Sichuan province, supporting genetic diversity in the captive population. Currently living at the China Conservation and Research Center’s Wolong Base in Sichuan, China, she participates in the center’s coordinated captive breeding and public education initiatives. Her enclosure is part of the center’s research habitat, which allows researchers to monitor giant panda behavior and reproductive biology. The center is a leading institution for giant panda conservation, hosting dozens of captive individuals for research and outreach. Xiao Ya displays typical giant panda foraging traits, spending up to 12 hours daily consuming bamboo. She is featured in occasional public education programs at the Wolong Base, introducing visitors to giant panda ecology. As a genetically valuable captive individual, she contributes to the overall genetic diversity of the global captive giant panda population, supporting ongoing conservation efforts that have upgraded the species from Endangered to Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.