Ba Xi

Basic Profile

Ba Xi (Chinese: 八喜, “Eight Joys”, studbook number 956) is a male giant panda born on July 26, 2015 at the Wolong Hetaoping Wild Training Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP).

His mother is Xi Mei (喜妹, sb511), a highly capable mother from the famous Wolong breeding line. His father is Lu Lu (芦芦, sb503), a wild-born male with strong wild genetics. His siblings include the famous rewilded panda Tao Tao (淘淘, sb777), making rewilding a family tradition.

Wild Training

Ba Xi was selected alongside Ying Xue (映雪, sb955) for the center’s rewilding program. Both pandas underwent two-stage mother-rearing wild training at the Tiantai Mountain training base (elevation 2,500-2,700m), a 1-square-kilometer semi-wild enclosure with abundant bamboo and natural shelters.

Under his mother Xi Mei’s guidance, Ba Xi learned:

• Independent foraging for wild bamboo species
• Finding and drinking from natural water sources
• Building and selecting natural dens in tree hollows and rock crevices
• Recognizing and avoiding predators and humans
• Navigating steep, forested terrain

Release into the Wild

On November 23, 2017, Ba Xi was released alongside Ying Xue (映雪) into the Liziping Nature Reserve in Shimian County, Ya’an, Sichuan. This marked China’s second simultaneous dual-panda release, following Hua Yan and Zhang Meng in 2016.

Ba Xi weighed 65 kg and measured 107 cm at the time of release. Both pandas were fitted with GPS tracking collars for post-release monitoring.

Post-Release

Survival Tracking

In April 2018, radio tracking data confirmed Ba Xi was still alive and active in the wild, having adapted well to the natural environment. His GPS signals showed him moving within a suitable home range with adequate bamboo resources.

Ba Xi’s successful adaptation, alongside Ying Xue’s, demonstrated that the dual-release strategy could be effective for the rewilding program.