He He

Basic Profile

He He (Chinese: 和和, studbook number 1142) is a male giant panda born on July 25, 2018 at the CCRCGP Hetaoping Base in Wolong, Sichuan.

His mother is Cao Cao (草草, sb581) — the wild-rescued pioneer of the wild breeding program. His twin sister is Mei Mei (美美, sb1143).

Naming

He He was named after the character “和和” from the CCTV animated series “Panda and Little Mole” (熊猫和小鼹鼠). The name was officially announced on December 26, 2018, alongside his sister’s name.

The Wild Breeding Program

How It Works

The wild breeding introduction (野外引种) program releases carefully selected captive female pandas into the forest during estrus, allowing them to mate naturally with wild male pandas. This introduces fresh wild genes into the captive population, addressing a key genetic diversity challenge.

Historic Birth

In early 2018, Cao Cao was released into the Wolong forest during her estrus period, where she successfully mated with an unidentified wild male. Six months later, on July 25, 2018, she gave birth to He He and Mei Mei — the first surviving twin cubs ever produced through this method anywhere in the world.

The birth was a landmark achievement for the China Conservation and Research Center, proving that:

1. Captive female pandas could successfully mate with wild males
2. The resulting cubs could be born healthy and survive
3. The technique could introduce new genetic material to the captive population

Guinness World Record

In July 2021, He He and Mei Mei were officially inducted into the Guinness World Records Hall of Fame as the “first surviving giant panda twins born through wild breeding introduction.” On March 16, 2023, the record was also published in the special Chinese edition: “China Pride — Guinness World Records China Special Edition.”

Current Status

He He currently lives at the CCRCGP Wolong Shenshuping Base. In 2025, the center released multiple videos and photos of He He, documenting his life and maintaining public engagement with this historic panda.