He Yu

Basic Profile

Field	Detail
Name	He Yu (和雨)
Studbook	#1029
Gender	Female
Birth Date	August 9, 2016
Birth Weight	152.8 g
Birth Place	Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
Current Location	Daxiangling Wild Release Research Base
Status	Alive
Father	Mei Lan (美兰, #649)
Mother	Cheng Gong (成功, #514, d. 2023)
Twin Brother	He Feng (和风, #1028)

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Family & Lineage

The “Cheng Gong” Dynasty

He Yu belongs to one of the most famous lineages at Chengdu Base. Her mother Cheng Gong (成功) is one of the most prolific and celebrated pandas, producing numerous famous offspring. Her father Mei Lan (美兰) — born in Atlanta, USA — is a globally recognized panda whose descendants include many of China’s most beloved pandas.

Siblings (Partial List)

Name	Studbook	Born	Notes
Gong Zai (功仔)	711	2008-07-26	Prototype for Po in Kung Fu Panda
He Qi (和琪)	821	2011-08-12	—
He Mei (和美)	822	2011-08-12	—
He Xing (和兴)	875	2013-07-23	At Xining Zoo since 2019
He Sheng (和盛)	876	2013-07-23	Died during wild training (2016)
He Feng (和风)	1028	2016-08-09	Twin brother, at Shanghai Zoo
He Yu (和雨)	1029	2016-08-09	This panda — in wild training
He Hua (和花)	1237	2020-07-04	Internet celebrity “Hua Hua”
He Ye (和叶)	1238	2020-07-04	Hua Hua’s companion

Additional siblings include: Qi Xi, Qi Qiao, Xing Chen, Ji Lan, Cheng Lan, Da Mei, Cheng Lang, Cheng Feng, Meng Bao, Meng Yu, Ji Xiao, Fu Duo Duo.

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Appearance

He Yu inherited her mother Cheng Gong’s distinctive narrow shoulder strap (细窄肩带). Her most recognizable features:

Feature	Description
Shoulder Strap	Narrow — a direct inheritance from Cheng Gong
Heels	White fur on her back heels, nicknamed “Holey Socks” (破洞袜子)
Leg Ring	A thin white ring on her lower leg

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Life Journey

Birth (2016-08-09)

He Yu was born on August 9, 2016 at the Chengdu Research Base’s Moon Nursery, weighing 152.8 grams. She arrived alongside her twin brother He Feng (和风) — the pair were the second litter born to Cheng Gong and Mei Lan, following earlier cubs He Xing and He Sheng.

The Wild Release Path

Unlike most of her siblings who went to zoos or stayed at the base, He Yu was selected for a unique and demanding mission: wild release training.

Phase 1: Dujiangyan Panda Valley (2017-04-06)

On April 6, 2017, He Yu was transferred to the Dujiangyan Panda Valley (熊猫谷) — the Chengdu Base’s semi-wild training facility. Here she began learning the fundamental skills needed for survival in the wild:

• Identifying edible bamboo species
• Natural foraging without keeper assistance
• Avoiding human contact
• Navigating complex terrain

She was trained using the “Human-Assisted Soft Release” (人工辅助软放归) method — a carefully phased approach that gradually reduces human intervention while monitoring the panda’s adaptation.

Phase 2: Daxiangling Wild Release Base (2018-12-06)

On December 6, 2018, He Yu and another candidate — Xing Chen (星辰) — were officially transferred to the Daxiangling Wild Release Research Base (大相岭野化放归研究基地) in Yingjing County, Sichuan.

This marked a major step forward. The Daxiangling base is a more natural, remote environment designed for the final stages of wild adaptation.

Achievements in Wild Training

By 2024, He Yu had achieved significant milestones:

Achievement	Details
Full Natural Food Conversion	Able to identify and consume wild bamboo species without supplementation
Independent Water Sourcing	Locates natural water sources without human guidance
Human Avoidance	Maintains distance from humans, essential for survival in the wild
Terrain Navigation	Comfortable moving through mountainous forest terrain

These accomplishments represent a rare success in panda wild release training, which has historically faced challenges with high mortality rates among released individuals.

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Scientific Significance

He Yu is one of a small number of captive-born pandas being trained for wild release as part of China’s giant panda rewilding program. The program aims to:

• Replenish isolated wild panda populations
• Increase genetic diversity in fragmented habitats
• Develop reliable protocols for captive-to-wild transitions

Her progress — particularly the full natural food conversion — provides valuable data for the next generation of wild release candidates.

The “Soft Release” Method

The human-assisted soft release method used with He Yu differs from the “hard release” approach (where pandas are simply released) by:

1. Gradual reduction of human contact over years
2. Natural environment training before final release
3. Ongoing monitoring (GPS collar, remote observation)
4. Intervention capability if health issues arise

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Current Status

As of 2026, He Yu continues her wild adaptation training at the Daxiangling Wild Release Research Base. She is not on public display. Her ultimate fate — whether she will be fully released into the wild — depends on her continued progress and the assessment of the research team.