Jin Bao

Basic Profile

Jin Bao (Chinese: 金宝, also known as Kang Ni/康尼), is a male giant panda born on August 9, 2019 at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. His mother is Zhao Mei (昭美), a wild panda rescued from Liangshan in 2014, and his father is Lou A Bao (楼阿宝), a wild panda from Shaanxi’s Louguantai.

Because both parents are wild-born and come from different subspecies — Sichuan and Shaanxi (Qinling) — Jin Bao carries rare mixed-blood genetics that make him scientifically valuable. Fans call him “The Crown Prince” (太子).

The Bun Hair Fame

In August 2021, photos of Jin Bao went viral on Weibo, generating 310 million reads and 19,000 discussions. His ears — covered in unusually fluffy,蓬松 (puffy) fur — looked like “丸头” (bun hairstyles) or “冲天辫” (skyward braids). Netizens compared him to Ne Zha with his hair buns untied, called him “the vagrant of the panda world” (熊猫界的犀利哥) and “the Mickey Mouse version of a panda.”

The hashtag trended nationally, with fans joking that he had “successfully made everyone forget what a normal panda looks like.”

Adoption

On March 25, 2021, Jin Bao was lifelong adopted by Difu Le Bio (迪辅乐生物) of Shanghai, renamed “Kang Ni” (康尼) in the adoption ceremony.

Personality

Jin Bao is described as active, mischievous, and athletic — he loves climbing high, splashing in pools, patrolling his territory, and eating bamboo. Despite his messy appearance, he is fastidious about grooming, regularly washing his face and bathing. He grew up playing with twin pandas Bao Ge and Bao Mei.