Ke Lin

Basic Profile

Field	Detail
Name	Ke Lin (科琳)
Studbook	#678
Gender	Female
Birth Date	August 13, 2007
Death Date	January 6, 2021 (14:15)
Birth Place	Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
Status	Deceased
Cause of Death	Glioblastoma multiforme (brain tumor)
Father	Ke Bi / Kobe (科比, #343)
Mother	Jiao Zi (娇子, #425)

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Family & Lineage

Siblings

Ke Lin came from the prestigious Jiao Zi lineage. Her siblings include:

Relation	Name	Notes
Older Brother	Xiao Jiao (小娇)	—
Older Brother	Jiao Yang (娇阳)	—
Older Brother	Jiao Xiao (娇小)	—
Older Sister	Da Jiao (大娇)	—
Younger Brother	Jiao Qing (娇庆)	—
Younger Sister	Miao Miao (淼淼)	—
Younger Sister	Sa Er (仨儿)	—
Younger Sister	Ya Yun (娅韵)	Studbook #796

Offspring

Cub	Studbook	Birth Date	Gender	Status
Olympia (奥林匹亚)	947	2015-06-22	Female	Alive
Fuwa (福娃)	—	2015-06-22	Female	Alive
Rong Yao (蓉耀)	—	2018-06-16	Male	Alive

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Life Journey

Birth and Early Years (2007–2009)

Ke Lin was born on August 13, 2007 at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Her father was the legendary Ke Bi (科比) — the panda personally named by IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch on the opening day of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Her mother was Jiao Zi (娇子), one of Chengdu’s most culturally significant pandas and the first panda in China to be socially adopted.

She inherited an extraordinary lineage, with her maternal grandparents being the famous Bing Bing (冰冰) and Lin Nan (林楠).

Anji Exhibition (2009–2012)

On October 21, 2009, a two-year-old Ke Lin was sent on a diplomatic exhibition to Anji Bamboo Expo Park (安吉竹博园) in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province — a facility famous for its bamboo forests and panda exhibits.

She spent over three years there, returning to the Chengdu Research Base on November 8, 2012.

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Mating and Motherhood

Learning to Mate (2013)

At age 5 in 2013, Ke Lin entered estrus but refused to mate naturally. In a creative intervention, keepers played panda mating videos to teach her the process. After this unconventional education, she successfully mated with male Yong Yong (勇勇) but did not become pregnant.

Artificial Insemination (2015)

In January 2015, Ke Lin underwent artificial insemination. The procedure was successful.

The Olympic Twins (2015-06-22)

On June 22, 2015, Ke Lin gave birth to female twin cubs — the first giant panda twins born globally in 2015. The cubs weighed 118 grams and 70 grams at birth.

Detail	First Cub	Second Cub
Name	Olympia (奥林匹亚)	Fuwa (福娃)
Birth Weight	118g	70g
Gender	Female	Female
Studbook	#947	—

Ke Lin proved to be an excellent mother, immediately cradling and nursing both cubs with strong maternal instincts.

Named by the IOC President

The naming of the twins became an international story. IOC President Thomas Bach personally submitted name entries, and the names “Olympia” (奥林匹亚) and “Fuwa” (福娃) were selected from over 3,000 public submissions. The names embodied the Olympic spirit and China’s hope for spreading it.

“Olympia and Fuwa — names that carry the Olympic spirit spreading across China.” — Thomas Bach, IOC President

Rong Yao (2018)

On June 16, 2018, Ke Lin gave birth to a male cub named Rong Yao (蓉耀). The labor was long — starting at 12:20 with her waters breaking, and the cub arriving at 17:53. Rong Yao weighed 161 grams at birth, was large and strong with a loud cry. Ke Lin again demonstrated strong maternal instincts, skillfully cradling and soothing her newborn.

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Tragic Death

Sudden Seizure (2021-01-03)

On January 3, 2021, Ke Lin was eating normally in her indoor enclosure when she suddenly collapsed and began convulsing. The Chengdu Base veterinary team immediately rushed to perform emergency treatment. Neurologists from top-tier hospitals were called in for consultation.

The initial diagnosis was intracranial lesion. During critical care, Ke Lin experienced nearly two hours of respiratory arrest and intermittent full-body rigidity that did not improve with treatment.

Final Moments

On January 6, 2021 at 14:15, Ke Lin experienced another respiratory arrest. Despite all efforts, she could not be revived. She was 13 years old.

Autopsy Results

A full necropsy was performed. On January 25, 2021, the pathological histology diagnosis was confirmed:

Cause of death: Glioblastoma multiforme (malignant brain tumor)

This was the first documented case of a fatal malignant nervous system tumor in captive giant panda history — a landmark case in panda veterinary medicine. The Chengdu Base published a detailed public statement on August 12, 2021 explaining the case, contributing invaluable data to panda neurology and oncology.

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Scientific Significance

Ke Lin’s life contributed to panda science in multiple ways:

Area	Contribution
Reproductive Education	Pioneered use of video training for mating behavior in reluctant pandas
Artificial Insemination	Successful AI leading to first twins of 2015
Olympic Diplomacy	Pandas named by IOC President — unique soft power案例
Neuro-oncology	First confirmed glioblastoma in captive panda, establishing diagnostic protocol

Legacy

Despite her relatively short life, Ke Lin left a lasting legacy. Her daughter Olympia was selected as a UNDP Clean Energy Ambassador for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, continuing the family’s tradition of diplomatic service. Ke Lin’s case also established critical veterinary knowledge about brain tumors in giant pandas, helping future generations receive better diagnosis and care.