Lei Lei

Basic Profile

Lei Lei (Chinese: 雷雷, studbook number 374) was a female giant panda born in the wild of Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan around 1989. She was rescued in the winter of 1992 in Leibo County — the southernmost range of giant panda habitat — and brought to the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) at Wolong.

Her name “雷雷” derives from both her rescue location (Leibo County/雷波) and the surname of the caretaker who nursed her back to health — a rare honor for a wild-born panda, most of whom received only numerical designations.

Rescue & Amputation

In the winter of 1992, Lei Lei was found by local villagers in the Mamize Nature Reserve of Leibo County. She was emaciated and severely injured — a bamboo splinter had pierced her left front paw, causing a life-threatening infection. She was likely only in her first winter away from her mother and unable to fend for herself.

Rushed to the CCRCGP for emergency treatment, veterinarians determined that amputation of the infected paw was the only option to save her life. The surgery was successful, but it left her permanently disabled — a unique challenge for a future breeding female who would need to hold and nurse cubs.

The “Heroic Mother”

Lei Lei reached sexual maturity in the mid-1990s but suffered from false pregnancies for six consecutive years (1994–1999). Despite annual mating and fertilization, no cubs survived to term. Scientists eventually diagnosed hormonal imbalances and began treatment.

Finally, in 2000, at approximately 11 years old, Lei Lei gave birth to her first cub — Long Xin (龙欣, sb516). From 2000 to 2005, she produced 5 litters with all 5 cubs surviving to adulthood — a perfect record:

• Long Xin (龙欣, sb516, female, b. 2000-08-18) — herself a prolific mother of 13+
• Zhu Yun (竹韵, sb549, female, b. 2002)
• Na Na (娜娜, sb588, female, b. 2004?)
• Yuan Yuan (圆圆, sb587, female, b. 2004-08-31) — sent to Taipei Zoo in 2008
• You You (友友, sb656?, male, b. 2005)

Her motherhood was extraordinary given her physical limitation. With only one front paw, Lei Lei learned to:

• Cradle her cub with her remaining paw while balancing on three legs
• Use her mouth to reposition and retrieve cubs
• Eat with keepers hand-feeding her while she held her cub

Keepers described her as one of the most attentive and capable mothers in the program. Her cubs were never lost to accident despite her disability.

Legacy as “Grandma Lei” (雷外婆)

Lei Lei’s descendants extended her legacy far beyond her immediate offspring. Through her daughter Long Xin and granddaughter’s line, she is:

• Grandmother of Yuan Xin (园欣/Le Bao, sb841) — sent to Everland, Korea
• Great-grandmother of Fu Bao (福宝) — Korea’s first-born panda and international celebrity

Through another branch, her daughter Yuan Yuan was sent to Taipei Zoo in December 2008 as a gift from mainland China, becoming one of the most politically and culturally significant pandas in the world.

Fan communities affectionately called her “雷外婆” (Grandma Lei) — celebrating her as the matriarch of a vast international panda family.

Final Years

As Lei Lei entered her late 20s, she developed age-related health issues including cataracts and reduced mobility. She was cared for by a dedicated keeper nicknamed “Nanny Liu” (刘奶妈) — the same keeper who had cared for her decades earlier.

In June 2020, Lei Lei experienced her first epileptic seizure. The frequency increased through August. By September, she had lost the ability to move or eat independently despite round-the-clock veterinary care.

On September 9, 2020, Lei Lei suffered a prolonged series of seizures leading to respiratory and circulatory failure. At approximately 31 years old — equivalent to a human centenarian — she passed away at the CCRCGP. Her death was widely mourned across Chinese social media, with fans and conservationists paying tribute to the heroic one-pawed mother who overcame every obstacle.