Liu Liu

Basic Profile

Liu Liu (Chinese: 溜溜) was a female giant panda born on October 11, 2019 at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Her mother was Xiao Ya Tou (小丫头) and her twin brother was Shun Shun (顺顺). She weighed 131.4 grams at birth.

The Tragic Loss

On April 26, 2020, when Liu Liu was just over 6 months old, she and Shun Shun both stopped eating and developed acute diarrhea. Keepers immediately isolated them and began standard anti-infection and nutritional support treatment.

Both cubs suffered a severe allergic reaction to the medication:

• Eyes protruding outward
• Severe tongue swelling and cyanosis (turning blue), blocking the airway
• Oral mucosa swelling
• Anal edema and eversion
• Respiratory arrest

Veterinarians performed emergency tracheal intubation and anti-allergy treatment. The cubs survived the initial crisis but could no longer eat normally, requiring total parenteral nutrition (IV feeding). Over the following weeks, they experienced repeated, increasingly severe allergic reactions. The Chengdu Base brought in multiple specialists from top-tier hospitals for consultations.

Despite 24-hour care, Liu Liu died from multi-organ failure on May 11, 2020. Her brother Shun Shun followed on May 20.

The base issued a detailed public statement explaining the medical circumstances, emphasizing that the allergic reactions were unpredictable and unpreventable with available medical knowledge.