Pan Pan

Basic Profile

Pan Pan (Chinese: 盼盼, “Hope”), studbook number 308, was a male giant panda born in 1985 in the wild of Baoxing County, Sichuan Province (宝兴县). In 1986, he was rescued by the Fengtongzhai Nature Reserve (蜂桶寨自然保护区), found covered in skin lesions. After careful nursing by keepers, he recovered and was named “Pan Pan” (盼盼), meaning “Hope.”

Born to two wild pandas of unknown origin (recorded as studbook 9999), Pan Pan would go on to become the most important breeding male in the history of captive giant panda conservation.

Life Journey

Rescue and Early Life (1985-1991)

Born in the mountains of Baoxing in 1985, Pan Pan was discovered in the wild in 1986 in poor condition — his body covered in sores. He was brought to the Fengtongzhai Giant Panda Reserve for treatment. Under dedicated care, he gradually regained health and grew strong.

In March 1991, he was transferred to the Wolong Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas (中国大熊猫保护研究中心卧龙基地). Always energetic and spirited, he became the center’s star breeding male.

The First Hand-Reared Cub (1991)

On September 7, 1991, Pan Pan and female Dong Dong (冬冬) produced twin daughters: Bai Yun (白云) and Lü Di (绿地). Bai Yun was the first giant panda cub successfully hand-reared from birth at Wolong Base, marking a breakthrough in captive panda breeding. (Lü Di died in March 1992; Bai Yun returned to Sichuan in 2019 after 23 years in the US.)

Peak Breeding Years (1992-2003)

Pan Pan’s breeding output was extraordinary. His offspring, born across multiple years, included:

Year	Mate	Offspring
1992-09-02	Dong Dong (冬冬)	Son Da Di (大地) — died 2020-08-27
1992-09-24	Jia Jia (佳佳)	Son Jia Lin (佳林) — died 1993-07-21
1993-09-19	Dong Dong (冬冬)	Son Xi Meng (希梦)
1994-10-05	Jia Jia (佳佳)	Son Di Di (迪迪) — died 2022-07-12
1995-08-16	Yong Ba (永巴)	Daughter Fei Fei (妃妃)
1995-09-14	Jia Jia (佳佳)	Son Xing Xing (兴兴) — died 2010-09-09 in Japan
1996-08-12	Yong Ba (永巴)	Daughter Jin Zhu (锦竹) — died 2014 at Wolong
1997-08-27	Yong Ba (永巴)	Son Tian Tian (添添) — US National Zoo, returned 2023-11-09
1998	Dong Dong (冬冬)	Son Ding Ding (丁丁)
1998-08-13	Yong Ba (永巴)	Daughter Qian Qian (茜茜)
1999-09-05	Xue Xue (雪雪)	Son Peng Peng (鹏鹏) — died 2017-12-17
1999-09-25	Tang Tang (唐唐)	Son Gu Gu (古古) — died 2025-01-16
2000-08-18	Lei Lei (雷雷)	Daughter Long Xin (龙欣)
2001-08-25	Tang Tang (唐唐)	Twins Lin Yang (林阳, son) and Lin Hui (林惠, daughter) — Lin Hui died 2023-04-19 in Thailand
2003-08-14	Long Gu/Quan Quan (龙古/泉泉)	Twins Yang Guang (阳光, son) and Xin Yue (新月, daughter) — Yang Guang returned from Scotland 2023-12-05

Exhibition Years (2007-2013)

After retiring from the breeding program, Pan Pan traveled to several zoos across China, bringing joy to the public:

Period	Location
2007-09-20	Wenzhou Zoo, Zhejiang
2008-09-23	Zunyi Zoo, Guizhou
2012-06-29	Dujiangyan Base, Sichuan
2013-06-24	Emeishan Xianzhi Zhujian Panda Eco-Park
2013-08-07	Returned to Dujiangyan Base

Later Years and Livestream Fame (2015-2016)

In early 2015, the iPanda Channel (熊猫频道) began livestreaming from Dujiangyan Base. At age 30, Pan Pan became an online sensation, charming fans with his calm demeanor and gentle nature under the live camera. The “Pan Pan family” (盼系家族) gained a devoted following.

On September 21, 2015, Pan Pan celebrated his 30th birthday — equivalent to 100 human years — making him the oldest living captive male giant panda at the time.

The Hero Father

Pan Pan’s genetic legacy is unprecedented among captive male pandas:

• Over 130 confirmed descendants — more than any other recorded male
• ~25% of the global captive population can trace their lineage to him
• His 8 sons: Da Di, Xi Meng, Di Di, Xing Xing, Tian Tian, Ding Ding, Peng Peng, Gu Gu, Lin Yang, Yang Guang
• His 8 daughters: Bai Yun, Lü Di, Fei Fei, Jin Zhu, Qian Qian, Long Xin, Lin Hui, Xin Yue

Known for his gentle temperament and unusually high fertility, Pan Pan was the ideal breeding male. His genes now flow through facilities across China, the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Notable Descendants

Bai Yun (白云) — The first hand-reared cub at Wolong, she lived at San Diego Zoo from 1996 to 2019, producing six cubs (including Hua Mei, Mei Sheng, Su Lin, Zhen Zhen, Yun Zi, Xiao Li Wu). She returned to China in 2019 at age 27.

Tian Tian (添添) — Sent to the US National Zoo in 2000 as a “China-US friendship ambassador” with Mei Xiang, he fathered Tai Shan, Bao Bao, Bei Bei, and Xiao Qi Ji. The family was enormously popular in Washington DC.

Xiang Xiang (祥祥, grandson) — Born 2001-08-25, became the world’s first panda released into the wild under the Wolong rewilding program on 2006-04-28.

Tuan Tuan (团团, grandson) — Sent to Taiwan with Yuan Yuan as a gift, carrying the hopes of cross-strait relations. Yuan Zai (圆仔, born 2013) represents the fifth generation of Pan Pan’s lineage.

Tai Shan (泰山, grandson) — Born at US National Zoo in 2005, he became a media star, with the US public petitioning twice to extend his stay by 2.5 years. He returned to China in 2010.

Hua Mei (华美, granddaughter) — Born at San Diego Zoo in 1999, named by Chinese Ambassador to the US Li Zhaoxing symbolizing China-US friendship. She returned to China in 2004 as the first overseas-born panda to come back to China, later living at Shanghai Wildlife Park.

Health Decline and Death

In his final years, Pan Pan’s health gradually declined. He suffered from age-related conditions including severe dental wear, cataracts, and weakened immunity.

In June 2016, he was diagnosed with perianal squamous cell carcinoma (肛周鳞状细胞癌). He was moved to a quieter, non-public监护兽舍 for specialized geriatric care.

In November 2016, a significant increase in abdominal girth was detected. Examination revealed a large, dense soft-tissue mass suspected to be a tumor. The veterinary team, in consultation with oncologists, opted for a “live with tumor” conservative treatment approach.

On December 25, 2016, Pan Pan’s condition deteriorated sharply — he lost consciousness and could no longer eat or move.

On December 28, 2016, at 4:50 AM, Pan Pan died at the Dujiangyan Base at approximately 31 years of age — equivalent to over 100 human years and making him the world’s longest-lived captive male giant panda.

His death was widely mourned across the global conservation community. No single male has matched his reproductive impact, and his genetic legacy continues to shape the captive panda population today — a true “Hero Father” (英雄父亲).