Ru Yi

Basic Profile

Ru Yi (Chinese: 如意) is a male giant panda born on July 31, 2016, at the Ya’an Bifengxia Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas. He holds the global studbook number 1021.

His mother is Mei Qian (美茜) and his father is Jin Ke (津柯). He has siblings including Mu Yun (牧云), Hua Hong (华鸿), and Lin Xi (林溪).

---

Journey to Russia

On April 29, 2019, Ru Yi and Ding Ding departed for Moscow Zoo, beginning a 15-year Sino-Russian conservation research program. They arrived that evening at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport. On June 5, 2019, the Moscow Zoo panda house officially opened.

Weight Gain

Ru Yi arrived in Moscow weighing approximately 96 kg. By 2023, he had grown to 136 kg — a clear sign of excellent care and adaptation.

---

Fatherhood

In spring 2023, under the guidance of Chinese experts, Ru Yi and Ding Ding successfully mated for the first time. On August 24, 2023, Ding Ding gave birth to Katyusha (喀秋莎) — the first giant panda ever born in Russia.

---

Life at Moscow Zoo

Moscow Zoo created a state-of-the-art facility for the pandas, featuring:

• Two outdoor and two indoor exercise areas
• A food preparation room and bamboo保鲜 room
• Humidity control system (60-70%)
• Bamboo flown in from Sichuan, China
• Plans for a dedicated bamboo plantation in southern Russia

Ru Yi is described as active, agile, clever, and adventurous. He enjoys playing in his water pool, rolling on the ground, and even shutting doors behind him.

His birthday on July 31 is celebrated annually with special bamboo cakes. In 2025, the zoo launched “Panda Week” coinciding with his 9th birthday celebration.

In December 2025, a Chinese expert delegation visited Moscow Zoo and highly praised the living conditions of Ru Yi, Ding Ding, and Katyusha.