Su Lin

Basic Profile

Su Lin (Chinese name: 苏琳, studbook number 603) is a female giant panda born on August 2, 2005 at the San Diego Zoo in San Diego, California, USA. She is the third cub of Bai Yun (白云, studbook 371) and Gao Gao (高高, studbook 415), following older siblings Hua Mei (华美, studbook 487) and Mei Sheng (美生, studbook 563).

Name and Significance

Su Lin was named in honor of the first giant panda ever brought to the United States — Su Lin (studbook 001), the cub captured in Sichuan in 1936 by Ruth Harkness. This naming connected the 2005 cub to the historic legacy of giant panda conservation and international cooperation.

Early Life at San Diego

Su Lin spent her first year at the San Diego Zoo under the attentive care of her mother Bai Yun, who was an experienced mother having already raised Hua Mei and Mei Sheng. Zoo staff monitored her developmental milestones closely, from her first bamboo nibbles to her early climbing attempts, sharing regular updates with a global audience of panda enthusiasts.

Return to China

On August 2, 2006, her first birthday, Su Lin was transferred to the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong, Sichuan, in accordance with the Sino-US breeding loan agreement that requires all cubs born abroad to return to China. She was among the first cohort of overseas-born pandas to join the center’s ex-situ conservation breeding program.

Life at the Conservation Center

At the China Conservation and Research Center, Su Lin has participated in the captive breeding program, contributing to the genetic diversity of the ex-situ population. She exhibits typical giant panda behaviors, spending the majority of her day foraging on bamboo. Her role in the breeding program supports the long-term conservation goal of maintaining a healthy, genetically diverse captive population.