Xiao He Tao

Basic Profile

Xiao He Tao (Chinese: 小核桃, “Little Walnut”), studbook number 1019, is a female giant panda born on July 30, 2016 at the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas (CCRCGP) Hetaoping Base. Her mother is Zhuang Mei (壮妹) and her father is Wu Yang (武阳). Her twin sister is Chu Xin (初心, studbook 1020) , who now lives at Suzhou Wildlife Park.

Successful Rewilding

Training (2017–2018)

In December 2017, Xiao He Tao and her mother entered Phase 2 of the wild training program at the Tiantai Mountain area in Wolong. Researchers monitored them via GPS radio collars. Over the following year, she learned foraging, predator avoidance, and territorial skills.

Release (December 2018)

On December 17, 2018, Xiao He Tao was released into the Longxi-Hongkou National Nature Reserve in Dujiangyan — the first captive-born panda to be rewilded within Chengdu’s jurisdiction.

Post-Release Monitoring (2021)

In November 2021, an infrared camera in the Dujiangyan State Forest Farm captured footage of a wild panda. Researchers collected feces from the area and performed DNA analysis, which confirmed the individual was Xiao He Tao — healthy,圆润, and thriving in the wild.

Her survival marks a rare and significant milestone in panda rewilding efforts.