Ya Zhu

Basic Profile

Ya Zhu (Chinese: 雅竹, studbook number 997) is a female giant panda born on June 20, 2016 at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. She and her twin sister Ya Yun (雅韵) were the first litter of mother Ya Li (雅莉).

Nicknamed “Ya Zhu Zhu” (雅猪猪) — a playful pun on her name meaning “elegant piggy” — for her hearty appetite and chubby build.

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Appearance and Personality

Ya Zhu is highly recognizable among the 2016 cohort thanks to her large ears, long eye circles, and short, thick snout. She is described as honest,憨厚 (good-natured), and a bit of a “people-fan” (人来疯) — she gets excited around visitors.

She loves to eat and sleep, and together with her sister, has consistently ranked at the top of the weight charts among their age group.

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Life at Chengdu Base

Ya Zhu’s early years involved several moves:

1. Sun Nursery (太阳产房): Born and raised initially
2. Moon Nursery (月亮产房): Moved with sister for合班 (group integration)
3. Villa No. 1 (一号别墅): Final home, sharing space with three同龄 pandas: Yuan Yue (园月), Wen Wen (文文), and Cheng Shi (成实)

Keepers provide fresh bamboo daily, primarily bitter bamboo (苦竹) leaves and stalks.

2nd Birthday

On June 20, 2018, Ya Zhu and Ya Yun celebrated their 2nd birthday at Villa No. 1. The keepers prepared fresh bamboo and the twins enjoyed a morning breakfast互动 with keepers using small apples as incentives.

4th Birthday

In 2020, Ya Zhu’s 4th birthday was celebrated with a small apple lure activity, where she demonstrated her抓取 (grasping) skills and led Wen Wen and Ya Yun in a breakfast互动.