Yi Bao

Basic Profile

Yi Bao (Chinese: 依宝, studbook number 661) is a male giant panda rescued from the wild of Baoxing County, Sichuan Province. He was found abandoned by his mother and brought into human care in December 2006, making him one of the many wild-born pandas rescued and integrated into the captive breeding program.

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Rescue Story

Yi Bao was born in the wild in approximately August 2006 in the mountain forests of Baoxing County — the same county where the giant panda was first scientifically described by Père David in 1869.

On December 8, 2006, he was found alone, abandoned by his mother and unable to survive on his own. His estimated 1-day-old weight was 128.6 grams. On December 10, 2006, rescue teams brought him to the CCRCGP Hetaoping Base in Wolong for emergency care.

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Naming

On February 10, 2007, the Wolong China Conservation and Research Center held a special naming ceremony for 18 panda cubs born or rescued in 2006. At the ceremony, Yi Bao — then weighing 7.6 kg — was officially given his name “依宝” (Yi Bao).

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Personality and Appearance

Yi Bao is distinguished by his wide, round mouth (嘴宽而圆) — a feature keepers note as one of his most recognizable traits. His personality is described as solitary and quiet — he prefers his own company and is not as social as many other pandas. He also loves to sleep and is known to be a heavy sleeper.

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Legacy

Grandfather of Russia’s First Panda

Yi Bao’s daughter Ding Ding (丁丁, studbook 1087) was sent to Moscow Zoo in 2019 alongside Ru Yi (如意). On August 24, 2023, Ding Ding gave birth to Katyusha (喀秋莎) — the first giant panda ever born in Russia. This makes Yi Bao the maternal great-grandfather (外祖父) of Katyusha, connecting a wild-rescued Baoxing panda to one of the most celebrated panda births in modern history.