Bao Bao (, meaning "treasure"; colloquially meaning "baby") is a female

giant panda The giant panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca''), also known as the panda bear or simply panda, is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterised by its white animal coat, coat with black patches around the eyes, ears, legs and shoulders. ...

bear who was born at the National Zoo in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

She lived at the Zoo for four years until February 2017. She is currently located at the

China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda Wolong National Nature Reserve (from Chinese ), officially known as Wolong Special Administrative Region, is a national protected area located in Wenchuan County in China. Established in 1963 with an initial size of about , the reserve was fur ...

Sichuan Province Sichuan is a Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capita ...

. She is the sister of Tai Shan,

Bei Bei Bei Bei ( ; Chinese: t , s , p ''Bèibèi'') is a male giant panda bear who was born and lived at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., in the United States. He was part of US-China relations panda diplomacy, and was se ...

and Xiao Qi Ji.

Life

Bao Bao was born on August 23, 2013, at 5:30 pm, together with a twin that was stillborn the day after she was born, at the National Zoo in

Washington D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

The cub of Mei Xiang and

Tian Tian Tiantian or Tian Tian may refer to: * '' Pethia tiantian'' or ''P. tiantian'', a species of fish * Tian Tian (male giant panda) (添添 Tiān Tiān), a male panda on loan to the National Zoo in Washington, DC, US * Tian Tian (female giant panda) ( ...

, Bao Bao is a result of artificial insemination of Mei Xiang on March 23, 2013. Giant pandas are listed as a vulnerable species, and are protected in part by conservation efforts at reservations and in zoos such as the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Bao Bao is one of only several hundred giant pandas alive today in captivity, among fewer than 2,000 giant pandas in the world, the first surviving panda cub born at the National Zoo since Tai Shan in 2005. In 2013, there were an unusually high number of giant panda cub births in zoos around the world. In addition to Bao Bao, other giant panda cubs were born in 2013 include:

Yuan Zai Yuan Zai (元載) (713 – May 11, 777( ��历十二年...三月...辛巳，制：中书侍郎、平章事元载赐自尽，...) ''Jiu Tang Shu'', vol.11. Daizong's biography in ''New Book of Tang'' recorded the same date as well.), courtesy name G ...

in Taiwan, twin cubs Mei Lun and Mei Huan at

Zoo Atlanta Zoo Atlanta (sometimes referred as Atlanta Zoo) is an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoo in Atlanta, Georgia. The current president and CEO of Zoo Atlanta is Raymond B. King. History Zoo Atlanta was founded in 1889, when b ...

, Fu Bao at Zoo Vienna and Xing Bao at Zoo Madrid.

Naming ceremony and debut

Bao Bao was named 100 days after her birth. Her name was chosen by voters through the Smithsonian's website. Five names were originally submitted by various dignitaries and groups, including Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai, U.S. Ambassador to China

Gary Locke Gary Faye Locke (born January 21, 1950) is an American politician, attorney, and former diplomat from the State of Washington. Locke served as the 21st governor of Washington from 1997 to 2005, where he was the first Chinese-American governor ...

, panda keepers at the National Zoo, the fundraising group Friends of the National Zoo and the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda. The chosen name was submitted by Friends of the National Zoo. The five choices for names were Bao Bao (宝宝), Ling Hua (玲花), Long Yun (龙韵), Mulan (木兰), and Zhen Bao (珍宝).

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama ( Robinson; born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, being married to Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United Stat ...

, First Lady of the United States, and

Peng Liyuan Peng Liyuan (; born 20 November 1962) is a Chinese contemporary folk singer and the wife of Xi Jinping, current General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and President of China. Peng gained popularity as a singer from her regular appear ...

, First Lady of China, each sent special video messages that were played during the naming ceremony. Bao Bao's birth, naming ceremony, and travel to China in 2017 are part of China's

panda diplomacy Panda diplomacy () is the practice of sending giant pandas from China to other countries as a tool of diplomacy and wildlife conservation. From 1941 to 1984, the Chinese government gifted pandas to other countries. Since 1984, they have been lea ...

. Bao Bao's public debut at the National Zoo was on January 18, 2014.

Development

By August 19, 2014, Bao Bao could stand on her hind legs when keepers asked, and could recognize her name when it was called by familiar voices. She did not yet consistently respond as an adult giant panda would, even to her mother Mei's unique bleat. More often, she moved inside when called instead of remaining in her favorite trees, napping or resting. She had learned to follow Mei outside most days, and was rarely carried out any more. Bao Bao was being trained in targeting behaviors; she was touching her nose to a target at about five months. By August, she could follow one partway inside from the outdoor yard. She also started raiding Mei's bamboo supply and sampling it, another major milestone. Fruitsicles were her preferred reward over cooked sweet potato, corn syrup, and diluted apple juice. Bao Bao

Bao Bao celebrated her first birthday on August 23, 2014, with a giant birthday cake made of frozen fruits and vegetables. Crowds of visitors gathered at the zoo to celebrate her birthday. On the afternoon of December 23, 2014, Bao Bao climbed a tree after touching a " hot wire". Responding to inquiries from concerned members of the public, the zoo stated that this was a natural reaction to the "hot wire", and that Bao Bao was safe and comfortable in the tree. After over 24 hours in the tree, Bao Bao safely climbed down on her own, late on December 24. A YouTube video was released by the National Zoo on Tuesday, January 6, 2015, of Bao Bao's first encounter with snow. On Thursday, February 19, 2015, in an online news release by her keepers at the National Zoo's

David M. Rubenstein David Mark Rubenstein (born August 11, 1949) is an American lawyer, businessman, and philanthropist. A former government official, he is a co-founder and co-chairman of the Carlyle Group,Bei Bei Bei Bei ( ; Chinese: t , s , p ''Bèibèi'') is a male giant panda bear who was born and lived at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., in the United States. He was part of US-China relations panda diplomacy, and was se ...

, survived. Bao Bao remained at the National Zoo until February 21, 2017, when she was sent to China; she is currently located at the

Wolong National Nature Reserve Wolong National Nature Reserve (from Chinese ), officially known as Wolong Special Administrative Region, is a national protected area located in Wenchuan County in China. Established in 1963 with an initial size of about , the reserve was fur ...

Motherhood

Bao Bao gave birth to a female giant panda cub named Dou Ban (nicknamed Bao Bao Zai by nannies before official naming) on July 29, 2020, at the Wolong National Nature Reserve Shenshuping Panda Center (Sichuan Province, China). A year later, Bao Bao gave birth to twin male cubs on August 4, 2021,

Bao Li Bao Li () is a male giant panda cub who is currently residing at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. About Bao Li was born at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan, China, on August 4, 2021. Bao Li is the cub of Bao Bao, ...

and Bao Yuan. Under an agreement announced by the National Zoo in

Washington DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

and China on May 29, 2024, Bao Bao's cub

, a male, and

Qing Bao Qing Bao ( zh, p=Qīng Bǎo, s=青宝, t=青寶) is a female giant panda who is currently residing at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. About Qing Bao was born at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan, China, on Septemb ...

, a female, were scheduled to move to the Zoo in 2024.

and

arrived at the National Zoo on October 15, 2024, and made their public debut on January 24, 2025.

References

External links