![]() Bai Yun in 2008 | |
Othername(s) | 白雲 |
---|---|
Species | Giant panda |
Sex | Female |
Born | 白云 (1991-09-07)September 7, 1991 (age 33) |
Owner | China Giant Panda Conservation Research Center |
Residence | Dujiangyan, China |
Parent(s) | Dong Dong and Pan Pan |
Offspring |
Bai Yun (simplified Chinese:白云;traditional Chinese:白雲;lit. 'White Cloud'; born September 7, 1991) was the first femalegiant panda who was born at theWolong Giant Panda Research Center inChina.[1] From September 1996 she lived at theSan Diego Zoo for more than 20 years, until being returned to China in May 2019.[1] Bai Yun gave birth to her sixth cub in 2012 since arriving at the San Diego Zoo, considered the most surviving pandas born at a breeding facility outside of native China. Bai Yun returned to China with her last-born (Xiao Liwu) as the 23-year conservation loan of the pandas came to an end between China and San Diego Zoo Global.
Bai Yun's mother, Dong Dong, was caught in the wild and was at the Panyu Xiangjiang Wild Animal World inGuangzhou at the time of her death in 2011.[2][3] Bai Yun's father,Pan Pan, who also siredTian Tian, lived inZunyi.
In the spring of 1999, Bai Yun wasartificially inseminated with sperm fromShi Shi, the male panda at the zoo at that time. On August 21, 1999, Bai Yun gave birth to her first cub,Hua Mei, who is also the first giant panda born in the United States to survive to adulthood.
Bai Yun has since given birth to five other cubs,Mei Sheng (2003),Su Lin (2005),Zhen Zhen (2007),Yun Zi (2009), andXiao Liwu (2012), all via natural mating. Bai Yun and these cubs' sire,Gao Gao, are considered the most reproductively successful panda parents in captivity.[4][5] With the birth of Xiao Liwu in 2012, Bai Yun became the second oldest panda on record to give birth. The oldest panda on record to give birth was two days older than Bai Yun at the time of birth of their respective cubs. As of May 2019, Bai Yun is the mother of six, a grandmother of eight, and a great grandmother of two.
After 23 years away from her home country, Bai Yun, and her son, Xiao Liwu were safely returned to China — specifically, Dujiangyan, the site of the China Giant Panda Conservation Research Center.