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MEET / 278An individual life

Qingqing

庆庆

Life status
Deceased
Born
Died
The date is shown as recorded; its precision has not been confirmed

In 1990, Qingqing gave birth to Yaya and Xiangxiang. Taking advantage of her strong maternal instincts and willingness to cooperate with keepers, the base combined maternal care with incubator-assisted rearing so that both cubs could nurse in turns while being closely monitored. Both survived, becoming the world’s first pair of giant panda twins successfully bred in captivity with both cubs surviving. Over her lifetime, Qingqing produced 13 cubs in nine litters and became one of the Chengdu base’s early “hero mothers.”

Sex
Female
Studbook number
278

No photograph is available yet.

Timeline

9 recorded events

  1. Born at Chengdu Zoo

    Qingqing was born at Chengdu Zoo on September 9, 1984.

    Chengdu Zoo

  2. Year only

    Took part in a three-month panda exhibition in Japan

    In September 1988, Qingqing traveled with Cheng Cheng to Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama, Japan, for the roughly three-month “Sea-and-Land Panda Exhibition.” The exhibition ended in January 1989, when she returned to China.

    Adventure World

  3. Gave birth to twins Yaya and Xiangxiang

    Qingqing gave birth to twins Yaya and Xiangxiang on August 24, 1990. With assisted rearing, both cubs survived, becoming the world’s first giant panda twins to survive with human-assisted maternal care.

  4. Year only

    Reached 13 surviving cubs in nine litters

    By 2004, Qingqing had produced 13 cubs in nine litters, with all 13 surviving, setting a captive-breeding record.

  5. Year only

    Moved to Wuhan Zoo on loan

    In late September 2005, Qingqing moved from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding to Wuhan Zoo for a temporary loan exhibition.

    Wuhan Zoo

  6. Year only

    Returned to Chengdu Research Base

    Qingqing ended her stay at Wuhan Zoo in July 2007 and returned to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

    Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

  7. Moved to Changsha Zoo

    Qingqing moved to Changsha Zoo on March 20, 2008.

    Changsha Zoo

  8. Returned to Chengdu Research Base

    After more than two years in Changsha, Qingqing returned to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding on September 5, 2010.

    Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

  9. Died at age 38

    Qingqing died on January 20, 2023, at the age of 38 years and four months.

Relationships

Mother

Places

The available information does not yet identify a specific place.

Read more about its time in different places in the Timeline.

Sources

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