If you’ve ever wondered what it means to be a loving, dedicated panda mom, Ju Xiao (菊笑/Juxiao) is the perfect example. While she may rush to devour her food, her devotion to her cubs is unmatched. This gentle giant made history in 2014 as the mother of the world’s first surviving panda triplets, and despite the odds, she poured her heart into caring for them once she regained her strength. Isn’t that just the sweetest story?
Basic Information
- Name: Ju Xiao (菊笑)
- Menaing of the Name: Smiling Chrysanthemum
- Lineage Number: 557
- Gender: Female
- Birthdate: September 28, 2002
- Birthplace: Hetaoping Wildlife Training Base, China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda
- Mother: Tang Tang (唐唐)
- Father: Xi Meng (希梦)
- Siblings: Gong Zhu (公主), Ye Ye (晔晔), Gu Gu (古古), Long Hui (龙徽), Lin Yang (林阳), Lin Hui (林惠)
Intriguing Details of Panda Ju Xiao
Ju Xiao is known for her gentle disposition, though she can be quite impatient when it comes to eating, eagerly rushing to get her food. Unlike other panda mothers, she is very cooperative with keepers when it comes to examining her cubs’ health, even assisting them voluntarily. Despite initially being too weak to care for her triplets after giving birth, Ju Xiao showed immense love and dedication to her cubs, doing her best to be with them once she had regained her strength.
Life Experience of Panda Ju Xiao
Birthplace and Early Life: Ju Xiao spent her childhood at the Hetaoping Wildlife Training Base, where she was provided with an excellent environment for growth.
Relocations:
- On June 28, 2008, Ju Xiao was relocated to the Bifengxia Base in Ya’an.
- On July 13, 2012, she was sent to Guangzhou Chimelong Safari Park to participate in research cooperation and breeding work.
- On December 6, 2018, Ju Xiao returned from Guangzhou Chimelong to the Shenshuping Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong.
- In 2019, she was once again relocated to Guangzhou Chimelong Safari Park.
Breeding Achievements of Panda Ju Xiao
Twin Birth: On July 27, 2010, Ju Xiao gave birth to a set of fraternal twins, Cai Yun (彩云) and Zhao Yang (朝阳), at Guangzhou Chimelong Safari Park, marking her first success in breeding.
Triplet Miracle: In the early hours of July 29, 2014, from 00:55 to 04:50, Ju Xiao made history by becoming the mother of the world’s first surviving panda triplets—Meng Meng (萌萌), Shuai Shuai (帅帅), and Ku Ku (酷酷). The birth of triplets in pandas is extremely rare, and their survival rate is very low. After a night of labor, Ju Xiao, exhausted, had to have her cubs placed in an incubator for artificial rearing. Thanks to the meticulous care of the keepers, all three cubs survived and grew up healthily.