Rui Rui (蕊蕊), an adorable female panda, was born on September 5, 2017, at the Wolong Shenshu Ping Base of the China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center. As the daughter of the wild panda Qiao Qiao and fathered by Yang Yang, Rui Rui has inherited the charming characteristics that make giant pandas so beloved worldwide. With her playful spirit and vibrant personality, she continues to delight both visitors and caregivers alike. Known for her distinctive appearance and endearing behavior, Rui Rui embodies the essence of what makes pandas such treasured animals.
Basic Information
- Name: Rui Rui (蕊蕊)
- Gender: Female
- Birth Date: September 5, 2017
- Birthplace: Wolong Shenshu Ping Base, China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center
- Mother: Qiao Qiao (乔乔)
- Father: Yang Yang (阳阳)
- Siblings: Qiao Sen (乔森), Chun Yu (春雨), Qiao Yi (乔伊), Qiao Liang (乔良), E Mei (娥眉), Qiao Lin (乔林)
Intriguing Details of Panda Rui Rui
Appearance and Personality: Rui Rui has perfectly inherited her mother Qiao Qiao’s beauty. She is graceful and elegant, standing tall with poise, earning the nickname “Flower Fairy.” Rui Rui often makes soft, whiny noises and enjoys having conversations with her keepers, adding to her playful and endearing personality.
Breaking into the Staff Passage: One day, Rui Rui saw a keeper leaving through the staff-only passage after work, and she was curious about this mysterious door. She first approached the door quietly, peeking through the crack, but when the keeper noticed her, Rui Rui didn’t give up. She continued trying various methods to open the door. Despite the keeper blocking the door with their foot, using their hands to shut it, and even distracting Rui Rui by scratching her sensitive spots, Rui Rui remained determined to enter the staff passage. This persistence was both amusing and surprising to everyone who watched, and many netizens joked that Rui Rui had “become wise,” as if she knew she was “working” and wanted to leave through the staff entrance at the end of her “shift.”
Motherhood and Helping Raise Cubs: On July 31, 2023, just before turning six, Rui Rui gave birth to her own little cub. At the same time, due to Xian Xian (贤贤) caring for her larger cub in the wild training field, Rui Rui helped look after a second cub. Keepers say that Rui Rui is a “cool mom,” having a playful and childlike personality. She loves to play, even trying out the cub’s toys before the cub does.
A Difficult Choice in Motherhood: Rui Rui faced a difficult situation when teaching her two cubs to climb trees for the first time. Each cub chose a different tree, and Rui Rui didn’t know which one to help first. She became adorably flustered, unsure of how to balance her attention between them. She kept walking back and forth, looking left and right, trying to care for both cubs at the same time.
An Embarrassing Moment: On one occasion, the keeper brought out a green hexagonal ball for the pandas to play with. Rui Rui’s cub climbed inside, while Xian Xian’s cub climbed on top of the ball. Rui Rui, wanting to join in, came over to play too, but her cub extended a paw to stop her from getting too close. To Rui Rui’s surprise, her cub gave her a solid paw swipe, causing her to look at the cub in disbelief. The cub, also shocked at having swatted its mother, froze. Eventually, the cub stopped resisting, allowing Rui Rui to approach, but Rui Rui, a little hurt by the slap, turned her back on the cub and started eating bamboo instead. The cub stared at Rui Rui for a long while before slowly starting to play with its sibling again.