On July 20, 2020, "Fubao" was born in South Korea. It is the first giant panda naturally bred and born in South Korea. His charming and silly appearance has made "Fubao" a highly concerned panda star in South Korea from birth.
1.General Introduction
Fubao, a female giant panda, was born on July 20, 2020, at Samsung Everland in South Korea. Her mother is the giant panda Aibao, and her father is the panda Lebao.
On July 20, 2020, Aibao gave birth to a panda cub. Aibao panda was quite nervous as a new mother, but after several attempts, she successfully cradled the baby in her arms, comforting and licking her. Upon examination by experts, the cub was identified as a female, measuring 16.5 cm in length and weighing 197g. This marked the second panda cub born overseas in 2020, following the one in the Netherlands, and the first giant panda cub born in South Korea. From September 22 to October 11, Samsung Everland conducted a public naming campaign for the panda cub, offering four candidate names: Chaobao, Xingbao, Xingxing, and Fubao.
On November 4, Samsung Everland announced that the first giant panda cub born in South Korea would be named "Fubao."
Fubao is very popular in South Korea, not only having its own variety show, books and photos documenting growth, but also being awarded as a special honor citizen of Longin City, South Korea.
2. Appearance
Why Fubao panda is so cute? How to distinguish Fubao panda with others panda bears? We can differentiate them from the aspects below.
- Face: Fubao's face looks like a cute dumping, with the upper part being trapezoidal and the lower part being semi-circular. The biggest feature of the pentagonal face is that the cheekbones are wider, and the jawbones are narrower.
- Head: Fubao has a raised hair on his head, resembling WiFi in form, which is one of its features.
- Hair: Fubao's fur is relatively white, making it look cleaner than other pandas, making it even more lovable.
3. Why Fubao Panda is so Popular?
- Optimistic and Cheerful Personality: Fubao grew up in an environment full of love, which is longed for by many people. And she displays leisure, confidence, and happiness, infecting people in modern cities, and for many people, it is a kind of healing and comfort.
- Grandpa's Care for the Keeper: Grandpa Song and Grandpa Jiang, who graduated with a PhD, took meticulous care of Fubao, including making toys such as bamboo glasses and guitar for her, and communicating with her in Chinese, making Fubao the giant panda with the most toys. The interaction between Fubao and the grandfather of the breeder has attracted attention and love of panda lovers from South Korea and around the world. Fubao often spoils his grandfathers, and the caretaker grandfather also shows endless love to her.
- The Bridge of Friendship between China and South Korea: Fubao not only receives attention in South Korea, but also enjoys the love and support of Chinese netizens. Her growth and happiness have become a bridge for friendly exchanges between the people of China and South Korea.
- Widespread media coverage: South Korean zoos shoot videos to document the growth of Fubao, write books for her, produce variety shows, and launch cultural and creative products for Fubao panda. Fubao's videos have accumulated over 100 million views on the YouTube platform. In addition, Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming presented a thank-you plaque to the breeders on Fubao's third birthday, demonstrating his recognition of Fubao's care.
4. Family Members
Panda Fubao's father, Yuanxin (Korean name: Lebao), was born on July 28, 2012 at the Bifengxia Base in Ya'an, China.
Panda Fubao's mother, Huani (Korean name: Aibao), was born on July 13, 2013 at the Bifengxia Base of the China Giant Panda Conservation and Research Center. In March 2016, she stayed with Panda Garden Xin at Aibao Park in South Korea. On July 7, 2023, Huani, who is living in South Korea, gave birth to twins, namely Ruibao and Huibao.
Panda Fubao's sister: Panda Ruibao, a female giant panda, was born on July 7, 2023 at Aibao Park in South Korea. Starting from January 4, 2024, "Ruibao" officially appeared to the public.
Panda Fubao's younger sister: Panda Huibao, a female giant panda, was born on July 7, 2023 at Aibao Park in South Korea. Starting from January 4, 2024, "Huibao" will officially meet with the public. Ruibao is Huibao's twin sister.
5. Grandpa's keepers of Fubao
One of the keepers of the panda "Fubao", Song Yongkuan, was born in 1974. He graduated from San Yu University in South Korea in 1998 and is a keeper at the Aibao Panda House in South Korea. In 2006, he obtained a doctoral degree in Animal Reproductive and Developmental Biology from Jianguo University in South Korea.
Another keeper of Fubao, Jiang Zheyuan, holds a Ph.D. in biology and works fluently in Chinese for over 30 years. In 1994, he took care of the giant panda "Lily" and 20 years later, when he returned to China, "Lily" still recognized him.
Keepers "Grandpa Song" and "Grandpa Jiang" have put in a lot of effort for Fubao. Grandpa Song handmade many toys, including bamboo glasses, bamboo guitar, and bamboo dolls, making the childhood of Panda Fubao full of fun. In the November 2023 variety show "Fubao and Grandpa", Grandpa Jiang read a letter written to Fubao, saying, "Whether you are ten or twenty years old, don't forget that you are Grandpa's forever panda baby." Even on April 3, 2024, when Fubao returned to China, Grandpa Song bid farewell with tears. Grandpa Jiang accompanied Fubao back to China to adapt to the new environment for a period of time.
At present, Fubao has returned to China and is staying in the quarantine area of the Wolong Shenshuping Base of the China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center. Her current health condition is normal. It has not yet been announced when it will be public to appearance in China.