The last pandas to share about from the lower first area of pandas at Chongqing Zoo are Qi Zhen 奇珍 + Qi Bao 奇宝 and Canadian-born Jia Yue Yue 加悦悦, who I had no idea was here until I saw the sign! These 3 are neighbours, with Qi Zhen and Qi Bao having both an inside and outdoor viewing available. Both outdoor yards in this section are viewable only through glass, so I did find viewing a little tricky as it was very reflective but I was so pleased to be able to see them all still.
Qi Zhen 奇珍 + Qi Bao 奇宝
There’s not a lot of information online about Qi Zhen and Qi Bao, or their adopted names Mao Xiao Yu 猫晓域 and Xiang Xiao Kai 熊晓开, but they are Hao Qi‘s first (twin) pregnancy thus are San Mei‘s older siblings. In the morning these two were hanging out in their inside space – the ceiling wasn’t too high so not lots of high climbing, but some wooden and rocky platforms alongside lots of plastic toys. I would have loved to see one of them on the rocker or going down the slide, but I think perhaps at 3.5 years old they might be a little large to go down a slide of that size! Inside they were mostly eating and sleeping. In the afternoon I was there at the perfect time as they were just coming outside. Unfortunately so were a hundred other people so it was very difficult to get to the window and get photos, I have so many with peoples (and my) reflections on them. But I think I got some success. One of them came out and did some climbing on the tall frame they have there before both of them settled at their table for afternoon snack time – still wasn’t getting over pandas sitting at a table XD Their afternoon snack was bamboo shoots but they’d been placed in two small fabric sacks for them to work at getting the shoots out themselves, this is another great enrichment idea – and the two looked to be having a great time getting them out and holding on to their own bags. Until one finished theirs and then went after the other bag! So so cute and completely worth battling against some crowds to get a good view of them.
Jia Yue Yue 加悦悦
The final panda in the first lower area was Jia Yue Yue – now I didn’t really see a lot of her, or more, I saw a lot of her back! She had a really nice climbing frame in her yard and stayed up at the top closer to the back almost all day. Jia Yue Yue is the female twin born in Canada in 2015 to Er Shun, I really didn’t comprehend it was that long ago, so now she is 9.5 years old already, and is perhaps being considered for the breeding soon. Jia Yue Yue and twin brother Jia Pan Pan moved back to China in January 2020 to Chengdu Panda Base. In January 2024 Jia Yue Yue was moved to Chongqing Zoo and was neighbours with her mother for a while. Actually it was lucky I got to see her when I did, because then in April this year (my visit was February), Jia Yue Yue moved to Wuxi Zoo along with fellow Chongqing Zoo panda Yu Bao for a 5-year stay.
