Jing Jing China Super Star

Who is Jing Jing? Have you noticed the adorable representations of Chinese endangered species wearing and representing the Olympic rings for the 2008 Games in Beijing? Jing Jing wears the black ring.

Jing Jing was chosen as the Olympic mascot on November 11, 2005. Giant pandas breed in the spring and females give birth in late summer to early fall. Jing Jing's parents also have been stars of famous sporting events. Her mother Ya Ya and her twin brother were the first pandas at the Research Base to be stars of a major sports event, as well as the first twins to both survive in captivity. Ya Ya and Xiang Xiang were born in 1990 during the Beijing Asian games. They were named Ya Ya and Xiang Xiang, meaning good luck for the success of the Asian Games.

Jing Jing's father was born on the day of the opening ceremony of the 25th Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. When the chairman of the Olympics heard news of the panda birth from Chinese athletes, he gave Kobi his name, the name of their Olympic mascot.

You might be wondering if Jing Jing will make an appearance in Beijing at the Olympic Games in 2008. Her presence will be felt through photographs, music by the famous Taiwanese singer He Yiqi, and video. However, she will stay home in her safe, lush green quarters at the Research Base in Chengdu, to enjoy bamboo, climb trees, and rest and play in her own way throughout the Olympics. The Research Base prides itself on maintaining high standards of animal welfare, and a trip to Beijing would be extremely stressful and inhumane to our little Jing Jing.

Jing Jing is one of less than 2,000 giant pandas (including captive and wild) remaining on Earth. The Research Base strives to ensure the survival of Chinese endangered species through research, captive breeding, and conservation education programming for rural and urban families. Only through awareness and compassion can we hope that humanity will unite in the effort to protect the biodiversity of our planet, including our little treasure, Jing Jing. In recent years, several new panda babies have been born at the Research Base, providing more strength to the captive population.

Celebrate Jing Jings' birthday with us!

Location: Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu, Sichuan Province

The Research Base invites citizens of the world to celebrate her birthday with us on August 30 and to visit Jing Jing during Olympic travels in 2008 in the hometown of the giant panda, Chengdu! Please contact us for more information or read our section on panda trips on this website.

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