Meet Ran Ran: A Female Giant Panda Will Soon Arrive at Pairi Daiza
She is nine years old, has a gentle temperament and loves eating bamboo shoots. Her name is Ran Ran, and she currently lives in Sichuan Province, China. In November, this female giant panda will travel to Pairi Daiza in Belgium, where she is eagerly awaited with great joy. Soon, visitors to the Garden of Worlds will have the opportunity to meet Ran Ran and discover her charm for themselves.
Born on May 31, 2017, Ran Ran currently lives at the Wolong Shenshuping Giant Panda Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP), in Sichuan Province, China. Her name, 冉冉 in Chinese, conveys gentleness and tenderness, as well as growth and flourishing.
She weighs approximately 110 kilograms. Her Chinese keepers describe her as a gentle female who enjoys spending time on her own, appreciates a peaceful environment and particularly likes tender bamboo shoots.
Her arrival in Belgium is planned for November 2026. The exact date will be announced once the final preparations and administrative procedures have been completed.
Preparing a Warm Welcome with the Greatest Care
Excitement is growing among the teams at Pairi Daiza. For twelve years, giant pandas have held a special place in the life of the Garden of Worlds and in the hearts of its visitors. Hao Hao and Xing Hui's first experiences in their new home, followed by the births and first steps of their three cubs, have brought many unforgettable moments of shared emotion.
Now, the teams are preparing to welcome Ran Ran. Working closely with their Chinese colleagues, they are organising her transport and preparing her future home, taking into account her needs and habits. Her well-being will remain the priority throughout every stage of her arrival and adaptation.
“The forthcoming arrival of Ran Ran fills us with joy. For twelve years, our Chinese friends have done us the great honour of placing their trust in us, sharing their knowledge with us and inviting us to join their commitment to giant panda conservation. This wonderful journey together has brought us deeply moving moments and created a profound attachment to these extraordinary animals. I am infinitely grateful to our Chinese partners for everything we have achieved together and for their renewed trust. We eagerly await Ran Ran and will put all our hearts into giving her a wonderful life at Pairi Daiza,” says Eric Domb, Founder and President of Pairi Daiza.
From Hao Hao and Xing Hui to Ran Ran: Twelve Years of Emotions and Dedication
This story began in 2013, when Pairi Daiza and its Chinese partners signed a fifteen-year cooperation agreement dedicated to giant panda conservation, scientific research and public awareness.
In February 2014, Hao Hao and Xing Hui arrived at Pairi Daiza. A few weeks later, their habitat was officially inaugurated in the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, together with Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium.
Two years later, on June 2, 2016, their first cub, Tian Bao, was born. On August 8, 2019, the family grew with the birth of twins Bao Di and Bao Mei. These three births were important milestones in Pairi Daiza's history and a wonderful achievement made possible by the joint efforts of Chinese and Belgian teams.
On December 10, 2024, the three young pandas returned to China, in accordance with the commitments of the conservation programme. Their mother, Hao Hao, also returned to her home country to receive specialised medical care. She continues to receive attentive care from her Chinese keepers. At Pairi Daiza, where she has left so many precious memories, every update about her is received with joy and undiminished affection.
Xing Hui, the father of the three young pandas, still lives at Pairi Daiza, where Ran Ran will soon join him.
“For me, having worked with giant pandas at Pairi Daiza for so many years, the news of Ran Ran's forthcoming arrival is particularly moving. We are already exchanging information with our Chinese colleagues about her habits and preferences to prepare for her arrival. I will soon travel to the Wolong Shenshuping Giant Panda Base in China to meet her, observe her behaviour, get to know her better and begin building a relationship of trust with her. I am very much looking forward to welcoming her to Pairi Daiza, where we will do everything we can to help her settle into her new home at her own pace, surrounded by all our love,” says Liu Yang, veterinarian and giant panda keeper at Pairi Daiza.
Behind this new arrival lies many years of dedicated work. Since 2013, Chinese specialists and Pairi Daiza's teams have been sharing their knowledge and experience to better understand giant pandas, support their reproduction and raise public awareness of the importance of their conservation.
This cooperation is part of the considerable efforts undertaken by China over several decades to protect the species and its natural habitats. Thanks in particular to conservation measures implemented in the wild, the wild giant panda population has increased from approximately 1,100 individuals in the 1980s to nearly 1,900 today.
Ran Ran's arrival marks the continuation of this shared journey. It has been made possible by a supplementary agreement signed on September 16, 2026, between the Chinese and Belgian partners, in a year that also marks the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Belgium.
Pairi Daiza wishes to express its warmest and most sincere gratitude to the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA), the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP), the Chinese authorities, and all the scientists and keepers who, for more than twelve years, have shared their knowledge, trust and love for giant pandas with our teams.
Media contact
Johan Vreys