The World Records Authority is proud to officially recognise He He (“Harmony”) and Mei Mei (“Beautiful”) as the world’s first giant panda twins born to a captive mother and a wild father. Born on 25 July 2018 at the Hetaoping Wilderness Training Base in Sichuan Province, China, these twins represent a landmark achievement for conservation science and a critical breakthrough in bolstering the genetic diversity and resilience of the giant panda population.

The birth marked an historic milestone in panda conservation: for the first time, cubs were successfully born from a pairing between a captive female and a wild male, combining the behavioural adaptability cultivated in captivity with the genetic robustness of the wild. This unique combination offers new possibilities for rewilding programmes and the long-term survival of Ailuropoda melanoleuca in its native habitat.

The WRA congratulates the dedicated team at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda on this extraordinary achievement — a milestone that gives the world reason to celebrate and to hope.