In the heart of Mexico City lives a rare and extraordinary symbol of friendship: Xin Xin, the longest-lived giant panda—if not the last—in all of Latin America. His story is unique in the world. Not only has he reached the age of 35—a milestone that, in human terms, equates to over a century of life. He is also the only panda in the world not formally owned by China.
Xin Xin, the longest-lived giant panda, turns 35: her story
Xin Xin was born on July 1, 1990, at the Chapultepec Zoo, the product of a lineage rooted in Beijing's so-called diplomatic "gift era." Her mother, Tohui, was a true national celebrity: the first panda born outside of China to reach adulthood, she became an icon for the Mexican people. Her father, Chia Chia, came from London. He too was a product of that historical period when pandas were offered as a sign of friendship between states. It is precisely thanks to these circumstances that Xin Xin enjoys an exceptional status, immune from the onerous loans imposed by Beijing from the 1980s onwards.
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Today, giant pandas have an average life expectancy of between 20 years in the wild and 30 in captivity. Xin Xin has thus far surpassed the average, approaching the world record of 38 years held by Jia Jia, a panda from Hong Kong. This is also thanks to the climate of the Mexican plateau, similar to that of the bamboo forests of Sichuan, and the daily attention of the veterinary team that monitors her with constant checks and targeted training. Her diet is strictly regulated: up to 13 kilos of locally grown bamboo a day, accompanied by rice, carrots, and apples—the latter being her absolute passion. While approximately 1,860 pandas survive in the wild, Xin Xin remains a living witness to the long history of cooperation and conservation between Mexico and China, a heritage that today moves and fascinates thousands of visitors.