TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The giant panda cub, named Satrio Wiratama or Li Ao, made his public debut on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. The historic cub, the very first giant panda born on Indonesian soil, has officially taken up residence at the Panda Palace within Taman Safari Indonesia in Cisarua, Bogor Regency.
Currently 191 days old and tipping the scales at around 11 kilograms, Li Ao’s introduction to the public is expected to draw massive crowds of tourists while cementing bilateral ties between Indonesia and China.
"Usually, the ideal age for pandas to go public is between five and six months, so Li Ao is now officially introduced to the public and can be seen directly alongside his mother. This also proves that wildlife conservation can be successfully achieved right here," said Jansen Manangsang, the founder of Taman Safari Indonesia.
Gathered for the milestone debut were several local and central government officials, alongside dignitaries from the Chinese Embassy, who watched delightedly as Li Ao's playful antics evoked comparisons to Chinese social media stars Fu Bao and Hua Hua. To protect the animals, visitors are strictly prohibited from tapping on the glass enclosure or using camera flashes, which could cause distress to the young cub.
Jansen noted that Li Ao is the offspring of female Hu Chun and male Cai Tao, a breeding pair gifted by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Indonesia back in 2017 under an international conservation cooperation framework. He added that Tuesday's public rollout followed rigorous preparation by Taman Safari Indonesia to meet a string of stringent standards.
"Starting from health regulations to endemic animal welfare regulations," he said, adding that Satrio, or Li Ao, was born through a fourth artificial insemination process. "This is evidence that we can produce technological or scientific collaboration in the field of medical science and reproductive biology," he added.
Bogor Regent Rudy Susmanto welcomed the achievement, stating that he will advocate for deeper cooperation between Indonesia and China, specifically around the Bogor Regency. "We will develop further partnerships, not only in conservation, but also in the field of animal health," Rudy said.
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