Chinese Internet Celebrity Pallas's Cat "Sun Shang Xiang" Passes Away; Entire Family of Celebrities, Including Spouse and Daughter, Have Also Died

On Monday, March 24, the Qinghai Wildlife Rescue and Breeding Center announced the passing of "Sun Shang Xiang", a female pallas's cat, on March 14. The cause of death was determined to be acute duodenal ulcer perforation. "Sun Shang Xiang" was rescued in 2019 in Datong County, Xining City, and was the mother of China's first artificially bred pallas's cat, "Sun Daniang".

Background and Conservation Efforts

"Sun Shang Xiang" lived at the Xining Wildlife Park, the only zoo in mainland China that houses and exhibits pallas's cats. She met her mate, "Sun Si Miao", there. "Sun Si Miao" became famous for his endearing appearance and was once a social media sensation after being filmed during a brief mating attempt. In 2021, "Sun Shang Xiang" and "Sun Si Miao" successfully bred, producing three cubs, with "Sun Daniang" being the only survivor.

Challenges in Breeding pallas's cats

pallas's cats are among the oldest felines and are listed as a second-level protected species in China. The high-altitude subspecies, to which "Sun Shang Xiang" belonged, are particularly difficult to breed due to their weak immune systems. "Sun Si Miao" passed away in October 2022 after choking on chicken meat, while "Sun Daniang" died in March 2024 due to pyometra.

Currently, the Xining Wildlife Park still houses three high-altitude pallas's cats: "Sun Xiaoman", "Sun Xiao Mei" (the twin sister of "Sun Si Miao"), and "Sun Sanlang" (the brother of "Sun Daniang"). All are reported to be in good health, and the zoo remains open to visitors.