Zhang is a leading expert at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, with extensive experience in panda conservation and research. He has led efforts to overcome major challenges in the artificial breeding of giant pandas, significantly improving breeding success. He also created a crucial platform for domestic and international cooperation and exchange and pioneered research on the training and reintroduction of captive pandas into the wild.
Tao Tao is the world's first giant panda to undergo re-wilding training through the mother-rearing method before being successfully released into the wild. He is also China's second giant panda to be released back into its natural habitat.