Two giant pandas from China have arrived in Southern California, where they will be cared for as part of an ongoing conservation partnership, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced Friday. The pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, will spend the next several weeks acclimating to their new home in a private habitat at the San Diego Zoo and will not be viewable by the public during this period.
Yun Chuan, a nearly five-year-old male, and Xin Bao, a nearly four-year-old female, are the first new pandas to arrive in the U.S. in 21 years. In May, the Washington National Zoo also announced it would be receiving two new pandas from China by the end of this year. The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance stated that the pandas are being closely monitored by expert wildlife health and care teams who will determine when the pair are ready to meet the public.
A farewell ceremony was held earlier this week before the pandas departed from China. The ceremony, attended by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance President and CEO Paul Baribault, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, and U.S. and Chinese dignitaries, included cultural performances, video salutations from Chinese and American students, and a gift exchange among conservation partners.
Yun Chuan, described as a mild-mannered male, has connections to California. His mother, Zhen Zhen, was born at the San Diego Zoo in 2007 to parents Bai Yun and Gao Gao. Xin Bao, described as a gentle and witty introvert with a sweet round face and big ears, is a nearly four-year-old female.
The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has a nearly 30-year partnership with leading conservation institutions in China focused on protecting and recovering giant pandas and the bamboo forests they depend on. The China Wildlife and Conservation Association has lent pandas to the U.S. since 1972 under an agreement dubbed “panda diplomacy.” In 1987, San Diego received two pandas for a 100-day visit, eventually signing a 12-year agreement and receiving two pandas, Bai Yun and Shi Shi, in 1996. The agreement was extended multiple times, and a total of six pandas were born at the zoo, all of whom returned to China by 2019.
The multinational ceremony reflects the deep connections pandas have to the San Diego Zoo, which was the first zoo in the United States to have a cooperative panda conservation program. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the conservation partnership between the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and the China Wildlife Conservation Association. The collaboration has greatly advanced giant panda conservation, leading to the downgrading of the giant panda’s status from Endangered to Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2016.
The efforts include developing a giant panda milk formula and other neonatal conservation techniques that dramatically increased survival rates for nursery-reared cubs from less than 10% to over 90%. The collaboration also includes advanced reproductive techniques and the contribution of valuable expertise to efforts led by Chinese scientists to track wild giant pandas at the Foping National Nature Reserve using GPS technology. The ongoing collaboration aims to further enhance the health and resilience of giant panda populations, especially the most vulnerable and isolated groups.
Although the conservation status of the giant panda is improving, there is still much work needed to ensure they remain on the path to recovery with healthy and flourishing populations. The conservation collaboration between the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and the China Wildlife Conservation Association aims to improve giant panda population health and resilience in some of the smallest and most isolated populations vulnerable to extinction and loss of genetic diversity.
The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, a nonprofit conservation leader, inspires passion for nature and collaboration for a healthier world. The Alliance supports innovative conservation science through global partnerships. Through wildlife care, science expertise, and collaboration, more than 44 endangered species have been reintroduced to native habitats. Annually, the Alliance reaches over 1 billion people, in person at the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and virtually in 150 countries through media channels, including San Diego Zoo Wildlife Explorers television programming in children’s hospitals in 14 countries. Wildlife Allies—members, donors, and guests—make success possible.
The arrival of Yun Chuan and Xin Bao marks a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to conserve and protect giant pandas. Their presence at the San Diego Zoo will not only draw bigger crowds and more funding but also bolster research and conservation efforts. The panda habitat area has been temporarily closed for renovation and expansion to accommodate the new arrivals.
The exact date of Yun Chuan and Xin Bao’s public debut has not been announced, but the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance will share more details about when and how to see the beloved pandas once they have acclimated to their new environment. The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance looks forward to continuing its work with the China Wildlife Conservation Association to ensure the survival and thriving of this iconic species.
Source: CBS/AP, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
