Two Chinese giant pandas arrive in U.S., first in two decades

Two giant pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, arrived in California, the United States, on a chartered flight from China on Thursday morning as part of a 10-year international giant panda protection cooperation with the San Diego Zoo, marking a new round of giant panda protection cooperation between China and the United States.

Yun Chuan, a 5-year-old male, and Xin Bao, a 4-year-old female, were selected by the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP). The black and white bears left the Bifengxia Panda Center in Ya’an City, southwest China’s Sichuan Province on Wednesday night.

This photo taken on April 18, 2024 shows giant panda Xin Bao at the Bifengxia Panda Base of China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Ya’an, southwest China’s Sichuan Province . (Xinhua/Xue Chen)

The duo, who transited through Hong Kong and arrived at Los Angeles International Airport, were accompanied by five experienced breeders and veterinarians during the trip.

The panda pair, the first to enter the United States in more than two decades, will travel to the San Diego Zoo shortly after arriving in Los Angeles. They will be quarantined for at least 30 days, as is standard procedure, and a date for their first public introduction will be announced once the animal care team determines the bears are ready to meet visitors.

CCRCGP has been conducting scientific research cooperation with the San Diego Zoo for over 25 years, with successful results in the protection, breeding and disease control of giant pandas, as well as public education.

Giant pandas are one of the world’s most endangered species. About 1,900 pandas live in the wild, mainly in China’s Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces, up from 1,100 in the 1980s.

Symbol of this cooperation, Yun Chuan is the son of Zhen Zhen, born at the San Diego Zoo in 2007, and the grandson of Bai Yun, who lived at the zoo for more than 20 years. Bai Yun, then 27, and his son, Xiao Liwu, the San Diego Zoo’s last two giant pandas, were returned to China in 2019, at the end of the zoo’s last conservation agreement with China.

Many San Diego residents, tourists and park officials were reluctant to say goodbye to these giant pandas, who have long been messengers of friendship between the Chinese and American people. They eagerly awaited the return of the beloved zoo icon.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Yun Chuan and Xin Bao to the San Diego Zoo family,” Paul Baribault, president and CEO of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, said in a press release, noting that the nonprofit conservation organization has been working for a long time. The ongoing partnership with its Chinese partners “has been instrumental in advancing giant panda conservation, and we look forward to continuing our work together to ensure the survival and thriving of this iconic species.”

Baribault told Xinhua in an exclusive interview in Sichuan earlier this week that the entire organization was excited to welcome the pandas and had “done a lot to prepare” for their arrival.

“We’ve set up their spaces and expanded their space, making it even better than before,” he said, adding: “We’ve also prepared all their food. Our scientists have prepared. Our teams have come here to get to know the pandas. So the transition is smooth and easy for them.”

The San Diego Zoo, one of the most visited in the country, is the first American zoo to have established a conservation program in cooperation with Chinese partners. Located north of downtown San Diego in Balboa Park, it is home to more than 12,000 rare and endangered animals representing more than 680 species and subspecies.

“San Diegans can’t wait to see these incredible animals! » wrote San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria on the social media platform X, who attended a farewell ceremony in Ya’an, where the pandas resided.

In an interview with Xinhua, the mayor described the two pandas as “wonderful ambassadors of China,” noting that their arrival is “an opportunity not only to have giant pandas at the San Diego Zoo, but to really showcase Chinese culture, Chinese people, Chinese traditions, symbols and icons.

“One thing I know about the Chinese and the Americans is our shared love for these magnificent creatures. This exchange is a wonderful way to bring our two communities closer together and this type of connection is a way to promote mutual understanding and respect,” he added.

According to Gloria, the pair could attract more visitors to the San Diego Zoo. “We’re expecting a 20 to 40 percent increase in attendance … because we know people love these creatures,” he said.