A pair of giant pandas is currently en route from China to California to be housed at the San Diego zoo, as a part of a longstanding conservation collaboration. This is also the first panda loan from China to the U.S. in 21 years.
The loan was finalized in February, months after Chinese leader Xi Jingping suggested sending panda to the San Diego Zoo as “envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.” San Diego previously returned its last panda pair to China in 2019, when their loan expired.
According to a statement released by the San Diego Zoo on Wednesday, officials and representatives of the San Diego Wildlife Alliance, as well as other guests from the U.S. and China, attended a farewell ceremony at the China Conservation & Research Center for Giant Pandas in Sichuan province.
The ceremony was dedicated to the departing pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, before they flew to California Wednesday night. The event included gift exchanges between conservation partners, cultural performances, and video salutations from Chinese and American students.
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According to CCTV, the team prepared meals of fresh bamboo, bamboo shoots, fruits, vegetables and a specially-made cornbread known as “wotou” to ensure the pandas are in good health during their journey, and to accommodate their notoriously picky diet. Five breeders and veterinary experts from China and the U.S. are also on the flight, according to CNN. The Chinese experts are expected to stay for three months to help the pandas adjust to their surroundings, especially with the different bamboo varieties in the U.S. compared to China.
“It might take them some time initially to adjust to the new diet from the American side”, said giant panda caretaker Huang Shan, in an interview with NBC News. “They may not eat as well in the beginning, but we believe that because the San Diego Zoo has previously fed our pandas, they will adapt quickly.”
“This farewell celebrates their journey and underscores a collaboration between the United States and China on vital conservation efforts.”, said San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance President and CEO Paul Baribault. “Our long-standing partnership with China Wildlife Conservation Association 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.”
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, who attended the farewell ceremony, said “I’m honored to have been invited to join in the farewell ceremonies in China for Yun Chuan and Xin Bao,” on his X account. “This is a historic conservation partnership that will help protect these magnificent creatures and their habitat.”
Yun Chuan and Xin Bao will not be viewable to the public for several weeks once they arrive in San Diego, so they can adjust to their new home. Once wildlife health and care teams confirm that the two pandas are ready to meet the public, the San Diego Wildlife Alliance will share a debut date and information on how to see the panda pair.
Yun Chuan, a “smart and lively” five-year-old male, has connections to the San Diego Zoo, as his mother, Zhen Zhen, was born there in 2007 to parents Bai Yun and Gao Gao. Xin Bao is a four-year-old panda described as “gentle and witty introvert with a sweet round face and big ears,” as well as “very smart and alert.” Both pandas are expected to stay in the San Diego Zoo for the next decade until their loan expires.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the partnership between the San Diego Wildlife Alliance and the China Wildlife Conservation Association.
This loan is a part of a “panda diplomacy” program China has with 20 different countries, including the United States. Panda loans between the U.S. and China started in 1972, however the number of loans has decreased in recent years, coinciding with straining relations between Washington and Beijing.
Another pair of pandas is expected to arrive in California in the future, with China promising to send a pair to the San Francisco Zoo in April, with their arrival expected in 2025.
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