A pair of pandas is excitedly making their American debut.
Recently, two giant pandas from China have arrived at the San Diego Zoo, coinciding with the grand reopening of their exhibit on August 8.
The pandas, Xin Bao and Yun Chuan, will inhabit the zoo’s newly revamped and expanded Panda Ridge, themed after the landscapes found in their natural habitats across Sichuan, Gansu, and Shanxi provinces, according to details on the zoo’s official website.
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The bears, marking the first arrival of their kind in the U.S. in 21 years, were reported to have arrived safely on June 27.
Nearly 5-year-old male Yun Chuan can be recognized by his elongated, slightly pointed nose.
This image, provided by the San Diego Zoo, features male giant panda Yun Chuan on April 25, 2024, in Sichuan province, China. (Ken Bohn/San Diego Zoo via AP)
His mother, Zhen Zhen, was born at the San Diego Zoo in 2007. Although Yun Chuan is lively, he is also described as being quite gentle, as noted by the zoo.
Xin Bao, a nearly 4-year-old female, is distinguished by her round face and fluffy ears.
Her name, Xin Bao, translates to “precious treasure of prosperity and abundance,” and she is characterized as “very active, alert, clever, and an exceptional climber.”
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The arrival of the pandas is the result of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s three-decade partnership with Chinese conservationists aimed at the protection and recovery of giant pandas and their bamboo forests.
“By combining our efforts, we’re rejuvenating populations and ensuring healthy ecosystems, enabling giant pandas to flourish,” proclaims the zoo on its website.
This image from the Xinhua News Agency shows female giant panda Xin Bao on a tree at the Bifengxia Panda Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Yanan, Sichuan Province, on April 18, 2024. (Xue Chen/Xinhua via AP, File)
“In this exciting new phase of our collaboration, we are focusing on enhancing overall health and resilience in populations at risk of extinction and reducing genetic diversity loss,” the statement elaborated.
‘Hope and Prosperity’
Global efforts for species conservation have been prioritized since the population of these bears started declining in the 1990s.
The San Diego Zoo created an alliance with China to “transform panda recovery from a precarious future to one filled with hope and prosperity,” as highlighted by the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance in a June publication.
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The zoo introduced its first giant pandas in 1996 and has since made significant breakthroughs in understanding the reproductive behavior, physiology, health, genetics, nutrition, and habitat requirements of these animals, according to zoo sources.
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“We innovated a specialized giant panda milk formula, along with other neonatal methods that significantly improved survival rates of nursery-raised cubs from below 10% to over 90%,” the zoo detailed in an article.
This image from the Xinhua News Agency shows giant panda Yun Chuan enjoying a meal at the Bifengxia Panda Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Yanan, Sichuan Province, on April 18, 2024. (Xue Chen/Xinhua via AP, File)
In 1999, the alliance achieved the landmark milestone of the first successful artificial insemination of a giant panda outside of China.
Subsequently, the pandas, alongside their U.S.-born cubs, were returned to China upon the conclusion of their 12-year loan period.
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In 2016, the conservation status of giant pandas was upgraded from endangered to vulnerable.
Now, the offspring of pandas previously raised at San Diego are set to return to the U.S. to assist conservation initiatives.
The San Diego Zoo established an alliance with China to “transform panda recovery from an uncertain future into one of hope and prosperity,” as stated by the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance in June. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)
Visitors to the San Diego Zoo can view the pandas free of charge or sign up for a special early-morning walking tour, which includes an expert guide and exclusive viewing opportunities.
As of February 2024, Zoo Atlanta stands as the only other U.S. establishment with giant pandas, including the first panda twins born in the country in 25 years, as per the AP.
Giant pandas Yun Chuan (left) and Xin Bao (right) will reside in the freshly renovated and expanded Panda Ridge at the San Diego Zoo, designed to reflect the scenery of their native habitats in Sichuan, Gansu, and Shanxi provinces. (AP)
The National Zoo in Washington, D.C., anticipates the arrival of two young giant pandas by late 2024, as reported by Reuters in May.
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This news comes just a few months after the zoo sent three bears back to China in November 2023 amid rising U.S.-China tensions.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance for their comments.
