For the first time in 21 years, two giant pandas made the 6,000-mile journey from China to the San Diego Zoo. The California zoo welcomed Yun Chuan, a 5-year-old male, and Xin Bao, a 4-year-old female on August 8. Zookeepers are working closely with Chinese experts to ensure that the two pandas feel safe and comfortable in their new home.
With only about 1,800 left in the wild, pandas are vulnerable to extinction. So zoos play a key role in the species’ survival. The Chinese government’s “panda diplomacy” program lends pandas to zoos around the world. Any offspring are sent back to China before they reach 3 years of age. It’s part of a global effort to build panda populations and learn how to protect the species as well as the habitats they live in.
This is just the beginning. More pandas are heading to the U.S. by the end of 2025! The Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C., and the San Francisco Zoo, in California, are preparing for their own panda-monium!