San Diego Zoo to welcome pair of giant pandas from China

• A pair of giant pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, will be transferred from China to the San Diego Zoo as part of a conservation partnership.
• Caretakers from the San Diego Zoo recently visited China to meet the pandas ahead of their journey.
• The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has a long-standing partnership with Chinese conservation institutions.

A pair of giant pandas will soon make the journey from China to the U.S., where they will be cared for at the San Diego Zoo as part of an ongoing conservation partnership between the two nations, officials said Monday.

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said its caretakers recently visited China to meet the giant pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, ahead of their planned trip to Southern California. An exact date for the handoff hasn’t been set.

Yun Chuan, a mild-mannered male who’s nearly 5 years old, has “deep connections” to California, the wildlife alliance said. His mother, Zhen Zhen, was born at the San Diego Zoo in 2007 to parents Bai Yun and Gao Gao.

OUTSIDE OF CHINA, PANDAS ARE ONLY FOUND IN THESE 5 ZOOS AROUND THE WORLD

Xin Bao is a nearly 4-year-old female described as “a gentle and witty introvert with a sweet round face and big ears.”

This photo shows the giant panda Yun Chuan on April 25, 2024, in the Sichuan province of China. A pair of giant pandas will soon make the journey from China to the U.S., where they will be cared for at the San Diego Zoo as part of an ongoing conservation partnership between the two nations, officials said on April 29. (Ken Bohn/San Diego Zoo via AP)

“Our conservation partners in China shared photographs and personality traits of Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, but meeting them in person was so special,” said Dr. Megan Owen, the alliance’s vice president of conservation science. “It’s inspiring as people from around the world come together to conserve, protect, and care for these special bears, and we can’t wait to welcome them to San Diego.”

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.