On July 19, the San Diego Zoo announced that giant pandas “Yunchuan” and “Xinbao” will be introduced to the public on August 8. Paul Baribault, President and CEO of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, expressed his excitement, stating, “We are thrilled to present these two giant pandas to the public. Our newest residents, ‘Yunchuan’ and ‘Xinbao,’ will bring joy to visitors and represent the long-standing spirit of international wildlife conservation cooperation. We will continue to work with our partners to ensure a hopeful future for this iconic species.”
“Yunchuan” and “Xinbao” were transported from the Bifengxia Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Ya’an, Sichuan, to the San Diego Zoo via a chartered flight in late June. Under the careful care of a Sino-American expert team, the two pandas have successfully completed their three-week quarantine period, adapted to their new environment and local bamboo, and are in good health.
Their new home at the San Diego Zoo has been renovated based on the existing panda habitat, with technical guidance from Chinese experts. The design of “Giant Panda Ridge” was inspired by the landscapes and topographical features of mountains in Sichuan, Gansu, and Shaanxi, while also incorporating geographical elements of San Diego. The new habitat showcases mountain features and simulates the natural environment of giant pandas. The zoo claims that “this innovative space is four times larger than the zoo’s previous giant panda habitat.”
The San Diego Zoo is one of the most visited zoos in the United States and was the first American institution to collaborate with China on giant panda research. With “Yunchuan” and “Xinbao” settling in, a new chapter in Sino-American giant panda conservation cooperation officially begins.
