The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA) signed a ‘cooperative agreement’ with the China Wildlife Conservation Association to send new pandas to San Diego in February

Two new pandas have arrived in San Diego!

The San Diego Zoo announced that giant pandas Yun Chuan and Xin Bao have safely reached their new home and are currently “acclimating to their new home.”.

Yun Chuan and Xin Bao will spend the next few weeks in a private area at the zoo, adjusting to their new environment. During this period, they won’t be visible to the public as they are being closely monitored by the zoo’s expert wildlife health and care teams. When these teams deem the pandas ready, the public will be informed about when and how they can see these beloved animals.

These pandas are the first to come to the U.S. in over 21 years, marking a significant milestone in the zoo’s history.

The zoo shared in a recent press release that China bid farewell to the pandas during a special ceremony. Representatives from the United States, including leaders from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and other conservationists, were present.

Back in February, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA) announced a cooperative agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association to bring new pandas to San Diego. This agreement marked an important step in returning giant pandas to the zoo after the last ones, Bai Yun and Xiao Liw, were sent back to China in 2019.

Zoo officials indicated that they were expecting a male and a female bear to arrive by the end of the summer.

According to the zoo, Yun Chuan is a nearly five-year-old male panda whose mother, Zhen Zhen, was born at the San Diego Zoo in 2007. She was the fourth panda born there. Xin Bao, on the other hand, is almost four years old and her name means ‘precious treasure of prosperity and abundance.’