Two new pandas have arrived in San Diego! That’s right, our lovable bamboo munchers, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, have made their big debut at the San Diego Zoo.
In a press release on Friday, June 28, the San Diego Zoo announced the safe arrival of the giant pandas, who are currently getting used to their new digs. Think of it as a celebrity quarantine, but way cuter and fluffier.
“Yun Chuan and Xin Bao will spend the next several weeks acclimating to their new home in a private habitat at the San Diego Zoo and won’t be viewable to the public during this time,” the statement read. In other words, they’re off-limits for now, but can you blame them? Moving is stressful enough without thousands of eyes watching your every move.
The zoo mentioned that expert wildlife health and care teams are keeping a close eye on our panda pals to decide when they’re ready for their grand entrance. “We look forward to sharing more information — including a date and how to see the beloved pandas — as soon as it becomes available,” they added.
Yun Chuan and Xin Bao are making history as the first pandas to step into the U.S. in the last 21 years. Feels like a homecoming, doesn’t it?
During their departure from China, a grand ceremony was held to bid these two farewell. Featuring a U.S. delegation including leaders from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and other conservation bigwigs, it was like the Oscars but for pandas. Glamorous!
This whole excitement traces back to February when the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA) inked a “cooperative agreement” with the China Wildlife Conservation Association. This agreement paved the way for the return of giant pandas to the San Diego Zoo, the first since sending Bai Yun and Xiao Liw back to China in 2019.
As the officials piped at the time, the idea was that a male and female panda would arrive before the summer ends. It’s official folks, summer plans just got a lot more panda-licious!
Yun Chuan is described as an almost five-year-old male panda with quite the lineage. Fun fact: His mother, Zhen Zhen, was born at the San Diego Zoo in 2007, marking her as the fourth panda ever born there. Talk about keeping it in the family!
On the other paw (pun totally intended), Xin Bao is a nearly four-year-old female whose name signifies “precious treasure of prosperity and abundance.” Xin Bao, we couldn’t agree more!
So hold tight, clear those calendar dates for a future panda-viewing escapade, and stay tuned for more fluffy updates!
