Panda pair from China to debut at U.S. San Diego Zoo next month

A photo released by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance on July 19, 2024 shows Yun Chuan, an almost five-year-old male panda, at his new home at the San Diego Zoo in San Diego, California, the United States. The panda pair that arrived at the San Diego Zoo from China earlier this summer will make their eagerly-awaited public debut on August 8, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced on Friday. (San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance/Handout via Xinhua)

LOS ANGELES, July 19 (Xinhua) -- The panda pair that arrived at the San Diego Zoo from China earlier this summer will make their eagerly-awaited public debut on August 8, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced on Friday.

Yun Chuan and Xin Bao landed in California from China on June 27 for a 10-year international giant panda protection cooperation with San Diego Zoo, marking a new round of such collaboration between the two nations. The two are the first pandas to enter the United States in 21 years.

"We are delighted to introduce Yun Chuan and Xin Bao to our San Diego Zoo community," said Paul Baribault, President and CEO of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance in a press release, adding that "our newest residents will bring joy to our visitors and symbolize the enduring spirit of international conservation efforts."

"Together with our partners, we continue to make significant strides in ensuring a hopeful future for this iconic species," he added.

Yun Chuan is an almost five-year-old male identifiable by his long, pointy nose. In 2007, his mother, Zhen Zhen, was the fourth cub born at the San Diego Zoo. Xin Bao is a nearly four-year-old female best recognized by her large, round face and big, fluffy ears.

Since their arrival in late June, the pair has been acclimating to their home in the newly re-imagined Panda Ridge, said the zoo.

The innovative space is four times larger than the San Diego Zoo's previous panda habitat and inspired by famous geological formations in China, emulating mountains, canyons and cliffs. It features new shade trees for climbing, a diverse array of plants, and rolling hillsides that allow Yun Chuan and Xin Bao to navigate and explore vertically, according to the zoo.

On Friday, the zoo also released the first video of the two pandas as they continue settling into their new home.

"Not only is the space of the new panda habitat much larger, but also the comfort of panda habitat and the experience of tourists are considered," said Ling Shanshan, a Chinese expert from China, who is helping a local team keeping a close eye on the pandas' health, tracking their weight, appetite and other health indicators on daily basis to ensure they thrive in their new environment.

"The new home helps visitors gain a deeper understanding of panda life," she noted.

San Diego Zoo, one of the most visited zoo in the country, is the first U.S. zoo to have a cooperative conservation program with Chinese partners. Located north of downtown San Diego in Balboa Park, it is home to more than 12,000 rare and endangered animals representing over 680 species and subspecies.

The panda pair were selected from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP), which has conducted scientific research cooperation with San Diego Zoo for over 25 years, with fruitful results in the protection, breeding and disease control of giant pandas, and related public education.

Giant pandas are one of the world's most endangered species. Nearly 1,900 pandas live in the wild, mostly in the provinces of Sichuan and Shaanxi in China, rising from 1,100 in the 1980s. 

A photo released by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance on July 19, 2024 shows Xin Bao, a nearly four-year-old female panda, at her new home at the San Diego Zoo in San Diego, California, the United States. The panda pair that arrived at the San Diego Zoo from China earlier this summer will make their eagerly-awaited public debut on August 8, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced on Friday. (San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance/Handout via Xinhua)

A photo released by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance on July 19, 2024 shows Yun Chuan, an almost five-year-old male panda, at his new home at the San Diego Zoo in San Diego, California, the United States. The panda pair that arrived at the San Diego Zoo from China earlier this summer will make their eagerly-awaited public debut on August 8, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced on Friday. (San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance/Handout via Xinhua)

A photo released by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance on July 19, 2024 shows Xin Bao, a nearly four-year-old female panda, at her new home at the San Diego Zoo in San Diego, California, the United States. The panda pair that arrived at the San Diego Zoo from China earlier this summer will make their eagerly-awaited public debut on August 8, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced on Friday. (San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance/Handout via Xinhua)