San Diego Zoo Shares First Video of Its 2 New Pandas from China

The San Diego Zoo announced on Friday, July 19, that its new pandas will be making their public debut on August 8.

In a press release from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA), the zoo shared the first video of the new pandas Yun Chuan and Xin Bao as they acclimate to their new home. In the video, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao are both seen eating bamboo and exploring Panda Ridge, their new habitat at the San Diego Zoo. 

"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, the non-profit organization that runs the zoo.

"Our newest residents will bring joy to our visitors and symbolize the enduring spirit of international conservation efforts," Baribault continued. "Together with our partners, we continue to make significant strides in ensuring a hopeful future for this iconic species."

The pandas arrived to San Diego safely from China on June 28, and the SDZWA said they would spend the “next several weeks acclimating to their new home in a private habitat at the San Diego Zoo,” in a press release. 

“[The pandas] won’t be viewable to the public during this time,” the statement said. “They are being monitored closely by expert wildlife health and care teams who will determine when the pair are ready to meet the public.”

The zoo shared that Yun Chuan “is an almost 5-year-old male” panda and his mother Zhen Zhen was actually born at the San Diego Zoo back in 2007. The second panda Xin Bao “is a nearly 4-year-old female whose name means ‘precious treasure of prosperity and abundance.’ ”

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Yun Chuan and Xin Bao are the first new pandas to enter the U.S. in 21 years. 

Back in February, the SDZWA announced that they signed “a new cooperative agreement” with the China Wildlife Conservation Association to bring new pandas to San Diego after they had to send their last two pandas Bai Yun and Xiao Liw back to China in 2019. 

“We are humbled by the potential opportunity of continuing our collaborative conservation efforts to secure the future for giant pandas,” said Dr. Megan Owen, vice president of Conservation Science.

“[The] San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is taking important steps to ensure we are prepared for a potential return," Owen added. "This includes sharing our detailed conservation plans with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to ensure alignment for the greater benefit of giant pandas.”

The release also said that there is “much work needed to ensure [pandas] remain on the path to recovery with healthy and flourishing populations.”

They also confirmed that the “collaboration between SDZWA and Chinese research partners” will continue to play “a meaningful role in China’s efforts to bring the iconic and beloved giant panda back from the brink of extinction.”