“Panda diplomacy” has returned to the United States in earnest — with San Diego leading the way.
The San Diego Zoo announced on Tuesday that it has launched its giant panda live cameras, which will allow anyone in the world to watch Xin Bao and Sun Chuan in their habitats at any time.
“Xin Bao and Yun Chuan have acclimated beautifully to their expansive, bamboo-filled homes and now their playful antics and natural behaviors can be observed from anywhere, offering a unique glimpse into the lives of these charismatic giants,” said a statement from the zoo.
Xin Bao, a four-year-old female panda born at Wolong Shenshuping Panda Base, can be recognized by her large, round face and big ears.
“She is very active and alert and is an excellent climber,” the zoo said.
Yun Chuan, a five-year-old male, is the grandson of Bai Yun and Gao Gao, the two giant pandas that lived at the San Diego Zoo for decades. His mother Zhen Zhen was born at the Zoo in 2007.
He is identifiable by his long and slightly pointed nose, the zoo said.
Meanwhile, more pandas are coming to the USA.
Eleven months after Washington, DC’s National Zoo sent its three wildly popular pandas — Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and their cub Xiao Qi Ji — back to China, a new pair of bears are due to arrive.
The pair of three-year old giant pandas, named Bao Li and Qing Bao, left a research facility in the southwestern Chinese city of Dujiangyan for Washington, according to a statement by the China Wildlife Conservation Association.
“Food prepared for the trip includes corn bread, bamboo and carrots, as well as water and medicine,” the statement said, adding that the partnership will “make new contributions in protecting global biodiversity and enhance the friendship of the people from the two countries.”
Bao Li (precious vigor) and Qing Bao (green treasure) arrive in Washington as part of a new ten-year agreement with Chinese authorities. The previous deal expired last year, leading to some concern among American panda-lovers that Beijing was gradually pulling its furry friendship ambassadors from American zoos amid rising diplomatic tensions.
The breeding pair at the Memphis Zoo had been returned to China in April 2023, and the four pandas in the Atlanta zoo left for China last week.
Anxiety gave way to optimism last November when Chinese President Xi Jinping publicly stated a desire to continue the panda exchange programs. This year, the San Diego Zoo received a pair of pandas, while another pair has been promised to San Francisco.
In Washington, National Zoo officials remained conspicuously silent about negotiations for a new panda agreement, but they expressed optimism about striking a new deal and launched a multimillion-dollar renovation of its panda enclosure in anticipation. Then in late May, zoo director Brandie Smith teamed up with first lady Jill Biden to announce that Bao Li and Qing Bao would be arriving by the end of this year.
The Chinese announcement said the National Zoo had sent “three experienced keepers and veterinary experts” to China to assist the transport and accompany the bears.
The exact terms of the deal are still unclear; under previous ten-year agreements the Chinese government receives $1 million per year, per bear. Any cubs born in overseas zoos are typically returned to China before they reach age four.
Pandas have become one of the unofficial symbols of the nation’s capital, dating back to 1972 when the first pair — Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing — were sent as a gift from Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai following President Richard Nixon’s historic diplomatic visit to China. Later, a rolling series of ten-year cooperation agreements was struck between the two countries.
Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, credited the decades of cooperation with advancing research into panda preservation and breeding. During the lifespan of these agreements, giant pandas have been reclassified from an endangered species to merely vulnerable.
“The current round of cooperation will focus on prevention and treatment of major diseases, and protection of habitats and wild giant panda populations,” Liu said in an email. “We hope the arrival of the pandas will inject fresh impetus into exchanges between China and the U.S., and help to stabilize the broader bilateral relationship as well.”
Once the bears arrive in Washington, there will likely be an extended quarantine and acclimation period before they are introduced to the public.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
