Most visitors know how famous the San Diego Zoo is, but I always get asked one particular question.
Does the San Diego Zoo currently have pandas? Until now, the answer has been no, as the most recent famous black-and-white bear returned to China in 2019. Fast forward five years and we have exciting news: pandas are returning to the San Diego Zoo!
Are they coming back?
Two pandas have arrived safely from China and will spend some time acclimating before being shown to zoo guests. They are Yun Chuan, a male who is almost 5 years old, and Xin Bao, a female who is about to turn 4.
Yun Chuan has a special connection to the San Diego Zoo. He is the son of Bai Yun and Gao Gao, born in 2007. Xin Bao was born at the Wulong Senshuping Panda Base. (We went to the former Wulong Hetaoping Panda Base, which was destroyed in the 2008 Chengdu earthquake.)
The zoo has long collaborated with Wulong to study panda breeding and parenting. As a result, panda births have increased over the past decade, upgrading the species from endangered to vulnerable.
Learn more about the zoo's adorable new pair of pandas.
Hello, Yunchuan and Xinbao
![Yunchuan eats bamboo.](https://lajollamom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Yun_Chuan_01.jpg)
The new pandas at the San Diego Zoo are the first pandas to come to the United States in 21 years. It’s a big deal. A few days before they left for their trip, they had a farewell ceremony at the China Giant Panda Conservation and Research Center in Sichuan Province (where we’ve visited a few times). In attendance were Paul Baribald, president and CEO of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria.
Once the pandas safely arrive in San Diego and are acclimated to their new surroundings, the public will have the chance to welcome them in person. There is no set date yet, but it is likely to debut in the fall of 2024.
Yun Chuan's name is in honor of his grandmother Bai Yun, who lived at the San Diego Zoo for over 20 years. He is known to be gentle, kind, and loving – everything you would expect from this large, graceful creature.
![Xinbao is climbing a tree in China.](https://lajollamom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Xin_Bao_01.jpg)
The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Coalition describes Xin Bao as a gentle, witty, introvert with a sweet, round face and big ears. Her name aptly translates as “New Treasure of Prosperity and Abundance.”
The Giant Panda’s happy return to the San Diego Zoo coincides with the 30th anniversary of a hugely successful conservation partnership between the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and the China Wildlife Conservation Association. And what a way to celebrate!
Ongoing collaborations have resulted in groundbreaking reproductive and neonatal preservation technologies that have dramatically improved the survival rate of cubs raised in orphanages, including the development of giant panda milk formula. Survival rates have increased from less than 10% to over 90%.
This makes Yun Chuan and Xin Bao’s arrival even more special. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more.
History of the San Diego Zoo Giant Panda
![A panda at the San Diego Zoo eats bamboo.](https://lajollamom.com/wp-content/w3-webp/uploads/2016/11/san-diego-zoo-breakfast-pandas.jpgw3.webp)
It’s been decades since the San Diego Zoo gained a reputation as a giant panda haven. The first pandas, Bashi and Yuan Yuan, didn’t arrive in San Diego until 1987.
It was supposed to be a short visit of 100 days, but Panda attracted a whopping 2 million viewers. They ended up staying twice as long.
But the San Diego panda story didn't end there. Bai Yun (newcomer Yun Chuan's grandmother) and Shi Shi arrived in 1996.
As the zoo’s website explains, the initial contract involved “a lot of hassle and a ton of paperwork” and a 12-year loan from the Chinese government. The loan was extended twice, and Bai Yun lived at the zoo for 23 years thanks to her success as a panda mom.
The San Diego Zoo developed a special Giant Panda Research Station habitat to house the pandas, which can still be seen in the zoo's Asian Passage area.
See also: The Unexpected Origins of the San Diego Zoo
Baby pandas born at the San Diego Zoo
The first panda cub born at the San Diego Zoo was named Huamei (China, USA) in 1999. Born via artificial insemination, she was also the first panda born in the United States and survived to adulthood.
She was truly amazing and the reason people like me visit the San Diego Zoo regularly. It was fun to watch her evolve from a wide-eyed baby to an adult, jumping around the enclosure.
The first panda cub is always special.
But Shishi and Bai Yun were not a match of enthusiasm, partly because Shishi was older than the pundits had initially predicted, so he returned to China, and in 2003 Gao Gao replaced Shishi as Bai Yun's partner.
It was a match. Bai Yun gave birth to five more cubs: Mei Shen, Su Lin, Zhen Zhen, Yun Zi, and Xiao Liu. (Remember, Zhen Zhen is the mother of our new arrival, Yun Chuan).
These young pandas were born into the world to great joy from zoo staff and visitors alike.
Giant Panda Conservation Program Success Story
![A panda with its paws up in a tree at the San Diego Zoo.](https://lajollamom.com/wp-content/w3-webp/uploads/2022/06/san-diego-zoo-panda-tree.jpgw3.webp)
When San Diego's giant pandas first arrived long-term at the zoo in 1996, the species was critically endangered in the wild.
Researchers have long wanted to increase panda populations, but have repeatedly encountered difficulties when trying to breed pandas in captivity.
The San Diego Zoo has worked closely with experts in China through the Giant Panda Conservation Program to address these issues. This initiative has taken full advantage of the zoo’s access to pandas to conduct in-depth research to uncover critical reproductive and reproductive issues.
Under the guidance of the Giant Panda Conservation Program, the survival rate of panda cubs has rapidly improved. Intensive research has highlighted the need for twin exchange between cubs and high-quality formula milk for panda cubs. These efforts have enabled more cubs to be produced and young pandas to be saved.
Researchers at the San Diego Zoo quickly shared this information with partners in China and other U.S. zoos and facilities around the world.
The long-term success of this program can be attributed to this international focus. You can read more about it on the Zoo's Science blog.
Why did the Pandas leave San Diego?
The truth is that pandas weren’t expected to stay here forever. In 2019, Bai Yun and Xiao Liu represented the end of that loan program, which had already been extended several times.
The panda's departure was marked by what director Dwight Scott called a “proper celebration”, which included “a huge thank you to the Chinese people for their continued cooperation and our shared conservation efforts in helping to save this amazing species.”
![A panda eating at the San Diego Zoo.](https://lajollamom.com/wp-content/w3-webp/uploads/2022/06/panda-eating-san-diego-zoo.jpgw3.webp)
“We knew when we started the program that these were not our bears and they weren’t going to stay,” explains Dallas Dumont, a former panda keeper at the San Diego Zoo. “China believes in repatriating the animals to their home country and retiring them.”
Skeptics question this position, given that the pandas have stayed long after the original agreement. Brandy Smith, deputy director of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, strongly denies any diplomatic concerns, explaining that a similar loss of Bei Bei, the panda diplomat at the DC Zoo, would ultimately be in the best interest of all parties involved.
That's why Yunchuan and Xinbao's visit to the San Diego Zoo is even more special.
Who else lives in the Asian corridor at the San Diego Zoo?
Even after saying goodbye to the beloved giant panda, the San Diego Zoo continues its panda-centric conservation efforts. You can walk through Asian Passage until a new panda arrives and is ready for the public to enjoy.
Animals of the Asian Passage
Don't forget the red pandas! They now live in the former giant panda habitat in the Asia corridor section of the zoo. Here are some of the animals you can see as you walk through the Asia corridor:
We love the soft serve ice cream at Hua Mei Cones! Located next to Hua Mei Cafe. Both are named after the first panda cubs born at the zoo.
![A red panda walks on a tree branch at the San Diego Zoo.](https://lajollamom.com/wp-content/w3-webp/uploads/2022/06/san-diego-zoo-red-panda.jpgw3.webp)
Where are other zoos that have pandas?
If you love giant pandas, you can get up close and personal at Zoo Atlanta’s Panda Pagoda. It’s currently the only zoo in the United States that keeps pandas, with the San Diego Zoo being the second.
Tip: Watch archive footage of the San Diego Zoo pandas.
Save money on tickets
The San Diego Zoo has always been one of Southern California's most iconic attractions, even before the pandas' happy return.
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park, a sister park located 45 minutes north of the Escondido Zoo, also offers plenty of opportunities to connect with nature.
Stop by one (or both!) of these destinations and discover the pure joy of being surrounded by wildlife. There’s no better way to spend a fun-filled day in San Diego.
You don't have to pay the full price because you can get a discount. Tickets are valid for one year from the date of purchase. Get ready for the panda!
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