A pair of pandas that arrived from China late last month are settling in well into their new home at the San Diego Zoo and will make their much-awaited public debut next month.
Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, who are the first pandas from China to arrive in the U.S. in 21 years, according to the San Diego Zoo, will be debuting on Thursday, August 8, the zoo said Friday. At the time of their arrival, the zoo had said that a wildlife care team will determine when the two would be able to come in front of the public.
Since their arrival, the pair has been acclimating to their home in the newly reimagined Panda Ridge, an "innovative space is four times larger than the San Diego Zoo’s previous panda habitat." The new enclosure is "inspired by famous geological formations in China, emulating mountains, canyons, and cliffs," San Diego Zoo said, adding that 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."
President and CEO of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Paul Baribault, in a statement Friday, said the zoo is "delighted to introduce Yun Chuan and Xin Bao to our San Diego Zoo community” and that he hopes the new residents "will bring joy to our visitors and symbolize the enduring spirit of international conservation efforts."
San Diego is offering three ways for guests to experience giant pandas:
Xin Bao (pronounced sin bao) is a 4-year-old female and the zoo describes her as active, alert and witty, adding that she is superb climber. Xin Bao's name means “new treasure of prosperity and abundance,” according to the San Diego Zoo.
The zoo said guests may be able to spot Xin Bao pretty easily due to her large, round face and big ears that give her a unique look.
Yun Chuan (pronounced yoon chu-ahn), who is almost five years old, has familial ties to the San Diego Zoo. His maternal grandmother, Bai Yun, as well as his grandfather, Gao Gao, both stayed at the San Diego Zoo in the early 2000s. His mother, Zhen Zhen, was born at the zoo in 2007.
Yun Chuan name means "cloud" and "big river," alluding to the place in China he's from − Sichuan, according to the San Diego Zoo. Altogether, his name means “big river of cloud,” a reminder of the “flowing clouds that often shroud the forests where giant pandas live in the mountains of southwestern China,” the zoo said.
He can be easily identified by his long, pointy nose, the zoo said.
Yun Chuan and Xin Bao are not the only giant pandas who will be coming to the U.S.
In May, the Smithsonian National Zoo said it will get one male and one female panda from China sometime before the end of 2024. The 2-year-old male, Bao Li, is the grandson of Tian Tian and Mei Xiang, the two pandas who left the National Zoo to return to China in November. The female, Qing Bao, is also 2-years-old.
San Francisco zoogoers also celebrated in April, when the city's zoo said it will get two more pandas from China sometime in 2025.
Contributing: Claire Thornton, Saleen Martin, USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @saman_shafiq7.
2024-12-25 21:372135 view
2024-12-25 21:012939 view
2024-12-25 21:01513 view
2024-12-25 20:402961 view
2024-12-25 19:551635 view
Michael Bublécan’t shake off the memories he made at the Eras Tour.The Voicecoach attended the final
America’s electric power industry is angling to get some of the 200,000 troops that return annually
Miley Cyrus isn't looking to take a wrecking ball to her past.The Hannah Montana star recently got c