Giant Pandas Are Returning to San Diego Zoo and People Are Ecstatic
It's a happy day at the San Diego Zoo in California. The zoo announced the relocation of not one but two Giant Pandas to their facilities. The zoo will be receiving the pandas from China, as part of a conservator partnership between the two.
The zoo made the announcement online, including TikTok, where they showed clips of their soon-to-be residents Yun Chuan and Xin Bao.
The clip proudly proclaimed that the Giant Pandas will be making their way to southern California, although it's still unclear when that will happen as they are waiting for approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Related: San Francisco Zoo Is About To Get First Giant Pandas in Decades
According to the Associated Press, caretakers with the American zoo recently went to China to visit the Giant Pandas.
On TikTok, the zoo gave us just a sneak peak into the pandas' different personalities.
"Yun Chuan is a nearly five-year-old male giant panda described as mild-mannered, gentle, and lovable," they explained online. "His mother, Zhen Zhen (pronounced jen jen), was born at San Diego Zoo in 2007 to parents Bai Yun (pronounced bye yoon) and Gao Gao (pronounced gow gow)."
"Xin Bao is a nearly four-year-old female giant panda described as a gentle and witty introvert with a sweet round face and big ears," they added. "Her name means a 'new treasure of prosperity and abundance.'"
Dr. Megan Owen, the alliance’s vice president of conservation science, told the AP their partners in China had shared photos and videos of the animals in the past, "but meeting them in person was so special,” she said.
Online, people in the comments section were so ready for Yun Chuan and Zhen Zhen to come to the United States. "Brb booking my flight to San Diego," joked one person. "Honey come quick, San Diego Zoo just dropped new pandas," someone else kidded. "I haven't screamed so loud in a long time. This is amazing news!" someone else cheered.
The exchange has been a longtime in the making. The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is a nearly 30-year partnership with institutions in China. Together they focus on preserving and taking care of pandas who've been forced from their natural habitats. It's ultimately a move that Owen hopes will get more people to understand and care about these gentle creatures.
“It’s inspiring as people from around the world come together to conserve, protect, and care for these special bears," she said. "And we can’t wait to welcome them to San Diego."
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