When Are Pandas Coming Back to The San Diego Zoo?
Pandas are officially returning to America’s Finest City. Here’s when you’re likely to see pandas coming back to the San Diego Zoo.
A team from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance recently announced that they took a trip to visit the two pandas that will be arriving sometime in the near future. This would mark the first time the zoo will have the bears after the last pair left in 2019.
The two gentle bears are Yun Chuan and Xin Bao. The former panda is nearly five years old, and is described as “mild-mannered, gentle and lovable.” Xin Bao is four years old, and is a female panda that is a “gentle and witty introvert.”
“It was an honor to see Yun Chuan and Xin Bao in person and meet our conservation partners caring for them at the Wolong and Bifengxia Panda Bases,” said Dr. Megan Owen, vice president of conservation science at the zoo’s Wildlife Alliance.
Dr. Owen also pointed in a press release out that Yun Chuan’s family line has “deep connections to the San Diego Zoo.” The giant panda’s mother, Zhen Zhen, was born at the San Diego Zoo in 2007.
The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance team were visiting conservation partners in China. In addition to meeting the two giant pandas in person, the team also discussed potential research programs to protect giant pandas and their habitats.
But when are the giant pandas coming back to the San Diego Zoo? The Wildlife Alliance notes that there is no firm set date yet. However, the organization added that it is currently working through next steps, and is anticipating a prospective arrival date sometime this summer.
Media credit: Image courtesy of sandiegozoo.org
Mike Peterson is a writer, editor, and strategist based in San Diego. When he’s not writing and editing the La Jolla news, you can often find him practicing yoga, rock climbing, or exploring the outdoors with his wife and dog.
