Pair of giant pandas set to travel from China to San Diego Zoo

SAN DIEGO– A pair of giant pandas will soon make the journey from China to the US, where they will be cared for at the San Diego Zoo as part of an ongoing conservation partnership between the two countries, officials said Monday.

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said its keepers recently visited China to meet giant pandas Yun Chuan and Xin Bao ahead of their planned trip to Southern California. An exact date for the transfer has not yet been determined.

Yun Chuan, a mild-mannered man almost five years old, has “deep ties” to California, the Nature Alliance said. His mother, Zhen Zhen, was born in 2007 at the San Diego Zoo to parents Bai Yun and Gao Gao.

Xin Bao is an almost four-year-old female who is described as “a gentle and witty introvert with a sweet round face and big ears.”

“Our conservation partners in China shared photos and personality traits of Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, but meeting them in person was so special,” said Dr. Megan Owen, the alliance’s vice president of conservation sciences. “It’s inspiring when people from around the world come together to preserve, protect and care for these special bears, and we can’t wait to welcome them to San Diego.”

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has a nearly 30-year partnership with leading conservation agencies in China, focused on protecting and restoring giant pandas and the bamboo forests they depend on.