Giant pandas are coming back to the National Zoo in Washington
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute announced on Wednesday it will welcome a new pair of giant pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao to the Zoo by the end of the year. This comes months after the zoo returned three bears, Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and Xiao Qi Ji, to China.
Bao Li (BOW-lee) is a 2-year-old male. His mother Bao Bao was born at the institute in 2013 and his grandparents Tian Tian and Mei Xiang lived at National Zoo from 2000 to 2023. Qing Bao (ching-BOW) is a 2-year-old female born to Qing Qing and her mother Jia Mei.
China's Wildlife Conservation Association announced in February that it was working with the National Zoo on arrangements that could bring more pandas back to the U.S., including the San Diego Zoo.
Giant pandas are icons in Washington, D.C. For more than five decades, the National Zoo has created and maintained one of the world’s foremost giant panda conservation programs, helping move the panda from “endangered” to “vulnerable” on the global list of species at risk of extinction.
Where do giant pandas live?
Central China, home to the only natural habitat for giant pandas, owns most of the world's giant pandas. According to the World Wildlife Foundation, 1,864 pandas are alive today.
Timeline of panda diplomacy in the U.S.
Pandas have been a symbol of diplomacy between the U.S. and China since 1972 when China gifted a pair to the National Zoo in Washington. Lending pandas to zoos across the U.S. and other countries also encourages reproduction and helps save the giant pandas from extinction.
Four zoos in the U.S. have hosted pandas since 1972.
Zoos that host pandas outside China usually agree to send cubs back before they turn 4 and send adults back when they are elderly.
San Diego Zoo receiving giant pandas
The San Diego Zoo is preparing to receive Yun Chuan and Xin Bao. The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said its caretakers recently visited China to meet with the China Wildlife Conservation Association and the giant pandas.
Yun Chuan is a nearly 5-year-old male panda. He is described as mild-mannered, gentle and lovable. His mother, Zhen Zhen, was born at San Diego Zoo in 2007 to parents Bai Yun and Gao Gao. Xin Bao is a nearly 4-year-old female giant panda who was born in Wolong Shenshuping Panda Base. She is described as a gentle and witty introvert with a sweet round face and big ears. The date of Yun Chuan and Xin Bao’s arrival in San Diego is not yet known.
SOURCE Paste BN Network reporting and research; IUCN; World Wildlife Federation; Pandas International; Smithsonian’s National Zoo; Reuters