Two giant pandas have made their debut at San Diego Zoo, California, after months of preparation.
Yun Chuan and Xin Bao were unveiled on Thursday during an opening ceremony attended by hundreds. The pair are the first pandas to enter the United States in 21 years.
Having journeyed nearly 7,000 miles from the mountainous region of Sichuan, the duo are now the stars of San Diego Zoo and its surrounding community.
"We are delighted to introduce Yun Chuan and Xin Bao to the world," said Paul Baribault, president and CEO of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, in a statement.
"Guests will have an opportunity to visit with these remarkable giant pandas, be inspired by their importance, learn about all we do to help conserve them alongside our trusted Chinese partners, and join us to help protect their future."
The move has been described by the zoo's conservationists as "historic."
Yun Chuan is a 5-year-old male. He is no mere visitor— his mother, Zhen Shen, was born at the San Diego Zoo in 2007, and later released into the wild in 2018. Xin Bao is a 4-year-old female.
Both pandas have been on site for around six weeks, acclimatizing to their new habitat. There will be ongoing monitoring of their diet and health to ensure this.
Recent decades have seen an erosion of "panda diplomacy" between the U.S. and China. Beijing has regularly used pandas as a gesture of goodwill toward allies and competitors.
As diplomatic tensions between the two countries have heightened, loan agreements were not renewed and several American zoos have sent pandas back to China.
Until this week, the last remaining ones in the country could only be found in Atlanta (where they have four, including a set of twins born there).
The political significance of this move has not gone unnoticed—the ceremony was attended by Gavin Newsom, governor of California, and by Xie Feng, Chinese ambassador to the United States
"Last November, President Xi Jinping announced in San Francisco that China is ready to continue cooperation with the U.S. on panda conservation," said Feng in his speech.
"The arrival of Yun Chuan and Xin Bao in San Diego as we celebrate the 45th anniversary of our diplomatic ties has sent a clear and important message: China-U.S. cooperation on panda conservation will not cease, our people-to-people exchanges and subnational cooperation will not stop, and, once opened, the door of China-U.S. friendship will not be shut again."
Yun Chuan and Xin Bao have been welcomed into a completely refurbished, brand new enclosure.
Four times the size of the zoo's former panda habitat, the space called "Panda Ridge" takes inspiration from China's iconic geological landmarks. Its lush surrounding vegetation and varied topography seeks to recreate the feel of mountains, canyons, and cliffs. Varieties of fresh bamboo are also in ample supply.
California-based artist and Obey Clothing founder Shepard Fairey, who created former President Barack Obama's iconic "Hope" campaign poster in 2008, was present to reveal a commemorative artwork.
Titled "Friendship Across the Earth," the portrait features Bai Yun—a panda who lived at the San Diego Zoo for more than 20 years—with the words majesty, respect and conservation.
Panda Ridge was created largely due to donations from Kenneth C. Griffin and Peng Zhao, of Citadel Bank.
For Beijing-born Peng Zhao, the cultural prominence of this even can't be overstated
"I regularly visited the Beijing Zoo to see the pandas as a child," he told Newsweek.
"It is an honor to play a role in protecting this majestic species and sharing Xin Bao and Yun Chuan with the world."
More information about how to visit the pandas is available here.
Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about conservation? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
