Meet the ‘gentle’ pandas on their way from China to a California zoo

Two giant pandas will soon make their way from China to San Diego, California.

Imminent new additions Yun Chuan and Xin Bao can be seen in an adorable video and photos released by San Diego Zoo. The two are munching on bamboo, basking in the greenery and being their roly-poly panda selves.

Zoo staff recently visited the pandas and conservationists at China Wildlife Conservation Association in preparation for the pandas’ big move to the Golden State. The exact date of their arrival hasn’t been announced.

“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 Megan Owen, vice president of conservation science at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, in an April 29 news release.

Yun Chuan, an almost 5-year-old male panda, is described as “mild-mannered, gentle and lovable,” according to the zoo. Xin Bao is a female who is almost 4 years old. She is described as a “gentle and witty introvert with a sweet round face and big ears.”

Yun Chuan is somewhat of a panda legacy at the San Diego Zoo, soon making his return to his family’s old home. His grandparents lived there in the early 2000s, with his mother being born at the zoo in 2007.

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and leading conservation institutions in China have been working together for nearly 30 years to protect and help recover the world’s giant panda population. These efforts led the way for the giant panda’s downgrade from “Endangered” to “Vulnerable” status in 2021.

But, there is still plenty of work to be done. San Diego Zoo’s ongoing relationship with the China Wildlife Conservation Association is an essential piece of that, according to the zoo.

“Our partnership over the decades has served as a powerful example of how, when we work together, we can achieve what was once thought to be impossible,” said Owen. “We have a shared goal of creating a sustainable future for giant pandas.”