In a move to foster diplomatic ties, China is set to dispatch a novel duo of colossal pandas to the San Diego Zoo. This initiative marks a renewed expression of goodwill towards the United States, following the repatriation of almost all renowned pandas on loan to U.S. zoos amid escalating tensions between the two nations.
San Diego Zoo authorities conveyed to The Associated Press that pending approval of permits and other prerequisites, a male and a female panda are anticipated to grace the zoo’s premises by the conclusion of summer, approximately five years post the zoo’s repatriation of its previous panda residents to China.
Megan Owen, spokesperson for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and Vice President of Wildlife Conservation Science, expressed anticipation and excitement, stating, “They’ve demonstrated a substantial eagerness to re-establish panda collaboration, commencing with the San Diego Zoo.”
In November, Chinese President Xi Jinping kindled optimism regarding the resumption of panda dispatches to the U.S., following his face-to-face meeting with President Joe Biden in Northern California. This encounter aimed to alleviate tensions between the two nations.
Megan Owen, well-versed in panda behavior and having worked in both San Diego and China, disclosed that China is contemplating a pair, one of which is a female descendant of Bai Yun and Gao Gao, former denizens of the zoo. Bai Yun, born in captivity in China, resided at the zoo for over two decades, birthing six cubs. Gao Gao, born in the wild, inhabited the San Diego Zoo from 2003 to 2018 before being repatriated.
Conservation efforts spanning decades, both in their natural habitat and captivity, have rescued the giant panda species from the brink of extinction, boosting its population from under 1,000 to over 1,800.
Since Beijing’s symbolic gift of a panda pair to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., in 1972, these black-and-white bears have epitomized U.S.-China camaraderie. China extended panda loans to various zoos to facilitate cub breeding and augment the population.
Public demand for the return of pandas, considered China’s “national treasure,” heightened amid unverified claims of mistreatment circulating on Chinese social media. Concerns deepened last year when zoos in Memphis, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C., repatriated their pandas, leaving only four in the U.S., all at the Atlanta Zoo, with the loan agreement due to expire soon.
While many loan agreements initially spanned ten years, negotiations to extend or introduce new agreements faltered. Speculations arose that Beijing was gradually reclaiming its pandas from Western nations amid deteriorating diplomatic relations.
However, on November 15, 2023, a week after the National Zoo’s pandas departed for China, President Xi hinted at more panda dispatches during a dinner in San Francisco. He acknowledged the eagerness of the San Diego Zoo and Californians to welcome pandas back.
The San Diego Zoo continued collaboration with Chinese counterparts even after the departure of its pandas. China’s keen interest lies in exchanging insights on successful panda breeding in captivity, a challenging endeavor given the narrow reproductive window of females.
Bai Yun’s first cub, Hua Mei, marked a milestone as the first panda born through artificial insemination to survive outside China, producing 12 cubs later. Bai Yun’s contributions to maternal care behavior research continued at the zoo.
As preparations unfold for the pandas’ return, the collaborative effort is deemed beneficial not only for San Diego but also for the giant panda’s conservation. Megan Owen emphasized the significance of diplomatic efforts in conservation, stating, “If we can’t learn to collaborate in challenging or uncontrollable situations, conservation success remains elusive.”
