In a gesture of renewed friendship between the United States and China, the San Diego Zoo is set to welcome a new pair of giant pandas from China, AP reports.
The decision comes after a period of uncertainty, with several US zoos returning pandas to China amid deteriorating relations between the two superpowers.
Now, the San Diego Zoo is preparing to welcome these iconic black-and-white bears once more.
Giant panda Bei Bei rests at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, DC on November 14, 2019. - Bei Bei will depart the Zoo for China on November 19,2019 as part of the zoo's cooperative breeding agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association where all cubs born at the zoo move to China when they are 4 years old. Bei Bei turned 4 on August 22, 2019.
New Pandas Coming to San Diego Zoo
The China Wildlife Conservation Association has reached agreements with the San Diego Zoo and the Madrid Zoo in Spain to strengthen international cooperation on giant panda conservation. Talks are also being held with other prominent institutions, such as the National Zoo in Washington and the Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna.
"We are humbled by the potential opportunity of continuing our collaborative conservation efforts to secure the future for giant pandas," stated Megan Owen, Vice President of Wildlife Conservation Science at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
If all permits and requirements are met, the new pair of pandas, one male and one female, may arrive at the San Diego Zoo as early as the end of the summer. One of the potential female pandas is a descendant of the zoo's beloved former residents, Bai Yun and Gao Gao.
Giant Panda Conservation Efforts
Decades of conservation efforts have helped to save the giant panda species from extinction, and their wild and captive populations now exceed 1,800. However, breeding pandas remains a significant challenge due to their limited reproductive window.
Bai Yun, who lived at the San Diego Zoo for more than 20 years, was instrumental in panda conservation efforts. Her offspring, including the first panda born through artificial insemination outside of China, helped to advance the understanding of panda behavior and maternal care.
Pandas have long been symbols of friendship between the United States and China. The tradition began in 1972, when China donated a pair of pandas to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., before the normalization of bilateral relations. The subsequent panda loans to various zoos were intended to promote breeding and conservation efforts.
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The Return of Pandas
However, concerns arose last year when several American zoos returned pandas to China following allegations of mistreatment and mistreatment-related deaths. Social media campaigns in China demanded the return of these "national treasures," highlighting the significance of public sentiment in panda diplomacy.
However, Chinese President Xi Jinping unexpectedly informed Biden administration officials in November that pandas might return to California during a state visit.
Despite challenges, the return of giant pandas to the San Diego Zoo represents renewed international cooperation in the conservation of endangered species. Chinese experts will accompany the bears to San Diego to promote knowledge sharing and collaboration in panda conservation efforts.
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