China sending giant pandas to the US again for the first time in two decades
In what appears to be a return to the policy of “panda diplomacy”, Chinese conservationists have agreed a deal with a US zoo that could see the rare bears return to the West Coast this summer.
The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA) has signed an agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association to welcome two new giant pandas to their zoo. The SDZWA is now filing permits with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to finalise the deal.
This international partnership, which includes a fee paid by the SDZWA, will see US researchers study disease prevention, habitat protection and the general conservation of the beloved giant panda species. “We are humbled by the potential opportunity of continuing our collaborative conservation efforts to secure the future for giant pandas,” said Dr. Megan Owen, Vice President of Conservation Science at SDZWA.
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China agrees to send pandas to US again as zoos prepare to welcome giant pandasOne of the pandas being considered, Owen told AP, is a descendant of Bai Yun and Gao Gao, two of the San Diego Zoo’s former inhabitants. San Diego Zoo has been without any giant panda since 2019. Panda exchanges between the US and China have often been a sign of lessening tensions between the two superpowers, so Panda lovers across the States will hope to see the bamboo-loving bears in American zoos soon.
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“Pandas in our care and in the care of Chinese colleagues at conservation facilities play an important role as assurance against extinction and loss of genetic diversity in their native habitats, as well as a source population for reintroductions,” said Dr. Owen. “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.”
The China Wildlife Conservation Association is also reportedly in talks with the National Zoo in Washington and the Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna. “We look forward to further expanding the results of scientific research on the protection of endangered species such as the giant panda through the new round of international cooperation, promoting people-to-people connectivity and enhancing civilian friendship with relevant countries,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said following the agreement.
The vast majority of giant pandas live in ChinaResearchers have emphasised the importance of Pandas having habitats in several countries, not just China, in a bid to keep the species’ population stable and learn more about their genetics and behaviours. However, until recently, the future of pandas in the US had seemed uncertain, with the remaining bear at Memphis Zoo being returned to China in April. This leaves the four pandas at Atalanta Zoo the last left in the United States.
Hopes were bolstered in November, however, when Chinese President Xi Jinping made the surprise suggestion that pandas could soon return to California. This came during a summit meeting between the pair to reduce tensions between the two countries.
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