Excitement is in the air at the San Diego Zoo as Americans will soon meet the first pandas the zoo has had since 2019. The arrival of the pandas is not just a treat for visitors, but also a symbol of decades-long U.S.-China relations.
“It’s a very exciting time for the zoo. No other species embodies that conservation mission as much as giant pandas,” said Megan Owen, the zoo’s head of conservation science.
New residents include Yun Chuan, a 5-year-old male panda who enjoys relaxing with a bushel of bamboo.
“He’s a foodie,” Owen said. “All the pandas love their food, but he definitely loves his bamboo.”
Yun Chuan’s roots run deep at the San Diego Zoo. His mother was born there in 2007, and his grandmother is a local legend who was the one of the zoo’s first two pandas and lived there for over 20 years.
Joining Yun Chuan is 4-year-old female named Xin Bao, …