Pandas draw high-profile guests, including California governor, Chinese ambassador

Xin Bao the female Panda sits in its new inclosure at the San Diego Zoo prior to the opening of the new exhibit Panda Ridge Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan)

SAN DIEGO – As Yun Chuan (yoon chu-an) and Xin Bao (sing bao), the first giant panda bears to arrive in the United States in 21 years, welcomed droves of pandamaniacs at the San Diego Zoo Thursday, special guests made sure they were on hand.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, who proclaimed Thursday as California Panda Day, was joined by Xie Feng, Chinese ambassador to the United States; Toni G. Atkins, California state senator; Si Ping, deputy secretary general of China Wildlife Conservation Association; Todd Gloria, mayor of San Diego; and other U.S. and Chinese dignitaries and civic leaders.

“The bear has long held pride of place in California as a symbol of our state’s spirit and strength, from our state flag and seal to its enduring significance for Native American tribes across the state,” Newsom said in his proclamation, “This week, California is proud to celebrate another iconic bear as a pair of giant pandas make their public debut at  the San Diego Zoo.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom, right, speaks at the opening ceremony for Panda Ridge, the new exhibit at the San Diego Zoo Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan)

The zoo opened its Panda Ridge exhibit at noon Thursday, raising the curtain on Yun Chuan and Xin Bao with a special Chinese musical and artistic performance and the reveal of an original Shepard Fairey artwork created to celebrate the occasion.

“We are delighted to introduce Yun Chuan and Xin Bao to the world,” said Paul Baribault, president and CEO of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

`Guests will have an opportunity to visit with these remarkable giant pandas, be inspired by their importance, learn about all we do to help conserve them alongside our trusted Chinese partners and join us to help protect their future.”

China recalled almost all of its pandas on loan to U.S. zoos around five years ago, after relations between the countries chilled. But cooperation between China and the U.S. led to the possibility of pandas returning to U.S. zoos, including San Diego’s.

Now that possibility has become a reality.

“Last November, President Xi Jinping announced in San Francisco that China is ready to continue cooperation with the U.S. on panda conservation,” said Feng. “The arrival of Yun Chuan and Xin Bao in San Diego as we celebrate the 45th anniversary of our diplomatic ties has sent a clear and important message: China-U.S. cooperation on panda conservation will not cease, our people-to-people exchanges and subnational cooperation will not stop, and, once opened, the door of China-U.S. friendship will not be shut again.”

Yun Chuan is a five-year-old male, identifiable by his long, slightly pointed nose. His mother, Zhen Zhen (jen jen), was born at the San Diego Zoo in 2007. Xin Bao is a four-year-old female, best recognized by her large, round face and big, fluffy ears.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, right, speaks to the media following the opening ceremony of Panda Ridge at the San Diego Zoo Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan)

“Welcoming these national treasures to the San Diego Zoo is a proud moment for California that reflects our strong foundation of partnership with China on a host of issues, from climate action to economic development,” Newsom said. “Working together with our international partners to protect this iconic wildlife species, we can achieve remarkable outcomes for conservation and cultural exchange, benefiting our communities and the planet.”

Yun Chuan and Xin Bao arrived in San Diego in late June and have spent the last several weeks acclimating to the zoo and their new habitat.

Panda Ridge is described as an “expansive and multidimensional experience … inspired by famous geological formations in China, emulating the mountainous forest ecosystems where giant pandas thrive while immersing you into their world,” according to Erika Kohler, the San Diego Zoo’s senior vice president and executive director. It is four times larger than the previous panda habitat and takes inspiration from the giant pandas’ native habitats in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces in China.

A portrait by Shepard Fairey, known for former President Barack Obama’s iconic “Hope” campaign poster, was unveiled Thursday morning. Titled “Friendship Across the Earth,” the portrait features Bai Yun — the much- loved panda who lived at the zoo for more than 20 years — with the words majesty, respect and conservation alongside graphic representations, the globe and patterns of bamboo and flowers.

From left to right: California Senator Toni Atkins, Governor Gavin Newsom, Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng, Zoo President Paul Baribault, Si Ping, Deputy Secretary, general of China wildlife conservation association and Mayor Todd Gloria pull the ribbon at the opening ceremony of Panda Ridge, the new exhibit at the San Diego Zoo Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan)

Guests have several options to see the zoo’s newest stars, including:

— obtaining a free giant panda timed ticket by scanning QR codes located on signs posted throughout the zoo, selecting an available time, and heading to the Timed Ticket line at Panda Ridge at the designated time;
— joining a standby line beginning at 9:30 a.m.;
— securing advance reservations for an exclusive 60-minute Early Morning with Pandas Walking Tour, before the zoo opens to guests for the day.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the conservation partnership between San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and China Wildlife Conservation Association.

There is typically a $1 million-per-year fee paid by zoos for two pandas, and the money is used for China’s conservation efforts, according to a 2022 report by America’s Congressional Research Service.

China first gifted the U.S. with pandas in 1972, when two were sent to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Part of the goal in loaning pandas to zoos in the U.S. was to help breed cubs and boost the population.

Conservation efforts have saved the giant pandas from extinction by increasing the population from fewer than 1,000 to more than 1,800 in the wild and captivity, causing the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List to downgrade the giant panda from Endangered to Vulnerable in 2021.

To help ease traffic, people visiting the zoo can take a free shuttle that will pick up and drop off at the Inspiration Point parking lot, where parking is free.

Public transit is recommended, with bus lanes along Park Boulevard allowing buses to travel more easily. In addition, the Metropolitan Transit System’s Rapid 215 and Route 7 provide direct access to the zoo. On weekends, two children 12 and under ride free, no pass required, with every paying adult. (CNS)