San Diego Zoo releases first photos of giant pandas settling into their new home Yun Chuan and Xin Bao have made the 7,000-mile trip from China to become the first giant pandas to enter the U.S. in two decades.

June 25, 2024, 3:53 PM GMT+1 / Updated July 9, 2024, 3:21 PM GMT+1 / Source: TODAY
By Drew Weisholtz and Scott Stump
The first photos of the giant pandas that arrived from China last month have been released by the San Diego Zoo.

On July 9, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance shared the cute shots of pandas Yun Chuan (pronounced yoon chu-an) and Xin Bao (pronounced sing bao) nearly two weeks after they safely arrived from their 7,000-mile journey from China.

Yun Chuan, a 4-year-old male, and Xin Bao, a 3-year-old female, have been "acclimating well" to their new surroundings, the zoo said in a news release.

The duo are the first giant pandas to enter the United States in 21 years. They will not be viewable to the public for several more weeks, according to the San Diego Zoo.

Officials have worked closely with the pandas' handlers from China to cater to their dietary needs of fresh bamboo and a traditional Chinese bun known as wowotou, or "panda bread," zoo officials shared. Their weight, appetite and other health indicators are being monitored during the acclimation process.

Zoo officials are also learning about the pandas' personalities. Yun Chuan is identifiable by his long nose and is comfortable exploring grass and climbing trees, while Xin Bao has big, fluffy ears and enjoys sitting in the sun and focusing on her favorite food, according to the news release.

Wildlife experts at the zoo will determine when the pandas will be ready to be viewed by the public.

San Diego Zoo’s Paul Baribault, who was in China for the pandas’ send-off last month, told TODAY on June 26 of the "magic" he felt when seeing the animals.

"Whenever you get an opportunity to see one up close, and you see them look back in your eyes, it’s powerful," the Baribault explained.

Dr. Megan Owen, vice president of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, said on TODAY in the June 26 segment, "We’re always looking out for what’s best for the pandas, and so we want to make sure that nothing distracts from us just doing the best by the giant pandas."

NBC’s Janis Mackey Frayer mentioned on TODAY June 26 that the pandas will celebrate their next birthday in San Diego. They were both born days apart in late July, and a celebration with a cake of frozen fruit and carrots is being planned.

The birthday bash may or may not be open to the public, depending on whether the pandas have finished their acclimation period.

Experts also told Frayer that the pandas have a fondness for each other that could mean panda babies down the road.

In a press release shared by the San Diego Zoo in April, Xin Bao was listed as is a nearly 4-year-old female whose name means a “new treasure of prosperity and abundance.”

“She’s incredibly playful, maybe even a bit mischievous,” Owen told TODAY.

Yun Chuan was described as “mild-mannered, gentle and lovable,” with a mother named Zhen Zhen (pronounced jen jen), who was born at San Diego Zoo in 2007. The name Yun is a reference to his grandmother Bai Yun, who resided at the San Diego Zoo for 23 years, while Chuan refers to his native Chinese province.

He is more laid back, I’d say,” Owen told TODAY.

Earlier this year, zoo officials visited the pandas in China.

“Our conservation partners in China shared photographs and personality traits of Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, but meeting them in person was so special,” Owen said in a press release in April.

Owen told TODAY in April that it’s essential to bring the animals to the U.S.

“A really important part of having them here is so that we can continue to study them and what we learn from them will contribute to the conservation of the species,” she said.

But, also, just having the six million visitors that come through our front door every year be able to experience the giant pandas," she continued. "It’s incredibly inspiring, and it really makes them advocates for conservation. We’re working very closely with our colleagues in China and we’re going to continue to contribute to the conservation of the species in their native habitat, as well.”

The San Diego Zoo is one of a few zoos in the U.S. set to get pandas, as China ramps up so-called panda diplomacy with new rounds of conservation by sharing the animals.

However, the departure of the pandas also drew protest and complaints on social media in China, with people saying the country should not trust the U.S. with the animals.

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C., announced exclusively on TODAY on May 29 that it will welcome two new giant pandas from China by the end of this year, which comes after the zoo had to part with three pandas in 2023 when their loan expired. The San Francisco Zoo is also set to receive pandas, although there is no timetable for when that will happen.

The Atlanta Zoo currently has four giant pandas, but they are expected to return to China by the end of this year.