Giant Pandas in San Diego Zoo Revealed in First Images After Arriving in the US From China; Is China's 'Panda Diplomacy' Program Good For Their Conservation?

(Photo : Pixabay / maminounou)

According to San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, their newest giant pandas have been acclimating well to their new habitat.

The giant arrivals arrived at the zoo on June 27.

First Look of Giant Pandas in San Diego Zoo

Paws for a panda sneak peek 🐼 Yun Chuan and Xin Bao arrived safely on June 27th and are settling in comfortably thanks to their wildlife care and wildlife health experts in collaboration with our Chinese conservation partners. pic.twitter.com/VVyHOXSSFN
— San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (@sandiegozoo) July 9, 2024

San Diego Zoo revealed the first photos of the panda duo Xin Bao and Yun Chuan. They are the first giant pandas to go into the US in the past two decades.

Yun Chuan is a male who is almost five years old and was born to Zhen Zhen, the San Diego Zoo's fourth cub that was born. The panda can be distinguished by its slightly pointed and long nose.

As for Xin Bao, this panda is a female who is almost four years old and who can be distinguished by her round and large face as well as her fluffy and big ears.

Xin Bao apparently liked to sunbathe in silence and focus on her favorite meal. On the other hand, Yun Chuan appears quite comfortable when climbing trees or exploring grass.

The giant pandas will remain unviewable to the public for a couple of weeks.

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China's 'Panda Diplomacy' Program and Its Wildlife Conservation Impacts

The arrival of the panda came as a loan from China after it was suggested by Chinese leader Xi Jinping that pandas be sent to the zoo as friendship envoys between the American people and the Chinese. This comes under China's program known as "panda diplomacy."

In the last few years, pandas from the Smithsonian National Zoo and the Memphis Zoo were brought back to China. There are also four giant pandas from Zoo Atlanta that are set to return to China this year.

China's panda diplomacy is primarily a diplomatic and political program. However, it may also affect the conservation of such animals.

In 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature classified the giant panda as vulnerable. This was a downgrade from its previously endangered status.

It is incredibly difficult to breed pandas in captivity. This is partially due to their extremely short window for breeding.

Following several failed pregnancies, Australia stretched their loan agreement in 2019 for the price of A$9.1 million. However, until now, their pandas have not yet produced a cub.

Environmentalists also think that the disproportionate attention given to panda protection has come with a heavy cost: other endangered species.

There is also minimal evidence that shows that funds given to China truly help with the conservation of wild pandas. According to Dr. Sarah Bexell, the former conservation education director from Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, said pandas that are born within captivity have fewer instincts for survival, making them incapable of surviving in the wild.

Reintroduction attempts have also failed. Dr. Bexell notes that in order to achieve real conservation, China should tackle the root cause of the decline of wild pandas. This is overpopulation and habitat destruction.

Nevertheless, the San Diego Zoo has seen past success in hosting pandas from China. From 1996 to 2019, the zoo housed giant pandas. There were six pandas born within this timeframe.

Both Shi Shi and Bai Yun birthed the first panda cub to survive captivity in the US. Later on, Gao Gao and Bai Yun birthed five more panda cups. A genuine connection and substantial research were also built between conservationists in China and San Diego.

According to Greg Vicino, the wildlife care president at San Diego Zoo, the matter of conservation was an issue of relationships. Vicino explained that this was a matter of direct contact between real conservationists in various countries.