Two giant pandas from China make their debut at the San Diego Zoo as part of a crucial conservation collaboration.

A pair of pandas are making their big American debut.

On Aug. 8, two giant pandas from China were officially welcomed at the San Diego Zoo, marking the grand re-opening of their exhibit.

Xin Bao and Yun Chuan, two pandas, will reside in the Panda Ridge at the zoo, which is modeled after their native landscapes in Suchuan, Gansu, and Shanxi provinces, as stated on the zoo's website.

On June 27, the zoo reported that the bears, the first to enter the U.S. in 21 years, arrived safely.

Yun Chuan, the nearly 5-year-old male panda, can be easily recognized by his elongated, slightly pointed snout.

Zhen Zhen, his mother, was born at the San Diego Zoo in 2007. The zoo stated that Yun Chuan is active but is "known to be quite gentle."

Xin Bao is a nearly 4-year-old girl with a round face and fluffy ears.

Xin Bao, whose name translates to "precious treasure of prosperity and abundance," is characterized as "very active, alert, witty," and skilled at climbing.

The partnership between the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and conservationists in China for 30 years has led to the arrival of pandas, with the goal of protecting and recovering giant pandas and bamboo forests.

The zoo asserts that by combining our resources, we are revitalizing thriving populations and healthy ecosystems, allowing giant pandas to prosper.

We are collaborating to enhance the overall health and resilience of populations at risk of extinction and loss of genetic diversity in the next phase of our partnership.

‘Hope and prosperity’

Since the 1990s, when bear populations declined, species conservation has been a top priority globally.

The San Diego Zoo formed a partnership with China to move panda recovery from an uncertain future to a hopeful and prosperous one, according to a June article by the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

In 1996, the zoo introduced its first giant pandas and made significant discoveries about their reproductive behavior, physiology, health, genetics, nutrition, and habitat requirements, as stated by the zoo.

The zoo created a formula for giant panda milk and, in collaboration with other neonatal techniques, significantly increased the survival rates of nursery-raised cubs from less than 10% to over 90%.

In 1999, a successful artificial insemination of a giant panda was accomplished outside of China by the alliance.

At the conclusion of their 12-year loan agreement, the pandas and their offspring born in the U.S. were repatriated to China.

The conservation status of giant pandas was altered from "endangered" to "vulnerable" in 2016.

The offspring of pandas who were previously raised in San Diego are returning to the U.S. to continue conservation efforts.

Visitors to the San Diego Zoo can observe the pandas without charge, or they can opt for an early-morning walking tour with an expert guide and special access.

In the U.S., Zoo Atlanta is the only zoo to house giant pandas, including the first panda twins born in America in over a quarter-century, as reported by the AP.

According to Reuters, the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., anticipates the arrival of two young giant pandas by the end of 2024.

In November 2023, the zoo released three bears back to China, coinciding with increased tensions between the US and China.

The San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance were contacted by Planet Chronicle Digital for comment.