Pair of giant pandas from China acclimating to new home at San Diego Zoo
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Two giant pandas sent from China to the San Diego Zoo last month are acclimating well to their new home, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said Tuesday.
The pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, are not on public display yet but the zoo released the first photos of the pair settling into their habitat.
The pandas, the first to enter the United States in 21 years, arrived on June 27.
Yun Chuan is a nearly 5-year-old male. Xin Bao is a nearly 4-year-old female.
Zoo staff is working closely with Chinese experts to cater to the dietary needs and preferences of the pandas, the alliance said in a statement.
“The teams provided a variety of fresh bamboo and even created a local adaptation of wowotou, a traditional Chinese bun also called ‘panda bread,’” the statement said.
It will be several weeks before the public can view the pandas, the alliance said.
The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has a nearly 30-year partnership with leading conservation institutions in China focused on protecting and recovering giant pandas and the bamboo forests they depend on.