Zoo Atlanta's four giant pandas scheduled to return to China by mid-October
Zoo Atlanta, located in Atlanta, Georgia, announced on Friday that its four beloved giant pandas will be returning to China in mid-October. This move coincides with the expiration of the zoo's giant panda agreement with China at the end of the month, marking the end of a 25-year relationship with these iconic black and white bears.
TroibNews 
After hosting giant pandas for 25 years, Zoo Atlanta, located in Georgia, USA, revealed on Friday that its renowned panda quartet will be sent back to China in mid-October. This move coincides with the conclusion of the zoo’s current panda loan agreement with China, set to expire at the end of October.
"While Zoo Atlanta will certainly miss Lun Lun, Yang Yang, Ya Lun, and Xi Lun, and their departure is bittersweet, they have created a momentous legacy here in Atlanta and around the world, leaving their mark not only in the hearts of their friends and fans, but on the scientific and zoological communities' understanding of the behavior, biology, and care of this rare and treasured species," Raymond B. King, president and CEO of the zoo, stated in a press release.
2023 marks the silver jubilee of the giant panda program at Zoo Atlanta.
"Dating to the mid-1990s, even prior to the arrival of Lun Lun and Yang Yang in 1999, Zoo Atlanta's partnership with colleagues in China has a longtime history of collaboration and information sharing that has benefited the care, study, and conservation of giant pandas," according to the press release from the zoo.
The zoo highlighted that its panda conservation collaboration has significantly contributed to the future population prospects of the species.
Since 2006, seven giant pandas have been successfully bred at the zoo, including two sets of twins. Lun Lun and Yang Yang are the parents of Mei Lan, Xi Lan, and Po, plus twins Mei Lun and Mei Huan, and another pair of twins, Ya Lun and Xi Lun.
Mei Lan, Xi Lan, Po, Mei Lun, and Mei Huan are currently residing at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China and have become parents themselves, the zoo reported.
A large farewell celebration is planned for October 5 at the zoo, featuring special activities to bid the pandas goodbye. Until their departure, visitors can see the adored pandas at the zoo’s Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Giant Panda Conservation Center.
Zoo Atlanta, visited by approximately one million guests annually, houses over 1,000 animals representing more than 200 species from across the globe, including many that are endangered or critically endangered.
The four giant pandas at Zoo Atlanta were the sole representatives of this endangered species in the United States until the recent introduction of two more pandas in California in June, heralding a new phase in U.S.-China cooperation on giant panda conservation. The pair, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, made their public debut on August 8 at the San Diego Zoo.
Currently, nearly 1,900 giant pandas exist in the wild, primarily in the Chinese provinces of Sichuan and Shaanxi, an increase from 1,100 in the 1980s and highlighting their status as one of the world's most endangered species.
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
"While Zoo Atlanta will certainly miss Lun Lun, Yang Yang, Ya Lun, and Xi Lun, and their departure is bittersweet, they have created a momentous legacy here in Atlanta and around the world, leaving their mark not only in the hearts of their friends and fans, but on the scientific and zoological communities' understanding of the behavior, biology, and care of this rare and treasured species," Raymond B. King, president and CEO of the zoo, stated in a press release.
2023 marks the silver jubilee of the giant panda program at Zoo Atlanta.
"Dating to the mid-1990s, even prior to the arrival of Lun Lun and Yang Yang in 1999, Zoo Atlanta's partnership with colleagues in China has a longtime history of collaboration and information sharing that has benefited the care, study, and conservation of giant pandas," according to the press release from the zoo.
The zoo highlighted that its panda conservation collaboration has significantly contributed to the future population prospects of the species.
Since 2006, seven giant pandas have been successfully bred at the zoo, including two sets of twins. Lun Lun and Yang Yang are the parents of Mei Lan, Xi Lan, and Po, plus twins Mei Lun and Mei Huan, and another pair of twins, Ya Lun and Xi Lun.
Mei Lan, Xi Lan, Po, Mei Lun, and Mei Huan are currently residing at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China and have become parents themselves, the zoo reported.
A large farewell celebration is planned for October 5 at the zoo, featuring special activities to bid the pandas goodbye. Until their departure, visitors can see the adored pandas at the zoo’s Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Giant Panda Conservation Center.
Zoo Atlanta, visited by approximately one million guests annually, houses over 1,000 animals representing more than 200 species from across the globe, including many that are endangered or critically endangered.
The four giant pandas at Zoo Atlanta were the sole representatives of this endangered species in the United States until the recent introduction of two more pandas in California in June, heralding a new phase in U.S.-China cooperation on giant panda conservation. The pair, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, made their public debut on August 8 at the San Diego Zoo.
Currently, nearly 1,900 giant pandas exist in the wild, primarily in the Chinese provinces of Sichuan and Shaanxi, an increase from 1,100 in the 1980s and highlighting their status as one of the world's most endangered species.
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
