Giant Pandas at San Diego Zoo: All About Their Journey From China

Anticipation is building at the San Diego Zoo as two giant pandas are set to make the 7,000-mile trip from China to their new home in California.

After months of preparation for their journey from a sanctuary in Yaan, China, the first giant pandas in 20 years to make the trip from China to the United States are ready to go.

It’s not clear when the public will be able to get their first glimpse at pandas Yun Chuan (pronounced yoon chu-an) and Xin Bao (pronounced sing bao) at the San Diego Zoo, but it’s expected to be at some point this summer, NBC News correspondent Janis Mackey Frayer reported June 26 on TODAY.

“There’s a magic that I can’t begin to explain, but you all feel it. Whenever you get an opportunity to see one up close, and you see them look back in your eyes, it’s powerful,” the San Diego Zoo’s told Frayer on TODAY.

Baribault is part of a delegation from the zoo who are in China for the pandas’ send-off.

While there is secrecy around the pandas’ exact departure plans, Frayer shared on TODAY June 25 that the animals will go into crates transported via truck to an airport for their specialized flight to the U.S.

“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,” Dr. Megan Owen, vice president of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, said on TODAY in the June 26 segment.

Their Chinese handler, Wang Shan, will make the trip with the pandas, giving them their food and helping them settle once they reach San Diego. He said on TODAY on June 26 that he will miss the lovable pair.

“Absolutely,” he said. “We consider them our friends.”

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 in quarantine to adjust to the new climate and different food.

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

Once the animals are situated, those who are interested in visiting them should plan accordingly: The ideal time to see them is in the morning when it hasn’t gotten too hot. Later in the day, they enjoy sleeping in the shade.

In the 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 listed as a nearly 5-year-old male panda in the April release. He 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.

“It’s inspiring as people from around the world come together to conserve, protect, and care for these special bears, and we can’t wait to welcome them to San Diego,” Owen said. 

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 has also drawn 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 after 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.