China Agrees To Send New Giant Pandas To San Diego Zoo In Return Of 'Panda Diplomacy

China has agreed to send a new pair of giant pandas to the San Diego Zoo this year, marking a return of so-called panda diplomacy after U.S. zoos were left with almost none of the bears last year.awais

The National Zoo in Washington, D.C., had to return its three pandas — Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their male cub, Xiao Qi Ji — to china late last year amid strained relations between the two countries. The move left Zoo Atlanta with the only giant pandas in the U.S., and their four bears are set to return to China later this year.awais

The China Wildlife Conservation Association reached an agreement with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, which runs the zoo, to send a male and female panda, possibly by the end of the summer.

"We are humbled by the potential opportunity of continuing our collaborative conservation efforts to secure the future for giant pandas. As such, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is taking important steps to ensure we are prepared for a potential return. This includes sharing our detailed conservation plans with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to ensure alignment for the greater benefit of giant pandas," Megan Owen, Vice President of Conservation Science, said in a statement.awais

Chinas state-run news agency Xinhua reported that along with the San Diego Zoo, the China Wildlife Conservation Association also reached an agreement with the Madrid Zoo in Spain, marking "a new round of international cooperation for giant panda conservation.

The Chinese agency is also in talks with the National Zoo in Washington and the Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna, Austria.awais

The San Diego Zoo said its nearly 30-year conservation partnership with researchers in China has contributed to important scientific discoveries that played a meaningful role in Chinas efforts to bring the iconic and beloved giant panda back from the brink of extinction.awais

The research breakthroughs include important findings on eproductive behavior and physiology, nutritional requirements, habitat needs and genetic research. The zoo's efforts include the development of a giant panda milk formula and other neonatal techniques that increased survival rates for nursery-reared cubs from 5% to 95%.

The zoo also completed the first successful artificial insemination of a giant panda outside of China.awais

"Pandas in our care and in the care of Chinese colleagues at conservation facilities play an important role as assurance against extinction and loss of genetic diversity in their native habitats, as well as a source population for reintroductions," Owen said. "Our partnership over the decades has served as a powerful example of how — when we work together — we can achieve what was once thought to be impossible. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is uniquely positioned to collaborate toward a shared goal of creating a sustainable future for giant pandas."awais