Zoo Atlanta, the last U.S. zoo with pandas in its care, is preparing to say goodbye to the four giant bears this fall. The zoo plans to return panda parents Lun Lun and Yang Yang to China along with their American-born twins Ya Lun and Xi Lun. Although there is no specific date for the transfer, it is expected to happen between October and December. These pandas have been the last in the United States since the National Zoo in Washington returned three pandas to China last November, as part of a research and breeding program.
Pandas were first sent to D.C. to save the species through breeding programs, and couples have been kept at the zoo ever since. Other American zoos that have housed giant pandas, such as Memphis and San Diego, have also returned them to China as loan agreements lapsed amid heightened diplomatic tensions between the two nations. San Diego Zoo returned its pandas in 2019, over three decades after their initial arrival in 1987. The Atlanta pandas, received in 1999 as part of a 25-year loan agreement, will soon be returning to China. Atlanta has seen seven pandas born at the zoo since Lun Lun and Yang Yang’s arrival, with their siblings already in the care of China’s Chengdu Research Center of Giant Panda Breeding.
There are just over 1,800 pandas left in the wild, according to the World Wildlife Fund, and breeding programs have been successful in increasing their numbers. However, the survival of the panda species is still considered to be at severe risk. It is possible that before the Atlanta bears depart, a new panda pair may arrive at another American zoo. San Diego Zoo mentioned that staff recently traveled to China to meet pandas Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, who could arrive in California as soon as this summer. Additionally, the San Francisco Zoo signed a memorandum of understanding in April with the China Wildlife Conservation Association to bring pandas to the zoo for the first time since the 1980s.
Zoo Atlanta officials have stated that they will provide significant advance notice before their pandas leave. However, there have been no discussions yet with partners in China regarding hosting future pandas in Atlanta. The transfer of the Atlanta pandas follows similar moves by other American zoos, as loan agreements with China have lapsed and diplomatic tensions have influenced the return of pandas to their home country. The last surviving panda at the Memphis Zoo was returned in April 2023. In the case of the Atlanta pandas, Ya Lun and Xi Lun, born in 2016, are the youngest of the seven pandas born at Zoo Atlanta since their parents arrived in 1999.
In conclusion, the last U.S. zoo with pandas, Zoo Atlanta, is planning to return the four giant bears to China this fall. The pandas have been the last in the United States since the National Zoo in Washington returned three pandas in November. With just over 1,800 pandas left in the wild, conservation efforts remain crucial for the survival of the species. It is possible that other American zoos may welcome new panda pairs, as loan agreements with China have lapsed and diplomatic tensions have influenced the return of pandas. While the Atlanta pandas will soon be departing, discussions about hosting future pandas in Atlanta have not yet taken place with partners in China.
