A pair of giant pandas from China made their public debut at the San Diego Zoo, United States, on Thursday, meeting with an outpouring love and admiration from eager American visitors.
Giant pandas Yun Chuan and Xin Bao landed in California on June 27 for a 10-year international giant panda protection cooperation with the San Diego Zoo, marking a new round of U.S.-China panda exchanges. The two are the first pandas to enter the United States in 21 years.
At a welcome ceremony of the two pandas and the opening of the renovated Panda Ridge, California Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed August 8 as California Panda Day.
"This is about something much deeper, much richer than just the two beautiful pandas we celebrate. It's about celebrating our common humanity," Newsom said in his speech.
"A panda a day keeps the sorrow away," said Xie Feng, Chinese Ambassador to the U.S., in his speech.
Xie said that over the past three decades, cooperation between China and the San Diego Zoo has helped increase survival rates for panda cubs from around 10 percent to more than 90 percent.
"China-U.S. cooperation on panda conservation will not cease. Our people-to-people exchanges and subnational cooperation will not stop, and once opened, the door of China-U.S. friendship will not be shut again," he said.
The zoo has gone to great lengths to create an environment that replicates the giant panda's natural environment in China. The new Panda Ridge is four times the size of the previous space in 2019.
Visitors were thrilled of the pandas' return, with some arriving early in the morning to catch a glimpse of the beloved bears.
"We woke up at 5:00 in the morning, 5:00, drove about an hour and a half. And we are in line, hopefully to be one of the first ones," said a visitor.
"I realize they're shy creatures. I know there's a lot of people here, but I just love to see them in their exhibit as well. And to help, you know, spread the message that we want to save them as best as we can," said another visitor.
Ambassador Xie handed out stuffed animals to young panda enthusiasts. Paola Barajas, a panda fan, plans to come every week and hopes to spread the word about the importance of pandas.
"I studied political science back then, and panda diplomacy has been such an important part of the relationship of the United States and China. So, I'm really hoping that now that we have another opportunity to take care of new cubs. I know they are going to flourish here. We're hoping for future generations of pandas," she said.
Giant pandas ignite buzz during debut at San Diego Zoo
