Two San Diego-born Pandas to be Sent to China

Members of the San Diego Zoo's giant panda team are preparing to send two giant pandas, Su Lin and Zhen Zhen to the Wolong Nature Reserve Giant Panda Bi Feng Xia Base in the People's Republic of China as part of an important international collaboration to save this critically endangered species. They will no longer be visible to the public beginning on Monday, Aug. 16 and are expected to depart San Diego at the end of the summer.

     Never before has one zoo sent two foreign-born giant pandas together to China. The San Diego Zoo was the first to send a panda born outside of China when it sent Hua Mei, the first giant panda to be born in the United States and survive to adulthood, in 2004. She was followed in 2007 by another San Diego-born panda, Mei Sheng, and most recently, a panda born at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and another born at Zoo Atlanta in 2010.

     "We will miss Su Lin and Zhen Zhen, but as a conservation organization we are aware of the significant breeding contribution they will make in the preservation of this critically endangered species at another panda conservation center such as Bi Feng Xia," said Carmi Penny, director of collections and husbandry science as well as co-head of the San Diego Zoo's Giant Panda Conservation Unit. "The birth of these two pandas and their time spent in San Diego has helped us extend our knowledge of panda biology. With this information we can aid in the conservation of giant pandas."

     Giant pandas are on a research loan to the San Diego Zoo from China to study this endangered species. As part of this long-term program, the San Diego Zoo is collaborating with the Chinese Academy of Science in studies of behavior, ecology, genetics and conservation of wild pandas living in the Foping Nature Reserve.

     In San Diego, both Su Lin and Zhen Zhen have made incredibly valuable contributions to the Zoo's research programs and have contributed ground-breaking data on panda hearing sensitivity.  These data will allow scientists to better estimate how noise from human activities may impact giant pandas in the wild.

     Terms of the loan also indicate that China will decide the location of the home for any giant panda cub born at the Zoo after its third birthday. Final arrangements are being made to send 5-year-old Su Lin and 3-year-old Zhen Zhen from the San Diego Zoo to Bi Feng Xia, where both Hua Mei and Mei Sheng currently reside as part of the panda conservation program. They will be accompanied by two seasoned panda team members including an animal care supervisor and senior veterinarian.

     Su Lin and Zhen Zhen's mother,  Bai Yun, and their 1-year-old brother, Yun Zi, will continue to be seen at the San Diego Zoo.

     The 100-acre San Diego Zoo is dedicated to the conservation of endangered species and their habitats. The organization focuses on conservation and research work around the globe, educates millions of individuals a year about wildlife and maintains accredited horticultural, animal, library and photo collections. The Zoo also manages the 1,800-acre San Diego Zoo Safari Park (historically referred to as the Wild Animal Park), which includes a 900-acre native species reserve, and the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research.  The important conservation and science work of these entities is supported in part by The Foundation of the Zoological Society of San Diego.