California Zoos &
Aquariums Photos
The San Diego Zoo
2920 Zoo Drive in Balboa Park
San Diego, California
The giant panda is a peaceful,
bamboo-eating member of the bear family. Its population is small and
isolated as its traditional forest habitat in southwest China's mountainous
areas becomes fragmented and this beloved animal faces many threats. The
Chinese government established more than 30 reserves, but habitat
destruction and poaching continues to pose a threat to pandas living outside
them. With rapid economic development, it is more important than ever to
ensure the giant panda's survival. In the wild, giant pandas are
generally found at elevations between 4,000 and 11,500 feet (1,200 and 3,500
meters), and travel up and down the mountains as seasons change, moving
lower in the colder weather and higher in the warmer months, although
evidence suggests that pandas existed in much more varied climatic areas
around much of China in earlier times.
The founding of the People’s Republic of China ended the history of foreign
plundering of giant pandas. As friendly ambassadors, 23 giant pandas were
sent as state gifts to nine countries from 1953 to 1982. In 1957 giant panda
Ping Ping was sent to the former Soviet Union, the first sent overseas as a
state gift; in 1959, An An followed suit. Between 1965 and 1980, five giant
pandas, including Dan Dan, Sang Xing, and Ling Ling, were sent to the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Then in April 1972, a couple of giant
pandas, Ling Ling and Xing Xing, were sent to the United States.
In October 1972, Lan Lan and Kang Kang were sent to Japan, but the female,
Lan Lan, died in 1979. In 1980, another female, Huan Huan was sent. But, in
the same year, the male, Kang Kang, died, and was replaced by Fei Fei in
1982. Fei Fei is the last giant panda sent overseas as present by the
Chinese government. France, Great Britain, Germany, Mexico and Spain were
all recipients of these treasured gifts. 23 giant pandas have produced
eight offspring, including five in Mexico, two in Tokyo, and one in Madrid.
Meanwhile, 15 giant pandas in the above list have died.
In the 1990’s, the China Wildlife
Conservation Association (CWCA) and China Zoological Association reached an
agreement with the International Wildlife Conservation Agency to loan giant
pandas in pairs to overseas countries for 10 years for cooperative research
with Chinese scientists; these pandas and their offspring remain the
property of China during the loan period; annual fees of US$ 1 million
should be paid to China.
Pairs of giant pandas have been sent since the project came into effect to
Kobe in Japan in 1994, Seoul in South Korea in 1995, and San Diego and
Atlanta in the United States in 1996 and 1999 respectively. Among them, Shi
Shi and Bai Yun in the San Diego Zoo produced a baby on August 21, 1999. Mr.
Li Zhaoxing, former Chinese Ambassador in the United States, named it “Hua
Mei”. It played a critical role in improving the relationship between China
and the United States.
Ever since the very first pandas arrived from China to the San Diego Zoo in
1987 they have been lovingly cared for. Their images adorn huge billboards
and visits travel hundreds of miles to see them at an exhibit area built for
the panda guests, Giant Panda Research Station.
Next to a public panda viewing area is a building that houses the Giant
Panda Team, made up of the pandas' keepers and researchers who observe and
study giant panda behavior.
After the People's Republic of China
sent two giant pandas, Basi and Yuan Yuan, to the San Diego Zoo for a
200-day loan in 1987, San Diego and California was forever changed. More
than two million people were able to view the pandas during their stay. On
August 21, 1999, Bai Yun gave birth to Hua Mei, the first giant panda born
in North America to survive to adulthood. Millions of people around the
world watched Hua Mei grow up via the Zoo's Panda Cam. Bamboo is grown
on Zoo grounds and at several off-grounds locations to supply the pandas
with their daily meals. Today as Americans travel to China, one icon that
they think of as they make the long journey is the giant panda bear.
