as part of an ongoing conservation partnership between the two nations, officials said Monday. The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said its caretakers recently visited China to meet the giant pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, ahead of their planned trip to Southern California. An exact date for the handoff hasn't been set. Yun Chuan, a mild-mannered male who's nearly 5 years old, has “deep connections” to California, the wildlife alliance said.
Xin Bao is a nearly 4-year-old female described as “a gentle and witty introvert with a sweet round face and big ears.” “Our conservation partners in China shared photographs and personality traits of Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, but meeting them in person was so special,' said Dr. Megan Owen, the alliance's vice president of conservation science.