Zoo Atlanta has officially announced a timeline for the departure of their beloved giant pandas. In mid-October, Lun Lun, Yang Yang, Ya Lun, and Xi Lun will travel back to China due to the giant panda loan agreement between China and Zoo Atlanta expiring at the end of the month. The zoo is unable to share specific departure times on each of the four pandas and encourages fans to visit within the next two weeks.
2024 marks the 25th anniversary of Zoo Atlanta’s giant panda conservation program, which started with Lun Lun and Yang Yang’s arrival in 1999. Since then, seven giant pandas have been born at the zoo including twins Ya Lun and Xi Lun in 2016. Over this time Zoo Atlanta has worked with China collaboratively to bolster conservation efforts for giant pandas.
The Chinese government invested a significant number of resources into creating the Giant Panda National Park in 2021, which consists of 67 panda reserves. The same year, the animal was removed from the endangered species list after 50 years of exchange and conservation. Collaboration from these different zoological facilities helps scientists conduct research in diverse settings, gaining insights that could be overlooked in the bears’ native habitat.
Before the arrival of two bears in San Diego this past June, the Atlanta giant pandas were the only ones left in the United States. An iconic staple for memories at the zoo over the years, many on campus are saddened by the pandas’ departure.
“I would visit there all the time as a kid and the Pandas were always my favorite part,” said Emma Baxter, a senior marketing major at UNG. “They are a special memory for me, and it is sad that they are leaving because other kids may not get that same experience.”
Although bittersweet, some say that the transfer may be in the pandas’ best interest.
“I enjoy seeing the pandas at the zoo but understand them leaving due to the agreement. I personally just think the pandas should go where they are taken the most care of whether that is here or there.” – Allie Lyons, UNG senior business management major
Zoo Atlanta is set to host a “Panda-Palooza” with activities to wish the giant pandas farewell. The event will be held from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. More information can be found at the zoo’s website at zooatlanta.org.
