SAN DIEGO — The County is on "Panda Patrol" as folks await the arrival of a new set of giant pandas bound for the San Diego Zoo.
Mayor Todd Gloria was part of a special farewell ceremony in China Wednesday for Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, who will soon be coming to America's Finest City.
The San Diego Zoo has not hosted pandas since 2019, when China recalled most of its giant pandas from U.S. zoos over diplomatic tensions at the time.
But times have changed, leading to this new chapter of "Panda-monium."
"I feel like they're such a special animal," said Zoo visitor Lindsey Schantz. "I think everybody really enjoys seeing them. They're just so relatable, and you just feel like you just want to give them a big hug when they're here."
Even though Yun Chuan and Xin Bao have not yet arrived at their new home here at the San Diego Zoo, they are still on a lot of people's minds.
"We arrived at the Zoo today talking about the pandas and that we were super excited that they were returning," Schantz added, "and really sad that they weren't going to be here when we were here but excited that they were going to come back to the city!"
This photogenic pair will be the first set of giant pandas to enter the U.S. in 21 years. This is part of a special conservation agreement between China and the United States, signaling a new era of cooperation between the two countries.
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"I think it's a great opportunity for all of us," Zoo visitor Ramona Schantz told CBS 8. "It doesn't have anything to do with, on the surface, politics, so it's something that we can share."
It appears nearly everyone shares a soft spot for these playful creatures for somewhat different reasons.
After a special farewell ceremony earlier Wednesday, attended by Mayor Todd Gloria, the pandas will fly the more than 7,300 miles from China to the San Diego Zoo. The Zoo is busy preparing for their arrival, including an expanded home for them.
"We are excited about this new habitat and I can not wait to watch the young giant pandas explore," said Dr. Megan Owen, Vice-President of Wildlife Conservation Science for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
The new habitat will be four to five times the size of the previous panda habitat at the Zoo, a renovation inspired by the giant panda's native home.
"There's a lot of vertical structures and a hillside and many things that hearken back to the mountains of Sichuan," Owen said.
If all goes well, down the road, the Zoo could also be greeting some baby pandas as well.
"They are adorable, so yes, the more baby pandas, the merrier," said Zoo visitor Kimberly Edouard.
At this point, we don't know exactly when Yun Chuan and Xin Bao will arrive. Once they do, it will take several weeks for them to acclimate to their new home at the Zoo before they're ready to receive visitors.
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