SAN DIEGO (June 26, 2024) – A delegation of representatives from the United States, including leaders of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, joined esteemed dignitaries and conservation leaders earlier today in China at the China Conservation & Research Center for Giant Pandas in Sichuan province for a farewell ceremony honoring the two giant pandas coming to the San Diego Zoo.

The San Diego Zoo prepares to say farewell to two much-loved giant pandas—however, its conservation efforts on behalf of this iconic species will continue. In honoring the terms of the Zoo’s conservation loan agreement with the People’s Republic of China, 27-year-old female giant panda Bai Yun (pronounced bye yoon) and her son, 6-year-old Xiao Liwu (pronounced sshyaoww lee woo), will leave the San Diego Zoo in April and will be repatriated to their ancestral homeland.