By SDCN Editor
San Diego, CA–Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom celebrated the public debut of two giant pandas at the San Diego Zoo Thursday as Panda Ridge officially opens to visitors.
Before the opening ceremony, the governor met privately with the Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng to discuss the significance of the milestone for U.S.-China relations. Newsom led a weeklong visit to China last October, where he met with President Xi and other high-level officials to advance climate action, promote economic development and tourism, and strengthen cultural ties.
The Newsoms visited the Zoo’s reimagined Panda Ridge habitat, home to five-year-old male Yun Chuan and four-year-old female Xin Bao who arrived in late June. Yun Chuan is the son of Zhen Zhen, a female panda born at the San Diego Zoo in 2007, and the grandchild of Bai Yun and Gao Gao, who lived at the San Diego Zoo in the early 2000s.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the conservation partnership between San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and China Wildlife Conservation Association. The collaboration has greatly advanced giant panda conservation, leading to the downgrading of the giant panda’s status from Endangered to Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2016. This cooperation helps further the broader collaboration between California and Chinese partners on protecting biodiversity and advancing 30×30 efforts worldwide.
“We are delighted to introduce Yun Chuan and Xin Bao to the world,” said Paul Baribault, President and CEO of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. “Guests will have an opportunity to visit with these remarkable giant pandas, be inspired by their importance, learn about all we do to help conserve them alongside our trusted Chinese partners and join us to help protect their future.”
The state hopes that this conservation collaboration will lead to further exchanges and cooperation between California and China, which have a strong foundation of partnership built by Governors Schwarzenegger and Brown and the late Senator Dianne Feinstein, as well as Governor Newsom while serving as Mayor of San Francisco.
The celebration included the unveiling of an original portrait by California-based artist Shepard Fairey depicting Bai Yun, Yun Chuan’s maternal grandmother who lived at the San Diego Zoo for more than 20 years.
