China to send two pandas to Atlanta

China will send two giant pandas to Zoo Atlanta in the United States under a new 10-year conservation agreement, the China Wildlife Conservation Association said on Friday, renewing a partnership that produced seven cubs over a quarter-century.

A male named Ping Ping and a female named Fu Shuang, both born at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan province, will make the journey to Atlanta under an agreement the zoo and the association reached last year, the latter disclosed in a news release.

The agreement will begin a new decade-long conservation partnership between the two sides, marking the continuation of cooperation on panda conservation between China and the US, which dates back to 1999.

Zoo Atlanta has begun upgrading facilities to receive the pair, with Chinese experts providing technical guidance on enclosure standards, husbandry practices, feeding expertise and health care protocols, the association said. The association highlighted the highly productive partnership with Zoo Atlanta under the previous agreement.

Lun Lun and Yang Yang, who arrived at the zoo in 1999, gave birth to seven cubs across five litters. That marked the best breeding achievement in giant panda international cooperation between China and Western countries, it noted.

Beyond breeding success, the two sides collaborated on behavioral training, preventive veterinary medicine and conservation education, the release said.

The resulting academic exchanges, it said, have not only advanced panda research, but also deepened mutual understanding between the US and Chinese people.

The association said the renewed partnership will focus on disease prevention and control, scientific exchanges, giant panda field conservation and the development of China's Giant Panda National Park.

Raymond King, president and CEO of Zoo Atlanta, welcomed the new agreement.

Zoo Atlanta is delighted and honored to yet again be trusted as stewards of this treasured species and to partner with the association on the continued conservation and research efforts that are the most important outcomes of this cooperation, he was quoted as saying in a media release from the zoo.

"We can't wait to meet Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, and to welcome our members, guests, city and community back to the wonder and joy of giant pandas."

The release from the zoo also lauded China's giant panda conservation efforts.

"The Chinese government has invested a significant amount of human, material and financial resources to continuously strengthen the restoration and protection of wild giant panda habitats and has gradually established 67 giant panda reserves," it said.

It added that the establishment of China's Giant Panda National Park in 2021 further improved the connectivity, coordination and integrity of the giant panda habitat, bringing about 72 percent of wild giant pandas under strict protection.