Zoo Atlanta says that its four giant pandas are getting ready to move back to China in mid-October.
The zoo didn’t specify a date for their departure, but said that visitors who want to say a last goodbye to the pandas should visit in the next three weeks.
The pandas are part of an agreement with China that began in the mid-1990s. That was when Zoo Atlanta received Lun Lun and Yang Yang, two pandas who have since birthed seven panda cubs in Atlanta, the most recent in 2016. Five of their offspring went to China, and the remaining two at Zoo Atlanta will travel to China with their parents.
“We have merely been fortunate enough to be their stewards and introduce so many people here in the U.S. to this species,” Zoo Atlanta wrote on its website.
The agreement was scheduled to end in October 2024. But, the pandas aren’t leaving without fanfare.
Zoo Atlanta said on its website that the giant pandas represent its most significant long-term investment in wildlife conservation—more than $17 million. Fewer than 1,900 giant pandas remain in the wild in China, and of them, more than 1,200 are inside nature reserves. Conservation support from Zoo Atlanta has supported several of the reserves through reforestation projects, supporting park rangers, and more.
The Zoo also said its years of caring for the pandas in Atlanta have helped build the research that exists on panda care, biology and behavior.
Zoo Atlanta will host a “Panda-Palooza” event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5.
No discussions have happened yet between the Zoo and China, according to Zoo Atlanta, about the future of its conservation program. Nevertheless, Zoo Atlanta said it is committed to supporting giant panda conservation.
