WATCH: Giant pandas make public debut at San Diego Zoo
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Thursday officially marked “Panda Day” in California, with the San Diego Zoo finally revealing two giant pandas to the public in a historic moment of diplomacy between the U.S. and China.
“This is truly one for the record books,” said Paul Baribault, President and Chief Executive Officer for San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, while speaking at the opening ceremony. “Today, we celebrate collaboration on a global level.”
Yun Chuan (pronounced yoon chu-an) and Xin Bao (pronounced sing bao) arrived from the East Asian nation in June, marking the first time a Chinese panda has been sent to the U.S. in over a decade.
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Since then, the panda pair have been acclimating to their new home in a private habitat, known as Panda Ridge. Officials with San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance gave a first look of the pandas in their new space in early July, showing them enjoying the special habitat.
“This is truly an extraordinary day for San Diego and our world famous San Diego Zoo,” said Mayor Todd Gloria, while taking his turn on the podium to commemorate the special moment. “As mayor of this great city, I could not be prouder to be here to celebrate the grand opening of Panda Ridge and the new home to our newest San Diegans — Yun Chuan and Xin Bao.”
In preparation for their big debut, the zoo’s care teams have been working closely with Chinese experts to provide the giant pandas with food matching their dietary needs, checking up on their mobility and monitoring overall health.
Their newly expanded enclosure is approximately 6,000 feet in size, with a guest viewing capacity that will cap at about 173 guests. That’s more than doubles the capacity of the previous habitat, according to the Wildlife Alliance.
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Also in attendance for Thursday’s opening ceremony was California Governor Gavin Newsom, who said the pivotal moment is about “celebrating our common humanity.”
“We’re living in a world in the last number of years that’s full of stress and anxiety, full of division where people are exploiting our differences and not focusing on the things that bind us together,” Newsom stated. “And so for me, this spirit, [this] pride that is associated with this opening today — with the experience that so many will have at Panda Ridge — is about a deeper meaning.”
Zoo guests will now be given access to the Panda Ridge viewing area. Visitors will need to obtain a complimentary “Giant Panda Timed Ticket” at the time of park entry. Timed tickets are available each day, and only for that day of entry. They are first come, first served through a QR code. Timed tickets sold out fairly early on Thursday.
The other option is to join the standby line. Some guests said instead of waiting in line, they were able to get a glimpse of the pandas from above on the zoo’s aerial tram, Skyfari.
Additionally, guests can make reservations for an exclusive 60-minute “Early Morning with Pandas Walking Tour.”
The San Diego Zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online or at the front gate.
Danielle Dawson and Zara Barker contributed to this report.
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