ATLANTA—Giant pandas Lun Lun, Yang Yang, Ya Lun, and Xi Lun departed Zoo Atlanta on Saturday morning. They boarded a FedEx plane and embarked on a journey to their new home at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China. The research base is home to the pandas’ only natural habitat. It’s where Lun Lun and Yang Yang lived before moving to Zoo Atlanta in 1999.
The pair were on loan to the zoo, and during that time, they bred seven cubs, including two sets of twins. Since even pandas born abroad are considered Chinese property, most are already back in Chengdu.
“To put it in layman’s terms, the giant panda is to China what the bald eagle is to us here in the United States of America,” Zoo Atlanta interpreter Phillip Neumeier said in a recent GPB News article. “It’s a national treasure.”
Twins Ya Lun and Xi Lun were set to return on a similar timeline as their siblings, but that was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. On Oct. 12, they joined their parents, who are retired from breeding, for the overseas trip. At 27 years old, Yang Yang and Lun Lun are in their golden years. Pandas normally live up to 30 years in captivity.
According to Zoo Atlanta, the pandas are accompanied by three zoo team members “dedicated to ensuring their care and comfort during their travels.” Their ‘luggage’ includes more than 300 pounds of bamboo, around 10 pounds of fresh produce, six gallons of water, and 20 pounds of leafeater biscuits. The zoo plans to update the public via Facebook on the pandas’ arrival at their new home.
Lasting impact
At one point, Zoo Atlanta was the only zoo in the United States with pandas following China’s decision not to renew loans to zoos in Washington, D.C., San Diego, and Memphis. The partnerships in California and the nation’s capital have since been reignited.
For years, these pandas have been ambassadors for their species. Along with millions of visitors, tens of millions of dollars have been raised for conservation and research, helping move the giant panda from endangered to vulnerable.
That’s the legacy Zoo Atlanta interpreter Dana Grantham will keep sharing, even when the pandas are gone.
“The thing I’m most frequently saying these days at the zoo is how proud I am of what we’ve done,” Grantham said. “Like, although I’m going to miss them, we’ve done amazing work. And this was always the plan.”
It’s too early to know what animal will be brought to Zoo Atlanta next. Grantham hopes whatever it is gets the same amount of attention and a chance at a similar success story.
Sofi Gratas of GPB News contributed to this article
