As of last November, Atlanta, Ga., was the only city in the U.S. where people could get a glance at pandas, bears native to China. That could change this summer.
“California could become the first state in the U.S. to welcome a new pair of giant pandas in the latest round of a collaborative conservation effort with China,” explained a Friday press release from the office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
It said the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced a cooperative agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association. Moves to bring pandas to San Diego also included a permit application with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
“According to reports, two pandas could arrive by the end of the summer,” said Newsom’s office.
In the wild, giant pandas have a range in south central China that includes in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, per the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conversation Biology Institute. Scientists do not know why pandas have their unusual coloring, though some theorize that it helps the bears camouflage in the bamboo forests where they have lived for several million years. Others believe the pattern helps the bears communicate with each other.
“Many people find these chunky, lumbering animals to be cute, but giant pandas can be as dangerous as any other bear,” said the Smithsonian Zoo, which noted that “millions of zoo-goers” love to watch the bears eat.
Pandas living in zoos in Scotland and the U.S. returned to China last year due to the expiration of agreements. However, Chinese President Xi Jinping signaled that pandas would return to the U.S. as “envoys of friendship” between the two nations.
“California and China share deep cultural and economic ties, and we look forward to the opportunity to again welcome these iconic bears to the Golden State,” said Governor Gavin Newsom, who led a weeklong visit to China last October. “From securing a safe future for this national treasure to fighting climate change, we’re proud to continue our long history of working together towards shared goals.”