San Diego to welcome giant panda pair

A pair of giant pandas will soon make the journey from China to the US where they will be cared for at the San Diego Zoo as part of an ongoing conservation partnership between the two nations.

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said its caretakers recently visited China to meet the giant pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, ahead of their planned trip to Southern California. An exact date for the handoff is yet to be confirmed.

Yun Chuan, a mild-mannered male who is nearly 5 years old, has "deep connections" to California, as his mother, Zhen Zhen, was born at the same zoo in 2007 to parents Bai Yun and Gao Gao. Xin Bao is a nearly four-year-old female described as "a gentle and witty introvert with a sweet round face and big ears."

The 30-year partnership is focused on protecting the giant pandas and the bamboo forests they depend on.