Zoo Atlanta’s giant pandas will be sent to China later this year

Atlanta panda fans, prepare to bid goodbye to the city’s four iconic black and white bears.

Atlanta panda fans, prepare to bid goodbye to the city’s four iconic black and white bears. The four giant pandas housed at Zoo Atlanta, Lun Lun, Yang Yang, Ya Lun and Xi Lun will be sent to China later this year, as the zoo’s agreement with China is set to expire in late 2024, the zoo announced in a news release Friday. “Zoo Atlanta has applied for the pandas’ international travel permit, and the bears are expected to travel to China sometime in the fourth quarter of 2024,” the zoo said, noting the exact timing of their return has yet to be determined and “will be identified collaboratively with official partners in China.” “While Zoo Atlanta remains committed to the stewardship and long-term conservation of the species, no discussions have yet taken place with partners in China as to the future of the Zoo’s giant panda program following the expiration of Zoo Atlanta’s current agreement,” the release added. Zoo Atlanta pointed out its panda program has been “notably successful in terms of future contributions to the population of the species,” with seven giant pandas born at the zoo since 2006, including two pairs of twins. Lun Lun and Yang Yang are the parents of Ya Lun and Xi Lun. The pair’s other offspring have already been returned to the Chengdu Research Center of Giant Panda Breeding in China. Over the last few years, pandas from the San Diego Zoo, Memphis Zoo and Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC were also returned to China.