Pandas: Our world-famous celebrities
The San Diego Zoo has had a love affair with giant pandas ever since two of the black-and-white bears came to visit in 1987. In 1996, the Zoo worked out an agreement with China to house two adult pandas and their young offspring. An exhibit area was built for our panda guests, which has since been expanded and renovated and is now called the Giant Panda Research Station. Although we currently have five giant pandas (including our newest cub, Yun Zi, born August 5, 2009!), our facility can comfortably house up to six.
Today our giant pandas enjoy deluxe accommodations with larger exhibit areas and extra vegetation and climbing structures. You’ll enjoy the exhibit area, too, with its winding, elevated viewing paths that give great panda-watching opportunities of the two main enclosures.
Next to the public panda viewing area is the building that houses the Giant Panda Team, made up of the pandas’ keepers and researchers who observe and study giant panda biology and behavior in an effort to learn all we can about these endangered bears. Be sure to stroll through the Giant Panda Discovery Center, located nearby. It includes a climb-in panda den, interactive exhibits, stories about our field conservation program, and even a chance to find out what pandas sound and smell like!
