San Diego Zoo launches new panda camera

Thanks to Tuesday's launch of Panda Cam, giant panda fans now have the opportunity to watch Yun Chuan and Xin Bao's antics at the San Diego Zoo from anywhere in the world.

Before accessing the website, the visitor is asked to provide an email address with which to subscribe to the zoo's newsletter.

Live recording began around 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday. The morning footage showed the pandas eating a bamboo breakfast and lounging on a wooden platform. And take a lot of naps.

The website states that the live viewing will begin “during daylight in San Diego, once Yun Chuan and Xin Bao have woken up and begun exploring their outdoor habitat.” As soon as it gets dark, the zoo will rebroadcast the day's stream.

“Today, the San Diego Zoo is excited to launch its live giant panda camera, allowing people around the world to virtually connect with Xin Bao and Yun Chuan. Viewers can immerse themselves in their world and marvel as the pandas frolic, climb, explore, nap and eat bamboo in their dynamic habitats,” the zoo said in a press release.

Paul Baribault, president and CEO of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, was in New York City to introduce the Panda Cam on ABC's “Good Morning America.” Baribault flipped a giant white switch and launched the website, which was displayed on a giant screen in Times Square. “The audience welcomes them back. It’s just an exciting moment for us,” he said.

Zoo officials said the two pandas had “adjusted beautifully to their sprawling, bamboo-filled homes” and said the panda cameras would show off their “playful antics and natural behaviors.”

Xin Bao and Yun Chuan arrived on June 28, making them the first two giant pandas to come to the United States in 21 years. The duo was presented publicly at the beginning of August.

Xin Bao is a 4-year-old female born at the Wolong Shenshuping panda base in Sichuan, China. Wildlife keepers describe her as very active, alert and an excellent climber with a large, round face and large ears.

Yun Chuan is a 5-year-old male and is said to have a long, slightly pointed nose. He is the grandson of Bai Yun and Gao Gao, two giant pandas who lived at the San Diego Zoo for decades. His mother, Zhen Zhen, was born at the zoo in 2007.

The zoo is hosting the black-and-white duo on loan from China for the next decade at a cost of $1 million per year. The zoo plans to conduct conservation research and hopes to breed the two bears.

Pandas first came to the San Diego Zoo in 1987 as part of an exhibition loan. They returned in 1996 as part of a conservation agreement focused on improving panda reproduction. The zoo's program produced six cubs. Its scientists also helped develop techniques responsible for keeping young pandas alive, including the development of a panda milk formula.

San Diego said goodbye to its pandas in 2019, but this year the program is returning.

China owns and leases all of the giant pandas in U.S. zoos and has loaned the animals for decades as “panda diplomacy” to strengthen national ties and advance panda conservation efforts.

The zoo's agreement with Chinese officials in February had raised questions about how the live panda camera would work. The agreement included a clause limiting the use of 24-hour surveillance footage.

“Video recordings, images and other materials generated by 24-hour surveillance cameras installed by the American Party inside and outside the facility may only be used for internal surveillance and administration, as well as for promotional and educational purposes,” it says it in the agreement. “No live, real-time external streaming or similar activities may be conducted; However, video footage or images that have been initially reviewed, edited if necessary and approved by the (zoo) may be used for promotional and educational purposes.”

Zoo officials did not respond to questions about the agreement and how it applies to the Panda Cam.

The unveiling of the zoo's panda camera came on the same day that two giant pandas arrived at the national zoo as part of a panda loan deal with Chinese wildlife authorities. Bao Li and Qing Bao are at the Washington, DC Zoo on a 10-year loan. Officials said the duo will make their public debut on January 24.

Unlike the pandas' arrival in San Diego, which was kept secret, the National Zoo's pandas arrived at Dulles International Airport on a specially equipped FedEx cargo plane, the front of which was decorated with artwork depicting a panda eating bamboo.

According to the Washington Post, the pandas traveled for 19 hours on a trip from Chengdu, China, with a stop in Anchorage. Three pandas left the National Zoo for China on November 8, including Mei Xiang, a 26-year-old female; Tian Tian, ​​a 27-year-old man; and her offspring, 4-year-old Xiao Qi Ji.

Originally published: October 15, 2024 at 9:32 am